I speak to a lot of runners (who aren’t clients I’ll add) who are frustrated with not getting any faster or hitting personal bests for months and sometimes years at a time. Here I’ll give my view on it in the hope that if you’re reading this it helps you out.

It’s a hobby

Chances are pretty good that although running is important to you, it isn’t something that earns you a living, right? You probably got into it as a way to keep fit, for weight management, to grow in confidence or meet new people and as much as our goals can change, those are still really important benefits.

Whatever your reasons, nothing that isn’t essential should cause you stress or detract from your happiness.

 

It’s a lesson if you’re willing to listen

Like anything in life really, we can move forward far more easily if we identify the barriers in our way. In biological terms they’re known as limiting factors.

Let’s say you want to get under 40 minutes for 10k, but currently run 15 miles per week on average. Distance/training time is your main limiting factor. You’re running 50 miles per week in search of a sub 3:00 marathon but aren’t doing any technique work. That will be a limiting factor.

Most of the time limiting factors can be worked on or completely overcome. For factors we don’t have control over, we have to accept them and focus on what we can influence.

 

Look at other measures of improvement

At a certain point in life, PBs become much harder to come by as our bodies change with age. At that point the best goal to have could be looking at your age grading which is a percentage based on the fastest recorded times for a distance by someone of your age and gender.

Maintaining the level you’re at now for as long as possible is a perfectly valid goal to have even if it doesn’t feel like progress.

 

You have the choice

There’s no right or wrong way to tackle it, other than to not tackle it and still complain. Change your goals, identify your barriers and work on them or accept that what you’re doing what makes you happy and go with it. The choice is 100% in your hands with this decision. Don’t lose your love for running for the sake of a goal.

 

Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk