The mistake of the fastest runner who never won a race
One of my favorite ever running quips is:
The fastest runner rarely wins on race day.
I can't remember where I first heard it and it is impossible to count how many times this statement ever becomes true.
On the surface, this line is so counterintuitive because race day is all about who is the fastest.
Why wouldn't the fastest runner always win?
If you dig into the deeper meaning of this line, the reasoning behind it all makes so much sense.
The "fastest" runner rarely wins because they rarely make it to the starting line healthy.
Why is this?
The "fastest" runner is usually the guy or gal taking huge risks in their training.
They are dumping more training volume on every week.
They are completing risky track workouts that leave them wishing race day would come sooner so they don't have to survive another one of these workouts.
And, ultimately, they are ending up injured or are just a shell of what they could have been by the time race day rolls around because the accumulated stress destroys them.
Instead of standing on the podium, the "fastest" runner failed the survival test.
Most "fast" runners have it backwards:
They are taking tons of risks in training with the goal of surviving on race day.
They should be doing is the opposite:
The winner of most races is the runner who survived in training and amped up the risk on race day.
Race day is inherently risky because you enter the unknown.
You will be running a course that you have never run before at most races.
And, if you are aiming for a personal best time, you will be running faster for longer than you ever have before.
Of course, you should minimize as much of this risk as possible by simulating the race course in your training and doing race simulation runs at your target intensity so you are prepared.
But, if you are taking tons of risk in training and then adding more risk in on race day, it is a recipe for disaster because you will eventually fall victim to the risk at some point along the way.
Don't be the runner who is burnt out and burnt up on the morning of race day.
Here is your two step formula for success:
1. Survive training by avoiding the dangerous risks of over exerting yourself.
2. Be successful on race day by seizing the smart risks of running faster than you ever have before.
Ultimately, managing risk is what Stryd's power data is all about.
Running power guides you to run at the right intensities in training.
With this data, you can avoid the hard, stress-accumulating intensities that are more than you can reasonably handle.
Instead, you can ensure you are always running at the proper, performance-enhancing intensities.
Let me be clear: Stryd is not some magic strategy that will guarantee that you win every race you enter.
Rather, using Stryd's power data is a reliable method of following a time-tested path to success by running at the proper intensities prescribed by your structured training plan.
Where is the magic in this approach?
Stryd's power value factors in the extra effort that wind and hills force out of you and is a consistent on a day-by-day basis.
Plus, it is nearly-instantly responsive to changes in effort so you get feedback faster than if you were using GPS speed or heart rate alone to gauge your intensities.
You can start running with power by ordering Stryd from the link below:
https://store.stryd.com/