Six fundamental that defines a runner

Fundamental number 1

When I first started running I did not know anything about training, the why’s and the how’s and even six years after running I am still finding myself not knowing stuff. That’s why I love running I learn new bits of information’s every day. One of the things I did not know about was the fact that you need to increase the intensity and your training load gradually. I thought that’s stress was only psychological, it turns out my friends we have a lot of different kind of stresses! We have mental as I mentioned, emotional, complementary, supplementary and of course physical stress. 

Every time you finish a training session you put your body under a lot of physiological stress, you asked for it to supply a certain level of work which never had to deliver in the past, you gave it new information to process and thus putting it in a stressful situation. Our body thank goodness is not stupid and is an incredible machine. After the training is over it will assess of what it asked for it during the raining see where it was lacking and where it was weak. Then at a cellular level will make sure the areas that did not perform satisfactorily will be enhanced and upgrade them so next time while training it will be able to deliver the required payload.

That’s a fundamental truth, now what are we going to do with it? I will tell you now. The secret is to give to the body able time to make the necessary adjustments and repairs so the next time you go out for a new training to benefit from them. In more lame terms, you need to give time to your body to recover well before going out there again stressing it even more. Intensity and increase of training should be something that every runner is battling every time he or she sits down to devise or construct its next training plan or regime.

Fundamental number 2

When I first start running, I would run every day, and as I mentioned in another article of mine I had this philosophy about training back then that a day without running was a day lost. Well, a lot has happened since then, I am more experience as a runner now, I read a lot more books and articles about the importance of resting and also a lot of injuries taught me the hard way the immense severity resting days are. Now I run 3 to 4 times per week, and I learned about specificity. Which means every training session I finish has a specific goal. For example, when I am doing track repeats I am working on my speed, when I am doing tempo runs, I am working on having a real and proper running form and pace. When I am working on my long runs, I make sure I am training my aerobic capacity and also training my ability to use fat as my primary fuel. Be specific on your training and you will see results faster and also better.

Fundamental number 3 

As I said numerous times in my first book Thirsty for Health and also in many articles in my blog every person is unique and once you grasp this essential and also paramount realisation, then you be able to set your mind free. You be able to follow the path that is right in front of you but most of the times can’t see it because of all the distractions of everyday life.

You are a snowflake; you will not find two snowflakes alike, so do not compare yourself with others as training is a concern. Some people get into a certain form and shape faster than other people even if all of them use the specific training system and training volume. The secret is to see where you 're now and where were you when you first started, that’s what should matter to you, everything else is not going to help you become a better runner. So vital, individual differences is something an athlete must keep under consideration.

Fundamental number 4

Six years ago when I started running, I did it to lose weight, becoming fit or healthy was the last thing on my mind I just wanted to lose the sick pounds. I noticed that by doing petite running, I would lose much weight and also my fitness level would improve faster. When I reach a stalemate as losing weight is concerned I noticed that I had to run faster, harder and further to even see any noticeable weight loss and also improvement of my fitness level. That’s when I realised that the fittest you become, when you get closer and closer to your optimal performance the harder it is to improve even more. So do not despair if you don’t see great improvements after finishing a hard training, it means you reach your best level at that particular time in your life. Maybe your running regime is fine maybe you need to tweak and check out other aspects of your life, like nutrition or weight strengthening or so on.

Fundamental number 5

One of the biggest lessons running tough me was that if you want to have results, you must be consistent. The saying is you don’t use it you lose it is one f the best advice ever. If you stop training then the fitness level you achieve after all those hard training days it will go away, and you are back to square one. It is that simple. From my experience is you stop training for three weeks then you are back to square one, of course, square one is different for different people, for me, square one is I can run 10k in one-hour others could be less or more. The important thing is that you need to see training as a lifestyle it should be something that you can do for the rest of your life, something that it will not become like a job or at the same time not get bored with it. I think running 3 to 4 times a week, achieves those goals, keeps you in good fitness shape, does;t make you feel you have to go run and also it is not dull.

Fundamental number 6

I left the most important one of the last. All of the above are worthless is you don’t possess this last ability. I know people say it is not right to be selfish, but I think that's wrong.  I advocate that you need to be at least a little bit of selfish, have a little bit of an ego to be able to get from bed every day and do the things that matter to you. One of them is running, because running for me is not just a man to achieve something anymore is part of me and I can’t think myself without it.

I hope I helped and made you think.

Have a healthy and happy day

Andreas Michaelides
Thirsty4health.com