There are very few absolutes in running

Consistency pays big dividends.

Don’t tell this to social media influencers but that’s the only absolute I can think of off the top of my head in the running world.

While influencers love absolutes, that’s just not how the world works and it’s definitely not how running works.

While there are general rules of thumb in the running world, even those aren’t absolute rules. The 20 mile long run for a marathoner is a good general rule of thumb but I’ve seen people have more success with a maximum long run of 18 or even 16 miles than with 20. I’ve also seen people have success with 22, 24 or even the full marathon distance or longer.

I could go on with other examples from workout volumes to training paces, nutrition practices and amount of sleep needed. Rules of thumb and general guidelines are great places to start but you should be prepared to adjust based on how you respond.

So forget about those influencers who tell you that there is only one path to success. Absolutes are a great way to grab attention on social media but they are a terrible way to build a plan for success in running.

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