When dad told me to ride my bike up the hill, I rode my bike up the hill: not just because he’s dad and he’s the boss, but because I knew he knew what he was talking about. Dad was a competitive athlete and still holds his college record in the 440-yard-dash (and it will live forever because they now run, of course, the 400-meter-dash, but still…it was up there a long time before that little technicality). He coached (and still coaches) basketball and track and generally knew his stuff.
So, it stands to reason that a lot of dad’s fitness advice still rings in my ears whenever I feel like giving up.
If you’re the first one done, you get a longer rest.
Any time there’s a sprint or a timed activity involved, I keep this in mind. The sooner I get done, the more of a chance I have to catch my breath. (Of course, in high school basketball wind sprints, this usually made a difference of maybe three seconds. Well-played, Dad.)
Don’t listen to music when you run.
You can read more about that here.
Make your competitors take more steps.
This is really only applicable in races and if there happens to be a curve, but by darn, when there is, I keep those runners to the outside.
Cross train.
He had me running and biking and doing all manner of calisthenics. Even when I’ve gone through periods of being really into a certain exercise, my week was incredibly varied. My typical workout week, before the marathon training started, included kickboxing, yoga, pilates, running, walking, and rumba.
Stay loose.
He made a habit of pointing out runners whose hands and faces were held tight and taught me to keep mine like dish rags so as not to waste any energy.
Visualize.
Before The Secret stopped being a secret, he knew that you had to have a clear picture of what you wanted if you were going to achieve it.
Breathe.
He understood the impulse we seem to have to hold our breath when we’re doing something challenging–exactly when we need our breath the most. He reminded me to breath while sprinting; now I remind myself to breath through everything.
Good form is key.
Whether it was running, high jumping, long jumping, or shooting a basketball, he knew that the edge came with proper form, and he had me working on it when I was very young. With events like high and long jumping, it can make a difference of inches, which is enough to go from last place to first. I still practice proper form in all my exercising, and I teach proper form in my classes.
Warm up.
“Your body’s like a car in winter,” he always said. It’ll run better when it’s warm.
He added to that, “You can’t run your fastest until you’ve run your fastest”–your warm up needs to be applicable to the physical task at hand. If you’re going to run fast, your warm up better include fast running. No need for that kind of a warm up if you’re going to go lift weights; in that case, the warm up should include movements you’ll use while lifting.
What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?