Running Preparation Overview
40+ Years Running – so many standalone marathons
20 Ironman Finishes
Thousands of athletes coached — from first-timers to Kona qualifiers
What Running Eventually Teaches You
Most runners begin training believing running fitness is mainly about lungs, heart, suffering and toughness.
Over time, you realise distance running is really about:
Structural Resilience
The ability to tolerate repeated landing forces over months and years.
Movement Economy
Wasting less energy while remaining mechanically composed.
Emotional Control
Remaining calm when fatigue and discomfort begin negotiating.
Most runners are aerobically fit enough to finish events long before their calves, feet, hips, connective tissue and nervous system are durable enough to tolerate the load.
The better athlete is usually not the athlete who can suffer the most.
It’s the athlete who remains structurally and emotionally composed deepest into the event.
1. Aerobic Development Comes First
Control the engine before chasing pace and proof.
This is the foundation of almost all successful distance running.
Not because easy running looks impressive. Because it changes the physiology that supports everything else.
- Mitochondrial density
- Capillarisation
- Fat metabolism
- Autonomic nervous system control
- Recovery capacity
- Cardiac efficiency
- Movement economy
In simple terms: you become better at producing energy without constantly stressing the system.
Most Runners Train Too Hard Too Often
Runners constantly sitting in the “grey zone”:
- Too hard to properly recover
- Too easy to significantly develop speed
Just permanently flat.
I believe most running should occur around your:
- DTI (Default Training Intensity)
- “All day” pace
- Controlled aerobic rhythm
- What physiologists often call Zone 2
Ironically, many runners only truly improve once they slow down enough to absorb training.
2. Running Economy Matters More Than Most Realise
The fitter you become, the more expensive poor mechanics become.
Running is essentially controlled falling combined with elastic rebound.
I encourage runners to develop:
- Shorter stride length
- Higher cadence
- Quieter feet
- Lower vertical oscillation
- Foot strike closer to under the hips
- Relaxed upper body mechanics
Good distance runners often look almost conservative early — then gradually move through the field once everyone else begins mechanically falling apart.
Efficient runners usually finish strongest.
3. Structural Strength Protects the Engine
Strong tissues tolerate training. Weak tissues survive it… until they don’t.
Many runners chase cardiovascular fitness while ignoring the chassis carrying the engine.
Weak feet eventually expose calves.
Weak calves expose knees.
Weak hips expose lower backs.
Poor trunk control exposes everything.
I place enormous emphasis on:
- Calf strength
- Foot and arch function
- Hip stability
- Glute recruitment
- Postural strength
- Eccentric quad strength
- Trunk control
Particularly for masters athletes, heavier runners, trail runners and marathon runners.
4. Hill Running Is One of the Great Teachers
Safe controlled hill running may be the best running-specific strength work available.
Hills naturally encourage:
- Shorter strides
- Better foot placement
- Stronger hip drive
- Improved posture
- Better cadence
- Greater calf and tendon recruitment
Done correctly, hills build strength, durability, aerobic capacity, running economy and mental resilience.
But descending matters too.
I constantly encourage runners to:
- Stay light
- Shorten stride
- Stay underneath themselves
- Protect form
Hill work develops structural resilience and economical rhythm.
5. The Final 30% Reveals the Truth
The brain eventually begins negotiating with the body.
Most runners feel reasonably good through the first half of an event.
The final third reveals:
- Preparation
- Durability
- Fuelling
- Pacing
- Emotional control
- Structural conditioning
This is where the brain starts negotiating:
Slow down.
Walk.
Stop.
You’re done.
The athlete who learns to remain calm during this phase often performs dramatically better.
Experience helps. You learn discomfort is often information — not disaster.
6. Consistency Beats Hero Sessions
I’d rather see:
- 8 months of healthy consistent training
than:
- 8 weeks of spectacular training followed by injury
Most successful runners are not magical.
They simply remain healthy enough to continue stacking work month after month.
The body loves rhythm.
Consistent aerobic work.
Consistent sleep.
Consistent strength.
Consistent recovery.
Consistent movement.
That’s where the real adaptations occur.
7. The Nervous System Matters More Than People Think
Many runners are not physically exhausted.
They’re neurologically overloaded.
Poor sleep. High work stress. Emotional stress. Excessive intensity. Life load.
Eventually the nervous system starts pulling the handbrake:
- Poor motivation
- Irritability
- Poor sleep
- Sugar cravings
- Flat legs
- Reduced concentration
- Elevated resting HR
- Loss of enthusiasm
I often tell runners:
The body whispers before it screams.
Final Thoughts
Running preparation is not about proving toughness every session.
It’s about progressively building:
Aerobic Capacity
Developing a strong efficient engine without constantly redlining.
Structural Durability
Preparing the body to tolerate repeated landing forces.
Emotional Control
Remaining calm and composed under fatigue and discomfort.