Planning Our Training, Something To Consider

As we plan our training it is important to keep a few things in mind.
The great running coach Bill Bowerman articulates so well what we need to do as we formulate the plan and set our running goals.
He says: "I think a person can make the most of his running experience if he is enjoying it, if he has a plan, if his objectives that are realistic and if he carries on over an extended period of time. If he becomes tired of running,he should lay off for awhile.If he's still tired of it after that,maybe he ought to look for another activity."
Cerutty wrote, in so many words, that our training should not become like work.
To me, and I am sure most of you, running is a release from every day events and pressures. The last thing we need to do is add running and racing to our list of potentially stressful activities.

It's a sad thing when an athlete follows a training schedule that takes all the joy out of running. I'm sure most of us at one time or another have experienced this. Hopefully,with time, we come to realize that we can have it both ways, achieve optimal fitness without losing our enjoyment of the sport.

On a related note,too many people sabotage their running by not making changes to their training despite being repeatedly injured.

Be realistic in your planning, by doing so you can break the cycle of setting goals that you either give up on or don't come close to achieving.