Training vs Exercise

Written by Coach Crowe “I run four to six miles every day but I am not getting any faster.”  Congratulations you have embarked on a great exercise program but you are not training.  Training involves stressing an athlete so that their bodies will make adaptations to the stress.  Running three, four or six miles every day will stress the body at first but eventually the athlete will make the adaptations and level off.  Stress factors can be a gradual increase in mileage, and harder paced running, using tempo runs, repetitions, or fartleks. An athlete can be successful by scheduling each day’s run that day, but the best results require seasonal planning and utilizing periodization.   “There are many ways to skin a cat” as my grandmother used to say. So too are there many approaches to training. Going with one of the many ‘cookie cutter’ options online is one way to plan, but most successful athletes have a personal relationship with a coach. The coach can develop a training regime that fits the unique needs of the individual athlete.  The training plan should focus on the different requirements of the runner at that particular point in the schedule culminating in the runner reaching a peak for the goal race. Using periodization the successful coach brings the athlete to a positive outcome in their training. At the very least any athlete should be able to ask “why am I doing this type of run on this day”, and receive a satisfactory answer.  Running the same distance every day is a great form of exercise and it is part of a healthy lifestyle.  But if you want to see improvement in your running and racing it will require training, something that requires thoughtful planning and preparation. The main reason to have a coach.  *Coach Crowe is accepting new clients at this time. Please contact him directly coachcrowe@spewaktraining.com