Distance runners are often profiled as frail, weak, and even unathletic and at PEAK, we’re doing what we can to change that outlook. Since 2017, we’ve been integrating strength and conditioning into our programs from Middle School on up. When it comes to lifelong sports you can practice - running and strength training are 2 sports that increase your longevity, decrease cardiovascular disease, and relieve daily stress. Our athletes that leave to pursue running in college seek out programs that prioritize strength training because it becomes more than another thing on their plate, it becomes a central function of their fitness and performance. We’ve shown again and again that we build strong and capable athletes through proven workouts as well as proven progressions in the weight room that compliment what we do on the track. The weight room is where we pattern great mechanics, reduce injury, and uncover our inner athlete.

Can you solve the mystery of Mile 2? Why is it so hard? Why does it always end up the slowest of the race? Who’s done it? Was it Colonel Mustard in the Foyer? Was it you in your last XC race?

In Segment 6 we learned that we’re constantly fighting off the fears of judgment and failure. This is especially present in the time leading into a race and most present at the start line. The athletes that perform the best have created a space of psychological safety at the start line. They have learned how to slowly up their presence on the start line and control the thoughts that are helpful by letting them in and recognizing the unhelpful thoughts kindly showing them the door and kicking them out.

All of the athletes I talked to last week were dealing with and working through some form of disassociation, pressure to perform, and getting caught in their blind spots. A big part of the reason why I’ve encouraged you to document and self-reflect so much in the past 6 weeks is that you need to understand what you are feeling before you can start to work on how to fix it. I wish there was a simple cheat code you could unlock in a video game by doing a specific pre-race sequence but it’s simply not that easy. Where your focus goes, energy flows.

Know the game you’re playing

The mindset of a champion is not just a privilege of fast people, it’s a mindset they’ve earned through hard work, exploration, and coming up short. Champions know pain and aren’t afraid to experience it but don’t think a champion hurts any less than you do on race day. Champions are everywhere - they are the people who go to The Edge and are fueled by a purpose and purpose inspires toughness!