Study Like a Pro
You have to race smart, not just hard, to be the best runner you can be. Professional runners are familiar with their strengths and weaknesses and work to improve their form based on the feedback from coaches and trainers.
Pro runners race are mindful of how they expend their energy. Before race day, you should know when to change gears in a race, when to engage your finishing kick and how to tuck behind others on a windy day to save energy.
Pay attention to your strengths and weaknesses. Do you have a strong finishing kick or are you able to grind for a long time in a lower gear? Are you motivated by passing people at the end of a race or fired up and ready to fight when someone passes you? Play to your strengths in a race and keep your arsenal of racing tactics in mind when you step to the line.
More: How to Discover Your Best Distance
The best runners in the world waste as little energy as possible by keeping their form efficient and smooth even when they are hurting from the strain of a fast pace. Have your running gait videotaped and analyzed to unearth any flaws in your form you may not be aware of. Gait analysis is not only a way to become more efficient, it's also a way to help figure out what kinks along the kinetic chain may be causing repeat injuries.
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