You’re probably overcomplicating your training.
Why do I say that?
Because most people do.
Most people spend too much time thinking about training and scrolling through videos about various methods…
When they’d be much better off running.
Most of us, at some point in our life, have looked for a way to skip the messy middle where things get difficult and progress slows down.
But it’s rarely possible.
As you probably know, I work in a gym.
I’m also the only trainer in the gym who runs.
So I spend a non-zero amount of my time talking to various people about how to get faster.
Most of the time, the answer is a pretty simple 3-step process.
1 – Accept it’s gonna take longer than you want.
2 – Do a lot of work.
3 – Recover.
That’s it.
Now, sometimes I’ll get questions from people who clearly spend WAY more time scrolling through videos about training than they actually do training.
They ask me whether they should be doing 400s or 800s or 1600s and exactly how much time per week they should spend at lactate threshold and how fast they should be running strides and how long their longest long run should be and blah blah blah…
Before I sound too dismissive…
All of these are valid questions and I enjoy having these conversations.
A lot, actually.
I enjoy reading about these things and I spend a lot of time learning about them.
The thing is – for me, it’s part of my job.
For most people, it’s a distraction.
Typically, the person who wants to talk about these things is rarely someone looking to drop those last 3 minutes and finally BQ after a couple years of trying…
(I’ve had those conversations too and the answer has always been, “eat more.”)
But again, it’s rarely the 2:45 marathoner who wants to dive into the details with me on the gym floor.
Instead, it’s almost always someone who just started running three months ago.
Someone who’s just hit their first plateau and is starting to realize they probably need some structure to their training.
And they’re looking for the easy button.
Well, it doesn’t exist.
Know who tends to BQ?
Fast people.
Know how you get fast?
Run a lot over a very long period of time.
Know who doesn’t tend to BQ?
People who started running three months ago.
Are there exceptions?
Sure.
But seeing as we can’t go back in time and pick our parents in favor of better genetics, there isn’t a lot we can do about that.
Instead, we just need to put in the time.
We need to figure out how we can fit a lot of training into our individual schedule…
Then do a lot of training.
It’s a perfect example of “simple, not easy.”
1 – Accept it’s gonna take longer than you want.
2 – Do a lot of work.
3 – Recover.
Now, I know this message does me zero favors as a business owner.
“Hey, maybe just figure out how to run more” is not a very successful sales pitch…
Especially when surrounded by an internet full of “use this secret strategy to BQ in 30 days… we’ll also throw in a six-pack and the ability to squat 3x your body weight…”
But I’m done giving a shit.
I’d rather be honest.
You probably just need to figure out how to run more.
As a coach to normal, everyday people…
I spend most of my time helping them figure out how to increase their training volume without getting injured or giving up the rest of their favorite activities.
I spend a comparatively small amount of time discussing interval splits or determining someone’s exact pace for a lactate threshold workout.
So if you want to get faster…
Run more.
That’s usually the big secret.
Seem easy?
Great.
Go do that.
Not sure how to do that without getting injured or giving up the rest of your life?
You’re probably overcomplicating your training.
Why do I say that?
Because most people do.
Most people spend too much time thinking about training and scrolling through videos about various methods…
When they’d be much better off running.
Most of us, at some point in our life, have looked for a way to skip the messy middle where things get difficult and progress slows down.
But it’s rarely possible.
As you probably know, I work in a gym.
I’m also the only trainer in the gym who runs.
So I spend a non-zero amount of my time talking to various people about how to get faster.
Most of the time, the answer is a pretty simple 3-step process.
1 – Accept it’s gonna take longer than you want.
2 – Do a lot of work.
3 – Recover.
That’s it.
Now, sometimes I’ll get questions from people who clearly spend WAY more time scrolling through videos about training than they actually do training.
They ask me whether they should be doing 400s or 800s or 1600s and exactly how much time per week they should spend at lactate threshold and how fast they should be running strides and how long their longest long run should be and blah blah blah…
Before I sound too dismissive…
All of these are valid questions and I enjoy having these conversations.
A lot, actually.
I enjoy reading about these things and I spend a lot of time learning about them.
The thing is – for me, it’s part of my job.
For most people, it’s a distraction.
Typically, the person who wants to talk about these things is rarely someone looking to drop those last 3 minutes and finally BQ after a couple years of trying…
(I’ve had those conversations too and the answer has always been, “eat more.”)
But again, it’s rarely the 2:45 marathoner who wants to dive into the details with me on the gym floor.
Instead, it’s almost always someone who just started running three months ago.
Someone who’s just hit their first plateau and is starting to realize they probably need some structure to their training.
And they’re looking for the easy button.
Well, it doesn’t exist.
Know who tends to BQ?
Fast people.
Know how you get fast?
Run a lot over a very long period of time.
Know who doesn’t tend to BQ?
People who started running three months ago.
Are there exceptions?
Sure.
But seeing as we can’t go back in time and pick our parents in favor of better genetics, there isn’t a lot we can do about that.
Instead, we just need to put in the time.
We need to figure out how we can fit a lot of training into our individual schedule…
Then do a lot of training.
It’s a perfect example of “simple, not easy.”
1 – Accept it’s gonna take longer than you want.
2 – Do a lot of work.
3 – Recover.
Now, I know this message does me zero favors as a business owner.
“Hey, maybe just figure out how to run more” is not a very successful sales pitch…
Especially when surrounded by an internet full of “use this secret strategy to BQ in 30 days… we’ll also throw in a six-pack and the ability to squat 3x your body weight…”
But I’m done giving a shit.
I’d rather be honest.
You probably just need to figure out how to run more.
As a coach to normal, everyday people…
I spend most of my time helping them figure out how to increase their training volume without getting injured or giving up the rest of their favorite activities.
I spend a comparatively small amount of time discussing interval splits or determining someone’s exact pace for a lactate threshold workout.
So if you want to get faster…
Run more.
That’s usually the big secret.
Seems easy?
Great.
Go do that.
Not sure how to do that without getting injured or giving up the rest of your life?
Send me a message and let’s chat.