Pushing yourself to the limit.

Dear Brad,

I have somewhat recently come to the realization that while I am progressing in running.... I could be better. It seems to me that I have a lot of things going for me when it comes to body type, endurance, speed and such things. I have been doing alright in races and workouts and such, but I am not satisfied with the results. I feel like I could be doing much more than I really am. After talking with some friends it seems as though many people who beat me have the ability to push their bodies to a higher limit. When I race it is hard and everything. But I don't suffer any lasting discomfort, I rarely throw up, and I am never sore following a race. It seems like I recover fairly quickly and within minutes I am feeling just fine. Races feel more like just a moderately hard workout. Do you have any tips on ways to fix this? I want to take my running to the next level but I can't do that unless I am running the races that I am capable of. I just need to find a way to push myself better.

Logan

If throwing up after a race is your main goal then I suggest eating about 6 to 9 donuts, and a half gallon of chocolate milk 5 minutes before you race. This should do the trick. Then you will feel good about your race, but not so good about the vomit on your racing flats or spikes.
Actually, throwing up after a race is no indication of how hard you ran. In fact, I have never thrown up after a race. But I ran with a kid, who went on to run at BYU that would throw up after every single race...no matter how hard. That's just how his body worked...or didn't work.
And lasting discomfort isn't necessarily an indication of how hard you ran as much as how in shape, or not in shape you are. Maybe you have seen some of the winners of marathon's doing push ups or cartwheels after winning. If you are in great shape, you should feel better after a short recovery. That's one way I gauge my fitness.
We are all built differently. I don't race any easier than I did in my prime, I could just get from punt A to Point B a lot faster back then. A lot of times that is the only difference between the fastest and slowest kid on the team...Pure, downright and dirty genetics.
That being said, Yes, you do have a lot going for you. What you are lacking is patience. Believe it or not, I am very close to your High School coaches. They know they could have run you harder in High School. Had you log more miles...but that was not the goal. The goal was to give you a great base, and let you gain a love for the sport without burning you out. It is what they feel is the best way to get you ready for college. Now you body is adjusting to running more miles, and longer intervals. Give it time. Most of my friends who had very successful college careers didn't get fast until their Junior or Senior years. (One was All-American in the 10,000 Meters, and he was a walk on.)
Focus on what you can control. Put in the miles. Work your tail off in practice. Take care of your body, and eventually the times will come. Again, THEY WILL COME. A couple of years will make a world of difference. Let your body adjust.
Don't forget why you are running in the first place. It's not to take first. It is to push yourself, and become the bet. Your best now is slower than your best in the future. That's life. And that' running.
Good luck...You will be just fine. Trust me.

Running slumps!

Dear Brad-A,

I am in severe need of advice from a superior, experienced runner, such as yourself. What can you tell me, or help me out with, along the lines of a major running slump? my summer has been quite difficult with hardly anything to be happy about. this summer i have expectations and i haven't yet found that zone i was in last summer.
your thoughts would be much appreciated!

Nate - Kaysville, UT


Dear Nate,

I wish there was an easy answer, but unfortunately this is just how running works. It sucks, I know.
All you can do when you run into these slumps is run like you are not in a slump. The more you worry and stress about your "slump" the worse it will be or seem. This is just part of running and racing. Just take care of yourself, hit your runs, take your rest days, and pretty soon you wil come out of it. This is nothing new.
In fact, there was this guy named Adam a long, long time ago. He liked to run. But this was so long ago, that adidas had yet to be invented...I know, a world without adidas is no world I'd like to live in. He ran barefoot, with only a leaf as split side shorts. His wife Eve,w ho was smokin' hot, and clothes-less as well like to run a bit too. One day while they were doing intervals she gave him a piece of fruit as a snack. Well, long story short, he got a major side ache and didn't run well. He thought he would never run well again. But he kept at it at pretty soon he was running well. The End.
Your zone will return! Just work your tail off and you will get back. I know this to be true with every fiber of being.

Should I shave or let it grow?

Dear Brad,
My question is simple, should I shave my runner legs or not?

-Brayden, Kaysville, UT

Well, if it were me I'd say "Yes". If it were my wife she would say "Yes". I like it, she likes when I do it, and we are the coolest people in the World, so I don't see that you have an argument.
But then again, it should be up to you. If you ant to, then do it, and don't care what other people say. Your life is yours.

Should I push or should I shove?

My Dear Brad, most of us XC studs like to run the 1600 in track. While running the 1600 at that first 100 meters or so there is always that slower child (who unfortunately did not choose to run XC) who likes to cut you off and go his pace. This can create great problems if you are boxed in. Others also like to throw elbows and make you stumble, this is also unacceptable if you are faster. Should I hit back or blow his mind away with my insane running skills, or should I completely blow out of the starting line like a certain member of our team, Brad Nye?

-Brayden Cromar Kaysville, UT


Unfortunately slower runners shooting out like a bandit is just part of the sport. But even though Track is a non-contact sport, you can't be a wuss. You need to be aggressive the first few hundred meters and when the race really gets going later in the race. If you had a chance the watch the 2009 World Track and field Championships, you saw many people fall, get shoved down, or shoved back.
You should never shove or push to get ahead, but be prepared to protect your territory. If not, you will find yourself boxed in when the race really gets moving leaving you running for 2nd place.
But in the first 100 meters it is better to get out fast enough to keep yourself out of the shoving matches. This is not saying blow out so fast that 200 meters later you are gasping for air, but in track position can be everything. Especially the bigger races. So don't be a fool, stay in school, and get out fast.

Road Running Rage!

Hey Brad, I haven't been able to run for quite some time, and things are getting weird. There are periods of time that I just can't remember what happened and its scaring me! Also whenever I see someone running by on the street I sometimes turn green and get huge muscles and start smashing buildings (The huge muscles part isn't so bad, but the uncontrollable rage is). What should I do about this? Please help me!



-Cody ,Kaysville UT

I feel your pain Cody! Being injured is one of the worst things I can think of. It is only behind being killed, having my teeth pulled out, having my head smashed beneath a 453 pound boulder, having my tongue pulled out by a squirrel, eating squash, or falling off of a cliff, on my list of crappy things.
You need to embrace the change you go through when you see people run. Smashing buildings is pretty cool. I bet the chicks die for it.
Once you have embraced it, channel it into good energy. Use that same rage on an exercise bike as you X-train yourself back to health. Use that anger to propel you on a bike that will lead to your recovery. Those things will get you back on to the road in no time.
You can be frustrated about your injury and watch other's run. Or you can do something about it, and hit the gym for some X-training. You will still turn green from time to time, but at least you are working on getting back on your feet and running.
If you're not doing anything to get running again, this rage is just a waste of time.

Now go get 'em Hulk!

What makes a great runner?

Brad,
My question is very simple. What makes a good runner GREAT?

Logan, Kaysville, UT

This is actually a pretty easy answer. First of all, if you are a good runner, you probably already have genetics on your side. Unfortunately you can't coach genetics. You've either got fast genes, or you don't. It would be much easier if we were talking about jeans, instead of genes, as you would be able to go to "Fast Levi's for everyday people" and get yourself some fast jeans.
Hopefully your parents,when they fell in love, just happened to have those genes that are meant for out running wolves. And then when they gave each other that "special hug", they passed those genes on to you. But this is the easy part, as long as you got the proper genes. You can't do anything about this.
The second part you have control over. You have to do the work. You have to put in the miles. You have to out run the wolves, if you will. I have NEVER met a GREAT runner who did not put in the work. I have never met a GREAT runner who didn't do their long runs. There isn't a great runner on this earth that didn't pay the price on the track during intervals.
To be a great runner it needs to go from running being an activity, to running being what you base your day around. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating enough food. Are you guzzling enough water? For GREAT runners, running is a priority. Now don't get me wrong, it's not everything. Life needs to be well balanced. This will help your running. You always have to leave yourself time for running down the ladies. Distance running is lonely enough as it is. With out the ladies, it's just plain nutty.
Running isn't a game, like most other sports. It's a chance for you to push yourself. A chance for you to see what you are really made of. It's a chance for you to push yourself further than you ever thought possible, only to push yourself further the next time. It teaches you how to deal with what life throws at you. Once you've run a race as hard as you can, pushing through the pain, and never giving up, there is nothing you can't get through in any other aspect of your life. Learning to run harder when you feel like slowing down is where you earn the real reward.
Another aspect of becoming a great runner is KNOWING you are a GREAT runner. I can promise you no one has ever won a Gold Medal without thinking they could do it. "How do you get this confidence?" You might ask. Did you read the last paragraph of am I writing this to myself? The only way to gain confidence is to put in the work. With out the HARD WORK, you can do all of the mental preparation you want and you'll still look like worn out t-shirt as you race on down the road. I'm sure you've heard the phrase: "The will to win isn't worth a nickel unless you have the will to prepare."
To put it simply, the race is won during the training, long before it is won in a meet. Once you have gotten your body into the best shape it can be in, only then can you hope to become great. It is not rocket science by any means. 1 + 1 =2
Once the work is done, you then can start hoping for everything to come together on race day. Know that even after all of the work, sometimes it won't come together. Some days you just don't have it. Sometimes it too hot, or you injure yourself. You may even come up with a case of the "Oopsy Poopsy's" race morning. That's just the beast of the sport. But realize if you have done the work, there will be more days when everything works out perfectly. You will race your hardest and run faster than you ever imagined. You will feel your hard work paying off. Without putting in the work, these days will never happen. Without the work, you'll NEVER see those days.
The ability to be GREAT is in your hands. Are you going to hit the roads the days you'd rather be watching "Saved by the Bell"? Are you going to push those days on the track when your lungs feel like they are about the burst? Are you going to pull yourself out of bed those dark mornings to meet up with the team for a morning run? Are you going to run down the person in front of you even when the race is not on the line? Are you going to kick to the finish even when no one is watching, and you aren't going to change your position anyway? Are you going to get to bed early when you have a hard workout, or race the next day? Are you going to believe in your hard work? Are you going to push out those thoughts of doubt? Are you going to bow to the pressure or rise to the occasion?
You can do it Logan. You have the drive and ability. You have great coaches who can help you with race strategy, and great work outs. The rest is up to you. Get out and put in the work, and the rest is just details. If you don't train like you are the best runner out there, you never will be.

Ready to race.

Hey Brad,



So I am going to be running my first 10k in about 3 weeks in San Antonio for Division II South Central Regionals. Do you have any advice for me, like eating and how to get ready mentally? Hook a brother up!-



Tyson Portales, NM/Morgan


Thank you for your question Tyson. Running is very near and dear to my heart. My best advice would be :"Run faster than everyone else." That is a sure way to secure a victory. Get out fast, look around you, identify the leader and stay in front of them. If you can keep the rest of the runners behind you, I am pretty confident you will win the race.
But if that is not the advice you are looking for here are a few other suggestions. First of all; don't sweat it. I know you have been training hard, and hitting your long runs. If you have done all of this, you will be just fine. There isn't a whole lot you can do after you have put in the work. That is one of the great things about running.
With it being a 10K, you need to later your pace just a little. Just don't get caught up running too slowly. If you've done your long runs you will handle the longer distance just fine. Focus on every 2 miles instead of every mile. This will keep you from focusing on the longer distance.
As far as eating, eat what you have been eating. It's no time to invent a new morning breakfast, that could leave you running to the Port-o-John instead of the finish line. Don't load of on a ton of food the night before, but make sure you get your fuel. food is your friend when you are running.
Now that you have done the work, and eaten the right food, all you need to do is the mental aspect. What is your goal. That is what you need to know. If you have no goal, it is hard to run your best. What are you trying to do? Is there a certain time? A certain place? What? Identify that and make a race plan. what are your strengths? Where can you shave off some time. Do you get out too slowly? Do you slow down in the middle of the race? Find where you can shave some time off and focus on that. If you do slow down in the middle mile or miles, focus on them. When you hit the 2 mile mark, think to yourself: "I really need to focus the next 2 or 3 miles. They are easy miles to to pick up some unwanted seconds. Runners often get in a rut during the middle mile or miles of races. Being aware of that and trying to keep out of that rut will keep you on the right track. when I run a 5K, I just try to stay steady the first mile. It's the second mile that I try to start moving up. The first and last mile usually take car of themselves. I try to keep from getting out too fast. And the last mile I'm just trying to get to the finish as quickly as possible.
So what I am saying is: Know what you are trying to accomplish, and know how you can give yourself the best opportunity to do that. Think through a few race scenarios. What if they get out really fast? What if I'm still in a pack with 800 meters to go. What if I break away? Know what you will do.
My lats piece of advice is decide where you are going to kick, and KICK there. I suggest picking somewhere that has a visual reminder. (ie, a telephone pole, a garbage ca, a side walk, etc.) Tell yourself that is the latest you will kick, NO MATTER WHAT. When you are tired you will wait until the last minute to kick. Have your body ready to kick then, no matter who tired you are. Your brain will help you out if you have decided you will do it.
In closing, remember you have done the work, so you don't have a lot to worry about. You have done everything you can control. You can't control the other stuff, so don't worry about them. You have put yourself in the best position to succeed. Find confidence in that. Everything else is just details.
Good luck pal! Let me know how you do.