How to Run Faster by Going the Extra Mile

I do not mean increasing your mileage here, though you will be able to run faster with increased stamina training. I am talking more about an attitude of mind as well as a little more training.

Consider an Olympic 100m final. The difference between a gold medal glory and fourth place obscurity is measured in hundredths of a second. All of the finalists, in fact all of the qualifiers for the Olympic Games, are top class athletes. The only difference between them is a few hundredths of a second. It is that tiny bit that makes the difference. May be it is just a little more determination or it might be a small amount of extra training every day for the last four years. Whatever it is, this is the extra mile. In many walks of life, success is often so close to failure that it is easy to miss.

In a previous article I gave you three small tips to help to improve your running. By doing these extra exercises you are going the extra mile. It might only take a few extra minutes, but the little things can give you the edge that will give you the extra hundredth of a second when it counts.

So how can you do this? Like most things it starts in your mind. Your attitude should be "how can I do this better?" For instance, you can do some push-ups or other exercises after your run. How do you run up hills? Do you struggle and gasp for breath and collapse exhausted just before you get to the top? Or do you attack them and not slow down until you reach the top? Do you turn off the power when you can see the top, or do you keep going until you are over the top and on the level again?

When I was seven or eight I was a very slow runner. Most of the other kids could beat me, yet when I was 13 I set a new world record over 400m. I do not know if there was one particular thing I did, but I do remember that when I was playing soccer with the other kids, when someone scored a goal or the ball went off out of play and the game stopped, I always used to run after the ball and bring it back. Most of the other kids would groan and fall to the ground at the thought of having to go and fetch the ball back. I made a conscious decision to do this because I wanted to run faster than my friends. Obviously it worked! I am not sure if it was the extra running that did it or the desire to do what it takes to get better. So the next time you are out for a run, think about what you are doing and ask yourself "How can I do this better?". If you are running with others, make sure you do that extra hundredth of a second's worth. Always try to be the first one out and the last one in. Remember, the difference between winning and losing is only small, and the chances are that the difference lies between your ears and not in your shoes.