DC (not his real name) is a very talented runner who has only been serious for a relatively short time. First he jogged a little bit to stay in shape. Then he entered a neighborhood 5K or two, and then he entered his first marathon. His times were remarkably good, given the low mileage that he was training, so he became encouraged. He increased his mileage, brought his weight down, and raced faster and faster. Within a couple of years he was occasionally winning local races.

At this point, DC realized that he had real talent, so he studied running books and hired a professional coach. He quickly increased his mileage and intensity. This brought further improvement, and his running books indicated that his VO2 Max (aerobic capacity) was now approaching professional levels. At this point a disappointing pattern emerged. He began to have injury after injury. He had an important race for which he trained very hard, but came down with an injury during the race. He limped to the finish, only to find that he had developed a stress fracture in his leg.

He worked extremely hard during his layoff, using swimming and pool running to maintain his aerobic fitness. With the help of his coach, DC devised water workouts that effectively maintained his conditioning. He quickly resumed his intense, high mileage training regimen. Before long he developed a nagging injury, but he pushed on with his training, determined to race the marathon that he had been pointing for. He ran the entire marathon in pain, using his mental toughness to gut out an impressive PR.

Coming off the marathon, DC was in serious pain, and was now forced to do almost all of his training in the swimming pool. Still he was determined to race the goal race that he had been pointing for. He ran a fast warm-up race off this training, and then raced his goal event. He ran a respectable time at the half-way mark, but developed yet another injury that forced him to drop out of the race.

Currently DC is unable to run, but he has been diligent about his work in the swimming pool, doing the hard cross training that maintains his aerobic conditioning. He is determined to run two races only a couple of months away, followed by a major goal race a few weeks later. He is excited about his recent performances, and expects to do even better in the future.

DC has many things going for him. He is tremendously talented, he is still young, he is intelligent, very tough mentally, and has tremendous drive and dedication. His frequent injuries are a concern, though. The truth is, some of the same personal qualities that make him such a successful competitor now conspire to limit his further improvement.

Successful distance running involves a delicate balance between intensity and restraint. Too much restraint and the runner never accomplishes anything. Too much intensity leads to overtraining and chronic injury problems. The successful distance runner is dedicated, patient and persistent, but not overly intense. This contrasts completely with the personality of the successful sprinter, which is impatient, excitable, and very intense.

The classic distance runner personality is exhibited by the great marathoner, Bill Rodgers. Rodgers has always been a ferocious competitor, and his training runs can sometimes be hard efforts, but he is also remarkably laid back. The book, Bill Rodgers' Lifetime Running Plan (HarperCollins 1996), is highly recommended reading for any distance runner who wants to understand the successful mental approach to distance running. Rodgers' approach at times seems almost casual, with its emphasis on easy days and backing off when problems occur. At the same time, Rodgers' unswerving dedication and ability to maintain a solid and consistent routine come through very clearly.

Emulating Bill Rodgers' highly successful mental approach can help a runner like DC quite a bit. DC has plenty of drive, dedication, and toughness, but his personality is more that of a sprinter. The dedication needs to be meted out little by little, seeking consistency rather than quick bursts of energetic activity. For DC, this means consciously adopting a more relaxed attitude. This does not mean that he shouldn't slog through his two workouts every day. Rather it means that he should hold back a little bit in his workouts, increase his mileage and intensity gradually rather than quickly, and not be in a hurry to race after an injury. In distance running training, slow and steady really does win the race.

Roland Rust coaches a handful of dedicated runners. (His coaching and running resume can be found Here) He also compiles the Washington Running Report runner rankings. Roland can be contacted at rrust9@comcast.net