For this week’s training segment, I’d thought I’d better pass along Coach Rock’s advice from his blog – link below.

Namely, when you tell people you are running a marathon, everyone starts offering advice. Including me! Once a week, I go ahead and compile some idea from various sources and post them here for your perusal.

Now, I’m going to keep on doing this, but Rick has a great point. You have a coach – you should be using him and listening to that one voice to help you through training. Anything else you come across, whether it is from me or the pages of a running magazine, remember to treat lightly.

There is such a thing as too much good advice!

Are you following Rick’s blog? If not, you should be!

 

Straight from Coach Rick at Marathon Solutions: (bostonmarathoncoach.wordpress.com)

 

Are you surprised by how many people offer you advice once they learn that you’re running the Boston Marathon? People that haven’t even run the marathon seem to have words of wisdom for you. They can range from diet, shoes, avoiding injuries, managing the course and the list continues.

It can be so confusing and overwhelming because, aside from the volume of opinions, it’s difficult to determine what information you should follow. My suggestion is to simply follow the advice that I offer you. While these people are well-intentioned, I recommend that you rely on the information that I share at training, in our weekly communication and on my daily blog.

I’ve always marveled at the pattern of communication I have with runners. There’s always a core group that regularly communicate with me but there’s also an equal number that either don’t attend training or ever communicate with me.

If you were taking a college course and knew the professor was providing regular answers to the final exam on their blog, would you take the time to obtain that information? The primary purpose of my blog is to educate you about running in general and the Boston Marathon in particular. Inevitably I eventually hear from the runners in the final weeks that I’ve had little or no communication with and it’s never as comforting for them as I would like. Their questions tend to mirror the questions that I’m commonly asked in the first month of training, not the final weeks. This can cause a state of panic at a time where they should feel more comfortable and confident.

As the marathon approaches the volume of opinions tend to exponentially increase. You will be well-served if you focus on the training techniques that I have offered you throughout training. If you’re uncertain about any aspect of your training please notify me and I’ll provide further clarification. I’m always comforted when I hear stories like this from a former runner:

“Rick, I couldn’t wait to share this story with you! One of my colleagues, who has run more than 10 Boston marathons, learned that I was running Boston and began offering a battery of recommendations and asking an equal number of questions. He seemed particularly shocked that I had answers for every question and was also familiar with every recommendation he offered since Boston is going to be my first marathon. I just want to thank you for all the support, encouragement and inspiration that you’ve provided all of us the past several months. I’m convinced that I am in good hands and right on track with my Boston preparation.”

As a coach, there’s no better endorsement than that. Keep all the advice that you’re being offered in perspective and let me know if there’s anything that I can do to support you!