Does your grandpa make you look like the old person, when you stay in bed until noon and he gets up at 4 a.m. to train for his next marathon? Mine does. I am that 21 year old who struggles with sticking to any kind of workout plan while my 56 year old grandpa, Greg, has 4 marathons, 22 half-marathons, two 10Ks and six 5Ks, under his belt, all within the last 5 years. Since he has accomplished so much, I decided to get some helpful running tips from him because if he can do it, us millennials can too.
Tip 1:
Have a specific and realistic goal.
The term realistic is extremely important when creating a goal. The surprising part of my grandpa running marathons is that he did not have the goal of running a marathon when he first started running at the age of 51. He actually began so he could lose weight and get in better cardiovascular shape. If he would have set the goal to run a marathon from day one, he may not have achieved that because it was so far-fetched and he was not in the right shape to run a marathon. I am not saying to not set your goals high, but make sure they are achievable so that you are not disappointed; disappointment often times leads to giving up. It is best to start off with a small running goal and then increase your goals as you gain strength and become consistent. It was not until after two months of running consistently that my grandpa made a goal to run a 5K, which about 3 miles. He said 3 miles sounded so far at that time but in the grand scheme of things and where he is today, 3 miles was a realistic goal. It was a stepping stone to the 26 mile marathons he now runs.
Tip 2:
Gain knowledge from outside sources.
My grandpa said that when he started running, he thought he knew everything about it but in reality he did not. He said, "it is important that once you create your goal that you effectively research how you can best achieve that goal. This includes speaking with other runners, trainers, reading running books and magazines and doing research online from reliable sources. It is necessary to know how many days a week you need to run, how fast you should run, how far you should run and what you should eat." All of these things are based on your specific goals and your level of athleticism. If your goal is to lose weight, you may have a different diet and workout plan than someone who has the goal of running a 5K.
Tip 3:
Be aware of the level of work you will need to put in.
Training for a marathon or running to get in better shape requires a high level of dedication. You must stick with your workout plan. My grandpa suggests "making time to run when you are less likely to make excuses, so maybe right when you wake up or right after work but definitely not when you get home and relax on the couch. Be aware that when you reach the level of half and full marathons; you will eat, sleep and breathe running." My grandpa runs a minimum of 5 times a week and up to 20 miles, depending on his training plan. Even if your goal is not a marathon but a 5K, you will still have to put in an immense amount of time and effort into training.
Tip 4:
Utilize running apps and running plans.
My grandpa suggests using running apps and running plans in order to stick to achieving your goals. An app he suggests is the Couch to 5K app which helps beginners achieve their goal of running a 5K by providing them with workout plans, virtual coaches and more. He also finds training peaks to be useful. Training peaks provide multiple online plans crafted for specific athletic levels, time frames and the amount of hours per week the person can run. The plan he uses when training for a marathon is from sole sports. The plan is customized by distance (half or full marathon), level of the runner, date of the run and what day of the week the runner would like to run the longest mileage. This plan requires the runner to run a higher amount of miles per week during the middle of his or her plan and then slowly decrease the mileage as he or she gets closer to the race. He finds this to be a great method because it gives him time build up his strength as he approaches the race.
Tip 5:
Do not run to defeat others, run to defeat your mind.
The most important tip my grandpa gave me is that "you should never enter a race to defeat others. The fact is, most marathon winners are professionals and it is crucial that you realize this. The thing you need to defeat during a race is your mind," not the elite runner who is sponsored by Hoka. It does not matter if you are in first place or last place, the only thing that matters is that you defeated the voice telling you to give up. Just keep running and maybe one day, as you increase your goals, you will be that elite runner.
