Set Specific Goals

Generally the more specific they are, the more successful you’ll be at reaching your goals. This can be done by adding distance (e.g. tack on a mile to your longest run), making it time-related (e.g. run a 5K in under 25 minutes), or making it frequency-related (e.g. add an additional training run to your regular week.

Stoke Your Competitive Nature

Running with friends is a great way to hold yourself accountable but, sometimes, it can also lull you into complacency.

If you want to up your running game, make sure to spend some time running with your “rivals”. Running with people in your age range and ability level can create a sense of competition, allowing you to push yourself above and beyond your current abilities.

Visualize Success

Many professional athletes visualize success to achieve massive success. Going through the process of visualizing success conditions your mind and body to actually believe that you can do it, increasing your odds of reaching your fitness goals.

Talk to Yourself

Just like visualizing success, incorporate positive self-talk. Tell yourself, “I’ve trained for this, I can do it.” Don’t fall in the trap of getting stuck in a negative mindset. If you do, it will be difficult to be successful.

Focus on Form

Eliminate all extraneous movement to increase your overall running efficiency. Here are a few tips from our Performance Coaches:

• Keep your hips angled forward
• Lean into your run from your ankles
• Keep your cadence high
• Plant your feet directly under your body instead of out front
• Keep your arms at 90° and swing them straight forward and back

Originally from PRO Pulse September-October 2016
By Danny Griesmer