Running Tip #4 - Make Running Part of Your Everyday Life (for the rest of your life)

After you accept the fact that it will take time for you to become a better runner, you will be more likely to make running a part of your everyday routine.  Rather than treating running as an extra task to fit into your day, it is a better perspective to view running as part of your life. Some of the most successful runners I have come across just run to work, or school or to the shops on a daily basis.  Running can be your way of transport rather than driving everywhere.  You will feel much better, alert, happy and alive by the time you arrive at your destination and you will have increased your overall running fitness at the same time.

To see the value of running in everyday life we can learn a lot from Haile Gebreselassie, one of the greatest runners of all time.  Here is a link to a video about his life.  This documentary runs for over an hour, but even if you just watch the first 10 minutes you will be inspired.  If anybody is looking for the "SECRET" to running/performing like the African's then watch the whole thing and take note. 

I love the running scene at around the three and a half minute mark into the movie where it shows Haile running, and I mean running effortlessly, over hilly narrow goat trails, perfectly in tune with his breathing and body. How he able to maintain such an even fast pace on such an undulating course is just incredible.  Most of us would be tripping up and twisting our ankles just walking on these trails let alone run so fast over them. 

The video then goes on to demonstrate one of Haile's Olympic runs and while he is running it reverts back to where it all started - him running to school as a boy, barefoot each day with his book under his arm.  His running style today still reflects this and he runs as if he is still carrying that book under his arm.  

Basically THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES!  Not your Garmin's and stats, and shoes, and gels and supplements and drugs, it is just pure hard, hard work and a dedicated running lifestyle for the long term.  I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did!