Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Running a Faster Race

Me, in one of my cross country races
Competitive running has become an increasingly popular sport in America as of late, though few people know the science behind running. Alberto Salazar is a former marathon world record holder, Olympian, and is currently coaching top American runners. Salazar has found that after many people  race (and this includes me) they ask the question "'How can I do even better?' That's often followed by:  'How good could I be?' the ideal way to answer such questions is by working with a coach, but most people have no opportunity to do that." (Salazar 1) For this reason Salazar wrote the book Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing, to teach other runners to run farther, faster, stronger.


One of the first things that Salazar points is the the ingredients to racing speed. He has broken them down into four main parts that are:

  • Talent - natural athletic ability a person is born with
  • Quantity of training - the amount of miles logged
  • Quality of training -  the optimal mix of speed workouts, and slower paced runs
  • Running mechanics - running posture, stride, and arm swing
With this being said, he notes that all of these attributes besides talent can be improved through coaching, and that is what this book is designed to do. (Salazar 11-12)

Now that I've received this information, it makes me more thoughtful about what the content of my training program is. For example: Have I logged a good amount of miles this week? What speed workouts have I done recently? Is my arm swing and form staying consistent throughout my runs?

My question to you is: How can you apply the factors of Quantity, Quality, and Technique to your everyday life?

Salazar, Alberto. Alberto Salazar's Guide to Road Racing. Ragged Mountain Press. Print.
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2 comments:

  1. Martina DuJanuary 18, 2015 at 3:28 PM

    I agree with your point of view. If someone were to practice occasionally, but for long periods of time, it wouldn't help them in the long run. In fact, practicing occasionally for long periods of time can be not only exhausting, but damaging to your body. However, if someone was to practice for an hour or two a day for a long period of time, they would get better and better at the skill. I can apply quality, quantity, and technique to my everyday life with school work in general. For example, when I know there is a test coming up, I do not cram the night before, instead, I study a little bit everyday to understand the content. This not only creates less stress for me, but I end up understanding the content better too. Studying and running are lot alike because they both require lots of practice over a long period of time.

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    1. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2015 at 8:55 PM

      Thanks for taking the time to read my post! I have to admit that I've never equated running to studying, but I see your point. I usually end up cramming day of, which I don't find very stressful, but that's my opinion. However I can't argue with your point that this results in a better understanding.

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