Running Smarter

I had my official day 2 run of the Nike Run Club 4-week training plan. Once again, my guided run was graced with the voice of Nike Global Head Coach, Chris Bennett. It was a cold Saturday morning, and while my throat was begrudgingly getting acclimated to the weather, I felt reassured knowing this was going to be yet another easy run.  

It was quite a busy morning on the trail; I was dodging speedy bikers, families walking in wide horizontal lines, and rowdy dogs barking as I passed them.

Throughout the run, I kept wanting to check my time and see my average pace or push myself to run faster. But time and time again, I was reminded by Coach Bennett to run my pace with ease. And while I shouldn’t run hard, I felt that I could pick up my pace at any moment.

This practice is counterintuitive to what I’ve learned about running thus far; run faster and harder. However, I truly feel grateful to learn the foundational practice of running smarter and not just faster.