PR on Purpose!

When you start running, your first racing PR is automatic because no matter the distance or time it takes, it will a first-time personal best! From there, you may find yourself setting records for the next several races as you learn the ins and outs of that distance and how your body will respond. This is a fun and exciting time, and every record set should be celebrated and learned from! It’s easy to get wrapped up in this excitement as each race leaves you hungry for the next. This is how it begins, and a love of racing and running is formed.

However, at some point your body settles into a routine and setting personal records becomes more difficult. This is where it can be easy to get discouraged or start feeling burnt out. If you ever find yourself here, or simply want to prevent getting to this stage of running, make it a priority to change it up and begin planning for every PR. The old quote “failing to plan is planning to fail” rings true here.

As you continue with your running journey, most PRs begin to happen on purpose after weeks and months of careful planning, working with a coach, and executing a training plan. There’s a lot that goes into distance running that is hard to understand from the outside looking in, such as injury prevention, mental/physical strength training, different types of running, nutrition, proper footwear, gear, and more. A running coach and training plan can help you sort through all these obstacles, and then some! The main point is you don’t have to go it alone.

So, if you ever find yourself plateauing or simply want to avoid long term burn out or injuries, here are some of the benefits to following a training plan with a running coach.

• Injury Prevention – safely build your mileage each week while also getting the proper amount of rest and recovery.
• Various types of training – build speed, endurance, and overall strength through running as well as weightlifting to take your training to the next level.
• Mental Toughness – extra accountability to help you push past mental barriers and stay on track in the plan overall, but also within each run.
• Support – simply knowing someone is there for you to help you with whatever training support you need is a huge win!
• Best Practices – coaches will cover gear, nutrition, running form, and more to help set you up for race day success.
• Pacing – a coach and plan will personalize your pacing on each training run to your actual results and your goal, helping you get one step closer to your next PR!
• And so much more!

So, if your new year’s resolutions or goals include some major racing PRs, consider working with a coach or at least following a personalized training plan to help you get there. “Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness” and you might be surprised at how much you learn along the way!

Happy Training!