Patience

Watching professional (or even collegiate) runners compete in track and field is one of my favorite things to do. The greatest thing about watching them race each other comes not in watching one race each season, but over the course of the season watching the same guys race each other. Early in the season everyone is still getting into real racing shape and reminding themselves what it's like to race, as well as remembering how each of the people they are racing likes to run. Later in the season, everyone is sharp, rivalries have developed, and anyone can win on any given day, it seems.

I cannot identify with running the paces that the men in the professional ranks are running. But I think everyone can extract some great lessons from watching the summer Diamond League races. I think the most important thing that you can learn watching the entire season, is the lesson on patience. Whether it is one race at a time, being patient enough to not blow your whole load in the first lap, or over the course of the season knowing your best races will come later, rather than sooner. Every runner needs to learn patience. "The biggest mistakes you can make in a distance race are in the first minute" - Jack Daniels. Being patient over the course of the season, knowing that you are slowly preparing to run your best race later on, or during the race knowing yourself enough to control your first mile.

Nobody is as patient as Nick Symmonds when it comes to running the 800m. His tactic is not unknown, he waits until 300m left in the race to move from the back to the front. In such a short race, that is a risky strategy to employ, but it works for him (he's won 4 US National Championships at the collegiate AND professional level, each). But if you look at his 2010 season, you can see that he went from running times that would not be overly competitive on the world stage to being able to compete with the faster African runners:

Nick Symmonds' performances in the 800m through the 2010 summer Diamond League (chronologically)
6/12 - 1:45.05
7/16 - 1:44.93
7/22 - 1:44.06
8/29 - 1:43.76
9/05 - 1:44.98
(information provided by trackandfieldnews.com)

Over the course of 3 months he dropped almost 2 full seconds off his 800m time. At his level that is an impressive stat.

Run knowing that the times will come. You do not have to go out there and crush every single run, but put in the quality where the quality is needed and recover and rest when it is needed. Most of all, be patient in your running. "A distance runner bides his time" - Again to Carthage

Pre-run:Easy 15 minute jog + lunge matrix + (6 x 100m strides)
3k-5k: Maximum of 8 sets of 400m run (400m jog rest); attempt to vary no more than 3 seconds from 1 to 8; 10 min cool down
5k-10k: 5 to 6 sets of (2 x 200m; 200m jog recover + 400m; 400m jog recover); 10 min cool down
10k-21k: 6 sets of 4 min hard; 1 min easy
21k+: Easy 8-12 miles

Post Run: MWOD