Topics to Run With: Dependence

In 2009, I was determined to become a runner. No casually, not someone who runs every once in awhile no, a full-blown, competitive athlete. How did it go? Better than I ever could have imagined. I lost 60+ lbs. ran two marathons (one of which went very well) and through making various mistakes managed to become dialed in as a runner. These mistakes I'm referring to range from running in the wrong shoes to wearing the wrong gear during my first 26.2 trek. Through these mishaps I learned many lessons though there's one mistake I believe I was smart enough to avoid.

Dependence in running is not a good thing. The more that you depend on, the more there is to stress over/worry about. For example, I ran with a guy earlier this year who absolutely had to listen to music while running. He couldn't get through more than 2 miles without it. He later suffered knee problems and abandonned the sport. Running with music blaring is a poor idea for three reasons. One; it's dangerous to take away one of your senses when your out around cars, stray dogs etc. Two; it's another object you must hassle and potentially be distracted by before and during the run. And three; it keeps you out of touch with your running environment, meaning that; instead of enjoying the various sounds during your run, Lady GaGa is blasting in your ears taking away something you should enjoy. I know this sounds preachy, and trust me I'm a huge music-fan but I can't stress enough how advantageous it can be to learn to run WITHOUT the tunes. If you must have it, try and get through the preliminary training stages without it. You don't need something else to depend on.

This applies to your running "fuel" as well. If you get used to taking 6 water bottles plus 4 gels strapped around your waist on each run you will become
overly-dependant on these items. I'm not advising you to tackle an 18 mile run unequipped but consider testing yourself to find out how much you really need. During my first marathon expo I was advised to bring a whopping eight gels on the run. Not only was this bad advise it's a huge hastle trying to tope this much "food" on such a run. At the 2009 CIM I had approximately two GU chomps and one sport bean That's it! Throughout my training I taught myself to only use what I need. I'd bring one handheld bottle of water and one bag of Sportbeans. It worked for me. I believe runners often overestimate how much they really need to have. Granted, everyone is different. Some elite runners swear by a greater intake of gels, water, etc. and it works for them.

The less you depend on, the stronger you will be. You'll have less limitations and a greater range of versatility.