Running Traps 4

Through 2010-14 I have held discussions, meetings, race and program reviews, and constructed strategic performance plans with over 700 runners and coaches (and 350+ triathletes). Here are the Top Ten Run-training Traps as a summary. There’s also a cure or ‘get-out’, and a long-term prevention strategy for each.

Remember, what works for the pros and what are promoted as “the best”, “the most effective”, “the ideal”, “the latest” or “short-cuts ” are rarely what they are made out to be. They simply don’t work for most. Perhaps these are your traps?

Trap 4: Lack of Athletic Intelligence. 

Smarts comes in all shapes and sizes. 

Information and knowledge are easy to find now days. Just ask Coach Google or Doctor Google. 

Intelligence, though, requires reflection, analysis, evaluation and then application in context. Few aim to understand why they do what they do, how long they do it for, how it effects their body and mind (and habits) for the next day, and an accumulation of many days. 

Race-smarts is tactical intelligence. 

Street smarts is accumulated experience and know-how; yet, not always constructive or positive.  

Science smarts is often limited in statistics, context and application. 

The best smarts is figuring out what works best for you, and leaving the crowd, the squad, the trends, and the backslappers to do what they do:

•  Get out: Don’t be a dummy. Ask good questions. Ask many, trust few. Avoid trends. There are no short-cuts. Measure what you can - properly. Use it. Listen to your instinct, or ‘gut’. Use it too. Work them into your plan.

• Prevention: Become reflective and analytical. Educate yourself about yourself, about running and about training. Understand and apply the difference between training hard and hard training - for here is the heart of Smart Training and Athletic Intelligence.

    How do you use your athletic    intelligence to advantage?