#PIECES 1982 RUNNING AROUND FULL#

There is an ancient Chinese proverb, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' So does our training program. On race day, we join these islands to complete our 5K puzzle. In a puzzle, we start with lots of little pieces, then match those pieces to build small islands (in a landscape puzzle, these islands might be patches of blue sky or a cluster of redwoods), which we then bring together to complete the puzzle.ДЇor our 5K puzzle, we assemble pieces to create these six islands. Both are missing pieces of the 5K puzzle. Both groups arrive at the start line with their task unfinished. Interval warriors pound out 5K-pace repetitions, convinced that all they'll have to do is connect the dots come race day. Volume enthusiasts assume that big numbers in training logs ensure success in a race that is only 3.1 miles long. Surprisingly, most runners don't practice this simple concept. They had completed their 'task' beforehand. And those who met their 5K race goal arrived at the start line properly trained in every aspect of the 5K. I've coached hundreds of 5K runners over the past 25 years, from college All-Americans to middle-aged mortgage brokers to seniors battling osteoarthritis. Zen master Yuan-tong noted, 'When the task is done beforehand, then it is easy.' It takes collecting and then putting together all the pieces of the 5K puzzle.

#PIECES 1982 RUNNING AROUND FULL#

Because the 5K specialist knows what neither the mileage junkie nor the speed racer seems to grasp: The 5K is a unique effort that demands a full range of physiological and psychological preparation.ДЄnd blending the correct components of that preparation takes more than marking down miles in a training log or recording splits during an interval session. The 5K is where these two distinct groups of runners face off and where a third group, the 5K specialists, are likely to steal the show.

Pieces 1982 running around