What should my goal time be for my next race? What pace will get me there? How fast should I run this workout? Every runner has asked these questions and every training plan strives to provide the answers and deliver results. But will this approach test your true potential?
What if your goal is to finish a race as fast as you possibly can rather than run a prescribed time sometimes set months in advance? You quickly respond, “but I do run races as fast as I can, leaving nothing on the course.” To be countered with, “you run as fast as you can given your training.” But is this even true? How many DNFs do you have on your record? Do you really test your limits on race day? Will you ever know your true potential?
This article on Runner’s World explores some of these questions, looking at the way Kenyan runners train and race. Now I’m not advocating this method (we are recreational runners after all) but the article brings up some interesting points to ponder. Maybe I’ll try it out every once in a while just to mix things up. Aren’t you a little curious just how fast you could run?