2018-08-15 - Constant forward movement

I attended my first NASCAR race and watched from the pits, it reminded me of the transition area of a triathlon where every second counts ... And is counted. When you get your overall time in triathlon, it gives you, swim time, T1 time, transition one, that is the time it took you to get out of the water and bike out of transition. Then bike time, then T2, the time it takes from when you get off the bike to the time you run out of transition, finally, your run time and overall time. It can be humbling to see how our transition times compare but also motivational, inspiring us to practice transition and to get better. In running, like these other events, every second counts. My mantra in events, especially long events, is to have "constant forward movement." As runners, it can be helpful to practice eating and drinking on the run. Might I suggest opening a sport gel or bar while running during training and most importantly, grabbing a cup of water. It's not uncommon to go through an aid station and having a runner come to a complete stop in front of you to drink a cup of water as you have to dodge around them. I suggest you practice grabbing the cup on the go, crushing the cup closed so there is no air left so you can put it to your lips and suck it down. I know most of us are mid packers and are not on the hunt for the win or even an age group award but our overall time, our personal records, are important to us, every second counts. These are the numbers that get us out the door and motivate us to be better at our sport.

May your forward movement be constant,

Randy Step, an admitted obsessed runner who won't be able to go through an aid-station or transition without thinking of the pits at NASCAR.

PS: The 6th episode of the Obsessed Runner Live is in the can! Hopefully these 6 minute clips will help you get your butt out the door! Heck, you can watch all 6 in about 30 minutes. Please share if you enjoy them. Thanks!