Approach to Running and Training

Passed on from the legendary ultra runner, Gordon Ainsleigh...

Gordon Ainsleigh, "Jody Braninburg posed a question about other runners' approach to running and training. John Tatton's response was so good, I wanted to share it." 

"I once religiously trained for every distance. These days my base is sufficient that I honestly believe (and have proven) that I can roll out of bed and complete any distance. I frankly find training annoying, it gets in the way of my run... I love to run, mostly to have time with myself and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me here in Alberta. I suppose the benefit of training is to improve your results. That said, I am a middle of the pack finisher and that's okay with me. There aren't any million dollar checks waiting for this 50 year old runner at the finish line no matter where I finish. So I may as well enjoy the activity, enjoy the events and benefit from all the positives that come from running without worrying about how many hills I ran yesterday or how many fartleks I've done (wink emoticon). I run10km a day, often times more on the weekends, I'm happy and in great shape. I have the freedom to say yes anytime someone asks me if I want to do something: hike, climb a mountain, run a marathon. That's what I equate running to: freedom; not 1st, 2nd or 3rd." -John Tatton