What is the smartest running decision you have ever made?

To start?

It’s been 45 years since my last competition but I vowed to keep putting on my shorts every morning except Sunday. I’m now 75 and my jogging has slowed to shuffling but I continue to move. Result: I have not had a sick day in my life and very few injuries.

The competition was fun (1:48 880, 4:02 mile) but health is more important both for yourself and your family.

Snap decision first lap of high school mile championship: Do not follow suicidal pace. Came on strong to nail down 2nd over last 600.

Actually deciding to join my high school cross team nine years ago.

Switcheroo wrote:

Sipping my first competitive career at age 22 instead of getting knee surgery. Got into a sport where I became much more successful, and was able to go on to a successful masters running and coaching career.

What sport did you switch too? And when you went back to running years later was the knee a non-issue?

Sacrificed 20 additional miles per week during marathon builds for 5-7 additional hours of sleep per week.

My first coach was very obsessed with mileage. He prescribed to the Arthur Lydiard style of middle distance training and believed the only way to succeed on events 800m and up was to run min 70km+/week, regardless of an athlete's individual differences. During fall base he had me doing 100km/week.

Before I started his training I ran 2:05 for 800m at 17 only 1 year in the sport. Afterward I started his mileage I couldnt break 2:15 next season. I had severe Achilles tendonitis. My coach kept saying how the mileage is good for me because some New Zealander 50 years ago ran well over 800m doing this volume. I stuck with it for 2 years before I decided enough was enough. I was injured and slow. 30 minute tempos and 20km long runs don't help 800m sprinting. It doesn't matter what some guys did half a century ago.

My best decision was switching coaches. I never go over 40km per week and my training is a lot of strength and speed. 2 years of that training and I was competing at the Olympic Trials for my country injury free.

My first coach was a fantastic coach for long distances. His college cross country team has won several individual and team national titles. But the man knew nothing about speed.

I'd love more info!

- What were your new time in the 800m? (and 400 or 1500 if you ran that too)

- Could you give an example week from base, winter and comepetiton week with your new coach?

Thanks

smartest: running HS and Big East XC/Track.

smartest: hanging up the shoes after I got injured junior year in college

smartest: starting to run somewhat seriously again at age 36 after establishing career

dumbest: chasing a 13:30 guy in a 5K when I was a 14:00 guy - but I just had to find out if "it was in me"

dumbest: thinking running was somehow more important in my life than family and friends.

Getting fat and letting it go.

Added Y O G A to my daily routine (15-20min each morning).... ended piriformis syndrome and sciatica problems completely. Been running pain free for two years.

Walking on to a D1 college team. Just being around quality runners who took their craft seriously helped me grow and develop far beyond what I ever dreamed. I ended up running 4:14 for the mile. This was about a 25 sec improvement over my HS time. I was an 800 runner not a miler in HS BTW.

To find someone to coach me in High School who knew what they were doing!

20 weeks = 2x state titles+track scholarship= 32 years later/travel the world/live in Australia/coach elite senior and junior athletes

Joining my highschool xc team, which to this day I still don’t know why. I maybe ran a few times before outside of other sports. I was invested in field hockey and diving at that time. For some weird reason I decided to quote those sports and join xc. I am a naturally hard worker so the work wasn’t much of an issue. I grew to love running. My first year running I qualified for state and got top 100. The next year I won my district and medaled at state getting 20th.

when I bough my first pair of striped dolphin running shorts, i knew i was on the way to a great D1 career.

I'm going to say stopped at about 50 years old,

because of health reasons. There was a reason

why an old friend used to always say, "You're doing

too much!". That was true for the road, then I became

a swimmer with fins and a snorkel, still it's always

tempting to do too much. So smartest deciscion

is making the switch to swimming, after

countless miles running. (Since 1979)

And quitting cycling (about 54), too many inattentive

drivers. Tired of reading about so many riders/cyclists

being killed due to inept drivers.

Getting my girlfriend into running. She loves it now and has lost a bunch of weight.

smartest- being OK with running slower with my wife in order to spend more time together. smartest thing I've done for my running. Allows me to really recover and hold back, and more importantly, spend time with my spouse!!!

Kinghobbyjogger wrote:

Since we have the dumbest, what is the smartest?

Have to go with 2 things:

1. Starting as a child and never quitting.

2. Realization as much as you hurt in a race it will not kill you. Unless your name is Pheidippides and then you are legend.