Reading Daniels' Running Formula - Chapter 1
In prepping for a new upcoming cross country season (with what will hopefully also be a good ramp up with summer training sessions for the team), I'm reading Daniels' Running Formula, and also would like to restart Lore of Running by Tim Noakes. Lore is a much larger and more technical book. In the meantime though, I feel like the best way to absorb this information is not only to read and mark up the book but also jot down notes from the chapter in summary to help it stick in my brain and refer back to when I need some guidance during the season.
Notes & Quotes
The Basic Ingredients
There are four basic ingredients of success for runners: inherent ability, intrinsic motivation, opportunity, and direction.
Inherent ability is a "no-brainer" kind of factor. One that is likely the most important and cannot be changed. But when paired with motivation, opportunity, and direction, lower inherent ability can be trumped.
For runners who have a lot of inherent ability but low intrinsic motivation, one way to increase motivation is "asking... runners to feel the workouts and to feel the same workout getting easier before increasing training stress." (7)
For the opposite runner -- lower ability, higher motivation -- it can be important to emphasize that success and growth can happen in different time frames for different runners for a variety of reasons. Therefore "Every runniner should have short-term and long-term goals to shoot for." (7)
Opportunity, fortunately, is there for nearly all people. Running is neither expensive nor does it require specific weather or situations.
Direction largely has to do with coaching:
- "A good coach can always answer the questions 'What is the purpose of this workout?' and 'Why are we doing this workout today?'" (11)
- "What coaches tend to overlook is the importance of giving positive individual attention to each athlete on the team. Nthing can replace encouraging comments or understanding words from a coach." (11)
Daniels' Basic Laws of Running:
- Every runner has specific individual abilities.
Key quote: "the main emphasis should be taking advantage of known strengths" (12)
- A runner's focus must stay positive.
- Expect ups and cowns; some days are better than others
- Be flexible in training to allow for the unexpected.
- Set intermediate goals. (nb: try "smaller goals" that might lead to failure but provide a learning experience)
- Concentrate on the task at hand.
- Most mistakes in races are made early in the race.
- Training should be rewarding
Key quote: "It's not always fun, but it should always be rewarding." (13)
- Eat and sleep well.
Key quote: "If you regularly eat and sleep well, one bad meal or poor night's sleep will ot have a negative effect on you." (13)
- Don't train when sick or injured.
- Chronic health issues should be checked by a professional.
- A good race or run is never a fluke.
Key quote: "Sometimes a bad run is a fluke, but if you do run a great race, it is because you are capable of doing it." (14)
Conclusion
"Consistency in training is the single most important thing that leads to success." (14)
I'm happy to say after reading through the first chapter, much of the training philosophy here is what has guided my own approach to coaching. That's not to say I haven't had my failures, but I think that's more because of a lack of a formula or guiding principle & scientific research to undergird how I'm training athletes. I'm hoping the next chapters will help me build on that foundation of what I already know and am doing. And perhaps help correct me where I have been wrong.
Tagged: Daniels Running Formula, reading, notes,
