Frank Shorter On Running and You

Frank Shorter won the 1972 Olympics gold medal in the marathon.In many people's minds he won the '76 Olympic marathon even though he was awarded a silver. I say this because a few decades after that Olympics it was revealed the winner that year was a drug cheat. Frank belonged to an era of U.S. distance running that we will never see again,it was a very special time,a great time for U.S. distance running.Along with Bill Rodgers, they dominated the road racing and marathon scene. Frank,who was self-coached, knows training and the running experience like few others.Consider the following:
"You have to know your body.It's part of the beauty of the training process,and once you've determined how much your body and mind can take,you can then begin to reach your potential."
I should add here before we continue with Frank's comments that it takes a thoughtful athlete to recognize how his body is responding to his daily workouts.The days of going out and 'getting it in' and that's the end of it should be over for those who really want to achieve optimal performance(s).

Frank then says that you can "grow to know your body and exactly how it reacts to running .You can detect subtle changes in the way you run and feel which better enables you to gauge the effort you put into running and the training effect you might derive.You will know when you're fit and why,you'll know when you're not and why."
If you've been running for awhile and are aware,you recognize how true the above statement is.Sometimes the road to optimal performance means getting as much out of your body as possible without causing injury or illness.It can be a fine line. But remember this:
"Running is developmental and no matter how much talent you bring to it,the results you get will come from hard work more than anything else.This is a physiological fact.Almost anyone can become a runner and achieve success in it up to a point."
Know your body,see how far you can take it.