...no human is limited.” Eluded Kipchoge What an amazing time in the world of running, specifically in the Marathon. On October 12th, in Vienna, Kipchoge broke a barrier equaling that of Roger Banisters breaking the 4-minute mile. With an average mile pace of around 4:34, Kipchoge ran the 26.2 mile course in 1:59:40.2 breaking the two hour barrier. The very next day, at the Chicago Marathon, Brigid Kosgei broke the long standing women's world record with a winning time of 2:14.04. This is an average pace of 5:06 per mile!
It’s crazy to think that anyone can sustain a 4:34 mile pace for 26.2 miles. That was around my fastest mile time on the track in high school! To put that into further perspective, that’s around 13.2 miles per hour. For Kosgei’s 5:06 pace, that’s around 11.7 miles per hour. Kipchoge and Kosgei have opened the door to new levels of possibility in the running world for both men and women. Just as more 4 minute miles fell after Roger Bannister first broke the barrier, I’d bet there will be more people in the coming years breaking the 2 hour marathon. For the women, what’s next....can a sub 2:10 be in the works? What can we learn for these two amazing runners to help us in our own running and racing? Below are five tips I feel can be learned from one or both of these outstanding runners: 1. Believe in yourself - This one tip is at the heart of all great success stories and is the fuel that keeps you going when things get tough. If you want to challenge yourself to something big or achieve new heights, you have to believe you can do it. Once you believe in yourself, it doesn’t really matter what other people think, say, or believe....leave that to them to worry about. 2. Don't be afraid of hard work - In order to run a 1:59.40 and 2:14.04 marathon, both Kosgei and Kipchoge had to train hundreds of miles. If you want something bad enough, you have to put in the effort to get it. There's a pretty awesome quote from the book "Once a Runner" that states: "The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials." Greatness doesn't come overnight, it comes for the consistent training over a long period of time. 3. Don’t let failure stop you - Along the road to success, there are going to be bumps and twists in the road. These may consist of injury or a race that didn’t go as planned. Don’t let small bumps keep you from pushing on. Kipchoge didn’t succeed at his first try at breaking 2 hrs. This didn't stop him, he continued to train and believe in himself. 4. Use others to help you achieve your goal - Most of us will probably never have a dedicated coach and a team of pacers to assist in training and racing. However, there are online and personal coaches who are available to provide advice and support. [CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ON MY PERSONAL COACHING] There are online groups you can join for moral support and as a way to hold yourself accountable as you share your goals with them. Friends who run or runners in a local running group can aid in pushing you during speed sessions. 5. Run a consistent, even pace - Kipchoge's pace throughout the marathon was pretty consistent. Granted he had a pilot car casting laser lights onto the road so the pacers could stay on pace. But, the lesson is, the more consistent and evenly pace you run, but better chance you'll have at producing faster times. By running even splits, you use less energy allowing what energy you do have to last longer. With the above five tips, it’s time to set a new goal for yourself. Once you choose your goal, believe in yourself and your ability to obtain it. Then, get to work. Put a training plan together that will make you stretch to new heights. Practice running even splits! Use other runners whether on line or in person to help you stay on task and assist with your speed work. Don’t get frustrated with minor set backs - keep the faith and belief in yourself and continue on. Again, if you need help putting that perfect training plan together, CLICK HERE and learn more about my personal coaching options. GOOD LUCK!!!
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