I was recently reading a book by an author Iâve known for years, yet somehow never truly delved beyond his famous running quotes and the occasional column: Dr. George Sheehan.
Personal Best by Dr. George Sheehan
Dr. Sheehan was a physician, but his legacy lives on in running. A passionate marathoner and prolific writer, he captured the soul of the sport through his columns and books. He did not just write about miles, but about purpose, identity, and the human spirit. His words helped generations of runners live training not as exercise, but as a path to self-discovery.
Despite passing away in 1993, his legacy as one of the most influential running writers ever is undeniable. He wrote 12 books, starting in 1972.
A chapter from âPersonal Best,â published in 1989, caught my attention because it proposes segmenting our athletic experience. Even though it is nothing revolutionary, stating the obvious reveals its genius.
The original text reads:
âThe athletic experience can be divided into three parts. One is the preparation, the training of the body. Two is the event, the challenging of the self. And three, is the aftermath. And for the runner, the ultimate athletic experience is the marathon. It takes training and challenging and creating to the absolute limits.â
In 54 powerful words, we are invited to deconstruct our running lives and turn it into a rewarding yet challenging process for exploring our limits.
Letâs break it down so we can squeeze every morsel of our athletic journey.
1 – TRAINING OF THE BODY
While we may certainly enjoy better PRs in our favorite distances, we can choose from two approaches. Running ourselves to the ground and having a short career or taking the time to prepare so our body can be strong, resilient, and injury-resistant.
Living for the challenge of competition and craving the adrenaline rush of finish lines are part of the allure of the journey. Sheehan once said, âRacing is the lovemaking for the runner. It is hard to pass upâ. And I agree. But to keep doing it constantly, year after year, we must teach the body.
It takes time, planning, and execution. It is a long road with no shortcuts. So, we’d better be smart and make the process enjoyable, or we wonât last the distance.
2 – CHALLENGE OF THE SELF
Ok. Here it is: The challenge. For us runners, it is usually racing, but it could be whatever gets your endorphins going. This is your personal journey. It may be breaking 20 or 30 in the 5K; or how far you can go before collapsing. The point is that you are in charge. You canât run to fulfill someone elseâs dream.
For Dr. Sheehan, the epitome of this challenge is the marathon: âThe marathon fills our subconscious with this gospel. Taking a well-trained body through a grueling 26.2-mile race does immeasurably more for the self-concept and self-esteem than years with the best psychiatrist.â
The challenge of the self is an ever-changing target. Every success should create a new goal. Every failure (and they will happen) should trigger a reevaluation of the processes or even the goals. The challenge of the self is the most rewarding part of the journey.
Enjoying the process will be more rewarding than a wall full of medals, but if you play it smart, you can have both (ChatGPT Image)
3 – THE AFTERMATH
Every running cycle, every accomplished goal, every medal displayed on your wall, every PR, every time we fell short, or every time we just had fun with our friends is an opportunity to reap rewards from our efforts. And the more prepared you are for the journey, the longer and more enjoyable it will be.
In the same writing that gave birth to this blog post, Dr. Sheehan states: âThe long-distance race is a struggle that results in self-discovery. It is an adventure into the limits of the self, representing for runners what has been called the moral equivalent of warâa theater for heroism, where the runner can do deeds of daring and greatness.â
My takeaway is that running can be a worthwhile, ever-changing journey if you allow it to be. But you must be purposeful and flexible, especially as you achieve your goals and pursue new ones as you get older. Enjoying the process will be more rewarding than a wall full of medals, but if you play it smart, you can have both.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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When it comes to running, cadence is one of those parameters everyone can relate to, as the concept is straightforward. Yet, upon deeper inspection, most people have no idea what to do with it. It’s a bit like BMI (body mass index): Okay, it’s 29.6. Great! Now what?
Cadence is not a one-size-fits-all parameter (Image by Chat GPT)
The right running cadence can help reduce fatigue, become a more efficient runner, avoid injuries such as shin splints, and thus allow you to run longer. And while higher cadence can be beneficial, it is not the secret sauce that is missing from your training. And, if you donât know what youâre doing, cutting your stride indiscriminately is not without its consequences.
Cadence is a simple, straightforward concept: the number of steps you take per minute. Each step starts when one leg touches the ground and ends when the other does. It measures both sides, and most running watches quantify it as a standard function. While most everyday runnersâ cadence is around 160-170ish, it is usually higher for elite and track athletes. Thereâs even a myth about the âmagic 180 cadence.â
The idea that all runners should aim for 180 steps per minute for maximum efficiency is traced back to observations by exercise physiologist and coach Jack Daniels during the 1984 Olympics. Daniels counted the cadence of elite distance runners and found that most were running at about 180 steps per minute, or slightly higher. His observation was descriptive, not a universal prescription. However, as the finding spread through coaching circles, books such as Daniels’ Running Formula, and running watches that track cadence, the nuance was lost. What began as an observation of elite runners gradually became gospel among many recreational runners.
The problem with 180 is that only a tiny fraction of runners will ever become Olympians. So, while 180 is indeed a great cadence, it depends on factors such as height, weight, leg length, structural issues, and now even shoes. The runner pushing a sub-3 marathon, wearing carbon-plated shoes, has different mechanical requirements than one aiming for his first sub-30 5K. You canât expect both to run at a 180 turnover.
If you take away one thing from this post, may it be getting rid of that 180 myth. While it is a great cadence, it is not a magic pill that will have you winning marathons next year. Past and present elite distance runners have succeeded without 180. Meb Keflezighi, Galen Rupp, and Frank Shorter won Olympic marathon medals and were all most efficient in the low 170s. Bill Rodgers won four Bostons and four New Yorks between 160 and 170. Paula Radcliffe set the marathon world record, also around 170.
Cadence is not a magic pill to solve all your running problems and have you set world records (Image by Grok)
Varying your cadence must have a clear intention; it is not just upping the number for the sake of more-is-better. Changing your mechanics without a purpose is a recipe for injury.
Bryan Heiderscheit, PhD, Director of the Runnersâ Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine Center, explains: âResearch shows that when runners increase their turnover, they reduce the impact on their knees and hips and often improve their stride mechanics. Increasing turnover will help the chances of your foot landing closer to or underneath your pelvis, reducing overstriding tendencies, and increasing your lower extremity stiffness with less bounce and braking in your steps.â
That said, reducing your stride to increase your cadence while still overstriding wonât help you at all. Quite the contrary. You will be overstriding more often, speeding up your breaking point, and thus increasing your risk of injury.
“If you’re going to increase your step rate, also try to land with your foot closer under your hips,” Heiderscheit says. “You don’t want to keep reaching in front of yourself.” Jonathan Beverly compliments the idea by stating: âMy experience as a runner and coach confirms this: A faster cadence comes, in fact, as you learn to run tall, land closer, and push back-all part of the same process.â
In conclusion: Even though cadence is a simple concept, and the benefits of adjusting it are real, not every runner needs to do it, and not every leg malady gets solved by it. Assessing it and making a few adjustments is a good place to start, but if the issues donât subside quickly, you may want to check with a physical therapist before continuing to adjust your cadence indiscriminately. You donât want to end up with a stride that is too short for your frame, which will result not only in discomfort but in injury.
There are plenty of exercises and techniques to work properly on your cadence, but they are beyond the scope of this post. But beware: When researching online, make sure the author’s background and credentials are legitimate. Donât just do what the flavor-of-the-month influencer recommends. They may know what theyâre talking about, sure, but they may not.
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As marathon training season arrives, you may be gearing up for the autumn Marathon Majors. Or perhaps youâve chosen a less hyped, but equally fulfilling, 26.2. So, I invite you to reflect: why do you subject yourself to this funâyet masochisticâactivity? For 99% of the worldâs population, itâs the equivalent of self-flagellation.
Running a marathon is way more than an Instagram post with a medal and a goofy smile (Image by Grok)
Some run a marathon to challenge their limits. Others just for bragging rights. Some want to fulfill a personal journey: 6-Star, 50 States, or something only you know. Regardless of your reason, it wonât define your legacy, affect your paycheck, or change the respect of your loved ones. Keep it in perspective. Enjoy the process. Suffer through with a smile. Embrace the suck.
Enjoying the process so you avoid burnout is the key to any successful marathon training cycle. Sure, it will be hard, and at some point, you will suffer. Absolutely, you will have to sacrifice certain events because you must train the next day. It is a given that something will eventually hurt. And somewhere during the process, you will question your sanity. But it wonât be a fulfilling process if you burn out. If you do, it will be miserable. Not worth pursuing and easily abandoned. So, let’s avoid that. Hereâs how?
Remember why you started âș This is a personal journey, whether it’s your first or your 100th marathon. Make the training a connection to the personal reasons that brought you here. No one is forcing you to do this. Embrace failure (it will happen), grow through the struggle, and own the process.
Trust the Process, not just the pace âș While time goals are worthy and valid and marathon pace training is a key component to the puzzle, trusting the process is more important. Remember that training is about a multitude of stimuli; it is not about perfection. Hit the effort, learn from the session, donât obsess over splits. If you trust the process, you should hit the pace.
It is your race âș Focus on your progress and donât let other runners define you. Beating your friend or earning a BQ are legitimate goals. But if you focus only on those, youâll drain your joy, push too hard, or skip recovery. This is your experience, and nobody elseâs.
It is about consistency âș Consistency beats perfection every time. Miss a workout? Move forward. Focus on the next one. Flexibility is important, but donât mistake it for complacency. Obsessing over a missed long run is stressful and unproductive, especially if you did complete the other 14 of 16 in your program. Life happens.
Fueling for a marathon goes beyond race day (Image by Grok)
Fuel your body properly âș Running a marathon requires a ton of fuel, not just on race day, but throughout training. This is not the time to lose weight, try a new detox fad, or fear carbs. Make sure your body has enough energy to perform and repair, so you can keep moving forward.
Remain resilient through strength training âș Strength training supports running. It protects your muscles, improves durability, and reduces the risk of injury. What more do you need to be convinced? Donât think you can skip legs just because youâre already running. You donât want to find out why the hard way.
Respect and prioritize recovery as part of training âș Rest days and easier weeks bring adaptation. Fitness grows when training and recovery are combined. Massage and therapies are a waste if you donât prioritize sleep. Recovery gadgets are useless if you think they can replace the rest day you need. Be smart. You are not a machine. You are not indestructible.
Make sure to have fun âș As I said at the start, remember the reason you started. Donât let social pressures take over the fun and fulfillment of the journey. Donât be afraid to go easy on easy days. Run with friends and laugh. Give yourself permission for that post-run beer. Remember, your finish time is not what defines you as a human being.
Running a marathon is a formidable achievement. The 26.2 is a remarkable adversary. The challenge of training is what makes it special. So, be present, be purposeful, and above all, enjoy the process. Finishing a marathon is way more than an Instagram post showing a medal and a goofy smile.
Please share your thoughts on this subject in the comment box below.
We are facing a brand-new year. Twelve clean-slated months ready to be lived. 365 crisp calendar pages waiting to be filled with experiences, memories, and achievements. The time has come not only to have our goals ready but also to set up a plan to realize them.
If you, like most of us procrastinators, are not thoroughly prepared for 2026, please read below to follow a structure and get there before the final countdown of 2025.
âș Reflect on what happened in 2025 — To know where you are going, you must know where you are coming from. Understanding what made the previous year a success, less than that, or even a miserable failure, is the key to making the necessary adjustments. Adjustments will be needed to maintain the same trajectory or to find new paths to reach that elusive road to success. So, take your time to look back, reminisce, identify, understand, and realize before you take any steps towards defining what you want from your running in 2026.
âș Set up your 2026 goals now — Do not procrastinate. Figure out what you want from your running this year. Goals may be time-related (first 5K under 25), distance-related (finally getting to 1000), social (I want to make like-minded friends), health-related (losing those last few pounds), or a combination of everything. Adjustments and detours are expected, but to adjust and recenter, you must have a clear path to your destination.
âș Register for the races — If your goal is performance-related in a specific race, time, or distance, register for a race right now as soon as you are done reading this post. Nothing will get you more focused than having a date with destiny in your calendar. I know of no focusing tool sharper than spending the money on an upcoming race. And if your goal race hasnât opened registration yet, register for another race so you can stay active and focused until the day comes.
âșVenture outside your comfort zone — Running is a sport that, beyond the health and social benefits, can teach us so much about who we are and how the bounds of our limits are far beyond what we thought possible. So, donât get comfy just on what you know. Set up an extravagant short-term goal to keep your training fresh and varied. If you like marathons and halves, push for the fastest 5K you can. If you like the shorter distances, set up a trial date for your fastest mile ever. The options are endless: run an ultra, venture into a trail, force yourself to run slower, etc. Your imagination is the limit.
âș Embrace failure — Failing is part of the process, and eventually, you will fail. You get up, dust off, figure out what happened, reassess, and keep moving forward. If you learned something from it, it is not a failure. And when you donât get what you originally set out for, you get experience, which could be even more valuable than the original goal.
âș Remember you are doing this for fun — Unless your familyâs economic survival depends on your running performance, you are just running because you like it. So, make sure everything you do contributes to the enjoyment and extension of your running journey, and the satisfaction of achieving your goals while keeping yourself injury-free.
My sincere wish for you in 2026, my dear reader, is a year of endless, injury-free miles and PRs in all your distances. May you plan properly to accomplish it all.
A couple of weeks ago, I was running a local 10K, and approaching Mile 3, I noticed a runner ahead of me, maybe in his early 40s. He caught my eye because of his weird running form. As I got closer, I saw that his left shoelace was undone. So, as I reached him, I did what a normal runner would do: âHey, your shoelaces are undoneâ.
This shouldn’t happen. Ever! (Image by ChatGPT)
As I passed him, he replied with some level of exasperation: âYeah, I know! Thatâs why I am opening my leg to the left, so I donât trip.â I shrugged my shoulders and kept running my race. My job was done. The guy thanked me, and that was that. I guess he must not have kissed the ground, since I didnât see or hear any emergency vehicles on the road.
There are so many wrong things with the scene. I completed the race in a tad over one hour, so it is not like this runner was going for any earth-shattering world records. And even if he was going for a PR, this was not helping. How could someone decide the risk of tripping and falling on the asphalt with 2000 runners behind was not worth 30 seconds of your finishing time? How much saved time is worth getting injured, as you decided to change your mechanics to adjust your unlaced shoe?
I was wondering what kind of runner does not perform the most basic checks on their equipment before a race. And thus, here you are reading a blog post on the subject.
The scope of this post is not to teach you how to tie your shoes properly. There are too many ways to get into the top 10 here. And by now you should know how to tie your shoes.
Unless you have the finish line in plain sight, the right way to approach this situation is to step to the side, stop, redo shoelaces properly, both shoes, and then resume activity.
At the bare minimum, you should verify you have tied a double knot. And if the remaining lace is too long and is jumping all over the place, which will eventually make it looser, take the extra string and place it between the shoeâs tongue and laces. That will keep it secure for the duration of your run.
For every single run, not just a race, it is your responsibility to perform a basic check on all your equipment. How about these situations:
âș Imagine a shortstop with broken leather straps in his gloveâs pocket when he is fielding a line drive and the winning run is on third base.
âș Imagine a referee at a soccer game checking the overtime in a championship match to find the watch has run out of battery.
âș Imagine a swimmer in the middle of a 400 combined with her swimming goggles hanging from her neck.
âș Imagine yourself in your goal race, pushing for a PR, and your shoelaces are undone.
30 extra seconds will pay off in the long run (Photo: Tirachard Kumtano, Pexels)
And as we talk about shoelaces, understand that this is a generic reference to all your running equipment. All of it.
âș The time to realize your shortsâ elastic band wonât hold is not when you are 5 miles away from your car.
âș The time to realize you donât have enough safety pins to attach your bib for tomorrowâs race is not right before you go to bed.
âș The time to figure out the sole of your shoe is separating is not when you still have 10 miles to go in your marathon.
âș The time to figure out that gel is expired is not when it is in your mouth just when you are counting on those extra calories.
âș The time to discover your headlamp has run out of battery is not in the middle of your night run.
We must own it. It is our responsibility to ensure that all our equipment is in good condition to perform the task at hand. And if it is not, assume that the only one to blame is yourself. Learn from it and make sure it never happens again.
Any stories you would like to share about basic equipment failures? Please do so in the comment box below.
I have been fascinated lately by the Impostor Syndrome. It permeates into many aspects of many lives, including mine. I can’t deny that at certain times I’ve felt it as a coach, but then I see my body of work, and it subsides. As I was listening to Jacinda Ardern’s audiobook recently, I was struck by her honesty: even she questioned her readiness when she became New Zealand’s Prime Minister.
If you run you are a runner. No other qualification is needed. (Image by CoPilot)
The term “impostor syndrome” was coined by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in the late 1970s. It is a psychological pattern where high-achieving individuals feel like frauds, doubting their accomplishments and fearing exposure as an incompetent “fake” despite external evidence of their success.
The term is so ubiquitous that in 2020, it was added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Impostor syndrome can affect workers searching for a new job, scientists on the verge of mankind changing discoveries and even successful heads of state such as Ms. Ardern. So, we can’t be surprised when it hits the common weekend warrior like you or me.
What runner hasn’t experimented with self-doubt, attributing success to luck, while knowing they’ve worked hard for that PR? Who hasn’t doubted being ready for a race, knowing that unless there’s a catastrophic failure, our goal is almost guaranteed? The problem is not just that impostor syndrome messes up your goals, but it also leads to anxiety, overwork, and eventually burnout.
I meet so many runners who introduce themselves apologizing for being too slow, or stating they are not serious runners because they’ve never run more than a 10K. So many come to you with the “I’m a runner, but⊔ approach.
You don’t need to be good enough to play with Brian May, of Queen, to be a guitar player. You don’t need to have a Nobel to pour your thoughts into paper and be a writer. You don’t need to hold a world record to be a runner. If you run, you are a runner.
Owning all the running gear is not what qualifies you as a runner (Image by Grok)
It is not about the medals: Your value as a runner is not given by the size of your medal collection. Your buddy who has 100 medals may have been running for 20 years. If you have been running for three years, you are not yet there.
It is not about the distances: A runner completing their first 5K is not on the same level as a runner participating it’s 10th 100-miler, of course. Yet, in that statement, there is one noun repeated twice in that affirmation: Runner. The difference is experience, distance, maybe pace, but not the label that defines them while running.
It is not about the walking breaks: There is no rule stating that you will be disqualified from a race if you walk. There is no physiological condition that will negate the benefits from your run just because you took a walking break. There is even a running technique called run/walk that allows you to combine intervals of both disciplines if you can’t or don’t want to run the whole way.
It is not about the speed: Don’t diminish your runner status by labeling yourself a “jogger” just because you believe you are too slow. There is nothing wrong or pejorative about the label, unless you are using it to downgrade yourself. You can only do what is best for you. If that is a sub-3 marathon, so be it. If that is a sub-6 marathon, so be it, too. Did you ever consider that everyone gets the same medal?
It is not about the gear: You may not have the latest Garmin watch, so what? You may not have the latest polypropylene-wicked fabrics, so what? Having just one pair of running shoes does not diminish your “runner” credentials. Even though shoe rotation is good practice, no set number of pairs qualifies you as a real runner. I take that back. There is a number: 1.
It is not about the absence of struggle: You may have 100+ marathons, be an accomplished ultramarathoner, or even have multiple Olympic medals. That doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride to the finish line. Quite the contrary. Struggling during training is good, as it guarantees that when you get to that dark and difficult place in a race, you are ready to overcome and push forward. The struggle is what makes it special.
Let’s enjoy the runner we are right now. We must not fall into the temptation of trying to be the runner we should be five years from now today. Like Teddy Roosevelt said: “Comparison is the thief of joy”. And we run for joy. If not, we would already be practicing another sport.
Please let me know your thoughts on impostor syndrome in the comment box below.
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