I was writing this blog when I came across an interview with Kipchoge where he talks about discipline, ideas that fit well here. I decided to merge a review of that interview below.
It can be fun to go after a training/segment PR, to keep up with a faster friend, to not get chicked at Wash Park, to chase down that guy/gal you always see, to blast those intervals. A little of that is OK, but not too much, not too often.
Workouts
First let me define “workout.” A workout is any defined run, not just the hard ones. It can be of any effort or distance. In a sense, every run is a workout. Some of those “workouts” are easy and/or just about getting out and running for fun. Those runs have a purpose. They might be most of your runs during the off-season.
“Training is not about competing,” as Kipchoge says. Don’t go hard chasing down that gal/guy you always see when you’re supposed to be going easy. Put (metaphorical) blinders on and shut down your ego. Know that it’s OK to go slow, to let other people pass you, because you’re doing your thing. Know that maybe you can go get them, but you don’t have to. Know that you can get that segment PR, but you don’t have to.
Training plans should not be rigid. Much of the time, it’s OK to go a little faster/slower, a little shorter/longer. It’s OK to adjust a bit to run with a friend, for example. However, don’t dramatically change a workout to fit a group run. If you want to run with a group and know they run a certain pace, plan your training to fit that pace. In general, it’s better to go easier rather than harder than planned.
Save those hard efforts for when you’re supposed to go hard. Then, it’s about doing what you’re supposed to be doing. PRs are for racing, not training. Go as hard as you’re supposed to. Strive for effort PRs, not absolute ones. For example, measure your progress by how fast you can run a segment at Zone 2 (i.e., edge of easy) or Zone 4 (LT2, aka lactic threshold), not all out. You should feel like you have a little more to give in your 400 or mile repeats. An infrequent all-out effort is OK as long as it fits your training and doesn’t leave you so tired that it interferes with your training in subsequent days.
When it’s time to taper, resist the urge to test your race fitness by running fast. Save your PR efforts for the race. That hard run in the week or so before your target race might damage your success in the race.
Some of you like to race often like I do. Most of those races are not target races. Do them for fun. Do them for training. Remember to stick to your training goal for that run and focus on your bigger, longer term goals. Treat them more like a tempo, a run at a specified pace or effort, rather than all-out. Save you’re a game for you’re A races.
Vitamin N
The interview with Kipchoge is long, about 1.5 hours. Some of it is hard to understand with his accent. I encourage you to listen to it at a time/place where you can pay good attention.
First, remember that Kipchoge is an elite. Running is his job. While there are valuable lessons we can learn from him, we are not him. We are not elites. Running revolves around our lives, not the other way around. At least, I think it should.
At his Team NN training camp, in Kenya, he has a billboard with 60 core values. He encourages his (younger) teammates to choose 15 core values, then narrow it down to three. Focusing on those three core values leads to success. This means sacrificing personal passions and pleasures. This takes discipline
Three key factors lead to self-discipline:
- Vitamin N – learn to say no.
- Set your priorities right.
- Avoid complaining.
Saying no isn’t easy. Adopting self-discipline isn’t a one-night event. Rather, it’s a process. It takes time. It takes practice. It takes work.
He doesn’t believe in success. Rather, he believes in in preparation and planning. You can’t sit and wait for success. It’s waiting for you to grab it. You need to:
- Be prepared.
- Be well planned.
- Be ready to grab it.
You need to have the right systems. If you have the right systems and do the work, you’re successful. Success is the process, not the outcome.
If you’re climbing a tree, you are going for branches. Work for a branch. If it’s strong enough to hold your weight, once you’ve achieved a branch, forget that branch and go after the next one. The moment you get it (e.g., world record for him), say thank-you and move on.
When asked about his humility, he says: The moment you chase away ego, that’s the best place to think, the best place to be with other people, the best place to get your training right.
When he wakes up, he just gets ready and runs. No journal. No phone. If he doesn’t feel like running (he is human), he just goes. 10min later, he feels good. After the run, his team has an hour to eat breakfast, shower, etc. No phones are allowed in kitchen and while eating. Only after does he do what the rest of the world wants him to do.
Group runs are important. Mon, Wed and Fri are free running days, no prescribed pace or effort. Run how you feel. Again, training runs is not competition. He will listen to music or podcasts on those runs, not on the hard runs or races. You can listen for an hour and not realize that you’ve run for an hour.
He trusts in the long run. They teach you how to handle suffering. They calm your mind. If something happens, you need to move on. Running is not about legs, it’s about the mind.
Feel the pain. Pain is part of success. You need to work for it (success). Convert pain into a positive thing. In marathon, pain should be there.
He smiles, looks the same at mile 1 and 25, he looks relaxed because he trains to run super relaxed at a high pace.
Why is he able to keep going fast after dropping the pacers and his competitors? He runs his own race. If someone wants to come along, that’s OK. He keeps pushing because he trusts in his training. He’s not worried about losing racing alone.
The night before a big race, he sleeps poorly like others. He doesn’t look at his sleep data on race day.
Before you go to bed, reflect on the day. Did you effect the world on a positive or negative way?
He writes in journals with pen and paper, not on computer. He believes if you write it by hand, you’ll remember it. He writes about his training (everything, not just time and distance), his shoes, books he reads, etc.
No human is limited. This applies to all aspects of life, all jobs, not just running. He believes he can run sub-2 in a major marathon. Few have dared to try. Few have even dared to think about it. He has. He believes that if he has the right systems – nutrition, teammates, [shoe] technology, support crew – he can regardless of race conditions.
I suspect he’ll go for it at a fall marathon next year or 2024. He also wants to win all six marathon majors. He’s won Tokyo, Berlin, London, and Chicago. He’s yet to run or win Boston and NY. He’s planning to run Boston next April. The Paris Olympics is summer, 2024. Perhaps he does NY next fall, then goes for the record at Valencia, Dec, 2024.
Bringing it home
We don’t have to live completely like Kipchoge. Running is not our job. We have family, work, school, friends, etc. I have > 3 core values. Running may be one of them but it’s not the most important. I recognize that I’m going to and want to go on vacation with my family, skip a run to take care of a sick kid, go out with friends, have fun. Of course, I want to do well at my A races, but I’m willing to sacrifice a bit for the other important things in my life. I don’t live an ascetic life dedicated to running. If that means I’m a little slower than I could be, that’s OK. Success, my self-worth, it tied to many things in life, not just running.
We don’t have to be perfect. That’s an impossible standard to judge yourself by. As Kipchoge says, it’s a process, it doesn’t happen in one night. I make mistakes, I know I’m going to make mistakes. I don’t beat myself up when I do. I acknowledge it and strive to do better.
Personal Experience
Earlier this fall, I did a long run with a friend who was training for a marathon. He did 18. I could’ve stretched to 18 but I would’ve paid for it later. I did 12. I brought my bike, then rode out to meet him for the rest of his run.
I am far from perfect. I sometimes run with the Runners Roost Denver Run Club. There are several (mostly) guys who are faster than me. On my first run back with the group this fall, I hung with them. About 4.5mi into a 7mi run, I realized how much harder I was running than intended and backed off. I missed the lead group at a light, waited through two lights for the next group to catch me, then just cruised back to the store with them. I planned to stay away from most speed for a while – to let my body recover from a long season of racing and rebuild my base. I was more tired than I should’ve been. This forced me to adjust my runs the next few days. In subsequent runs with the club, I’ve made a point of letting the fast group go and hanging back with other packs. I’ve been running with slower runners, but they’re doing the kind of pace that fits what I should be doing. I quiet the voice in my head that says I should be faster than they are to be able to run with others. I get to hang with the larger group before/after. I’ll save running with the lead group until I’m ready for harder runs.
Chasing Squirrels
Most dogs want to chase every squirrel they see. We don’t have to. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stay disciplined. Have some fun and go after some PRs, but not too much, not too often.
Train smart! Have fun! Smile frequently!
See you on the roads and trails.
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