Accepting the Challenge

ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE
The first step in becoming a serious runner!
That was the title of a column I read in "Running" magazine back in the early 1980's. It was written by Marty Liquori, a world class runner, and one of my running heroes. The column was summary of the book Marty had written on training for a serious runner. Over the years I have searched for a copy of the article and was thrilled when the article below popped up on my suggested reading list.
https://beaconhillstriders.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Marty-Liquori-Conditioning-of-Elite-Runners.pdf
On first reading it I thought Marty was a little over the top, but eventually I began to understand his concepts. His point was, if you want serious results from your running, you need to be serious about your running. A serious runner makes running a focal point of their daily routines. It's OK not to make running the focal point of your life, but don't expect extraordinary results with a less than great commitment.
You can be a runner with/out eating/sleeping/breathing the sport of running, BUT if you truly want to achieve great running results, you have to make running your focal point. This is true with most any endeavor/sport that you want to be great at. Don't fool yourself into thinking you are serious unless you prioritize your running. This doesn't mean that you can't do other things, but make a point of planning out your running so that you get it in, and that it doesn't take a backseat to distractions and other things. Take care of getting rest, eating properly, etc.
This concept made a lasting impression on me as a young runner. It changed how I thought about my training and commitment, and set me on a a course to become a true competitive runner.
I recently found the complete series of articles (19 pages total) of which is a condensed version of Marty's book on Training, it is well worth taking a few minutes to read!
https://beaconhillstriders.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Marty-Liquori-Conditioning-of-Elite-Runners.pdf