Short episode summary In the most recent Tough Love Tuesday, Coach Caroline gave a truth smackdown that as runners, we ARE athletes. Today, Coaches Valerie and Caroline expand on this. Ordinary people gather around the starting line of a marathon, but a legend is born at the finish line. Do you have what it takes to win a marathon or even get started on this path?   Timestamps of big takeaways Mindset [00:32] For some runners, they think they must walk out the door, put on shoes, and go running. Others believe in warming up, doing their drills, running their pre-race runs. You don’t have to be an “elite” athlete to train for runs. It’s not really the right attitude to think only elite runners do those kinds of things.   [01:15] Many of us start running as leisure runners, age group runners, or runners who want to finish, not to win. No prior experience is required to enter a race, and there are no prerequisites. So, while most of us start running by joining a running group, just a few of us begin by following a running program.   [02:03] Elite runners and track and field athletes all receive coaching. In P.E. at school, you likely had a warmup, and if the coach didn’t guide you through it, he at least told you what to do. A warmup, some skill drills, probably some ability, and then a run.   [03:15] A big mistake runners make though, is to focus on the distance, and believe you only achieve your goals if you hit a certain distance.   Coaching Advantages [04:32] Having a coach has a plethora of advantages and benefits. Coaches are going to consider things like who you are and your progress. Unlike a friend who will sympathize with you when you make an excuse, a coach will push you to be a better athlete.   [06:33] We can coach ourselves and think we know what is best, but the problem with self-coaching is it can lead to injury. Having a running coach will help you with proper technique and warmups that will benefit you in the long run and will help keep your injuries at bay.   [09:46] We only seem to take care of ourselves when it hurts. We’ll roll the foam roller around and stretch. If we change our thought process to “mentally and physically prepare for running,” the way we think about running changes dramatically. You’ll treat yourself so much better because you’ll start thinking about muscle elasticity and proper posture, and you’ll be more willing to put in the exercises to achieve those goals.   You ARE an Athlete [10:29] If you are running and training as a runner, you are an athlete, no doubt about it. And you are the only thing standing in your way of being an athlete. You must treat yourself well, and understand that running can be a lifelong sport. But to do well at it, you must take care of yourself.   [12:37] People who successfully complete a round in the membership find they enjoy their runs more. And, the truth is that the only way you’ll love a movement is if you improve your performance at it. If you can connect with yourself and your runs, you’ll have a much better and more enjoyable run.   Rate, Review & Subscribe Reminder Don’t forget to like and subscribe to our show. You can also rate and review our show on iTunes! We’re on Spotify as well, or you can listen to our show directly on Libsyn here.    Links mentioned in episode -- Join the membership: https://runrx.fit/join-runrxstrong/ -- https://www.runrx.fit/ -- FREE 30-day reboot on YouTube by RunRX https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDPcF8ZrDdILC8bYyn2zR-4xvqKRzp2re -- Have questions? Email us at support@runrx.fit