Running is not a sport of immediate satisfaction. It takes months and years to develop aerobic capacity and other energy systems of the body. Small adaptations in the body from each run and workout eventually will create an exceptional runner, but it takes time.

To illustrate just how long it takes to transform the body into an efficient running machine, consider a 2010 study from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. This study tracked the physiological changes in the bodies of eight male collegiate distance runners over the course of an 8-10 week cross county season.

The authors first performed baseline testing of the runner’s aerobic and anaerobic systems, including VO2max, running economy, and blood lactate accumulation. The runners then trained and competed in an intense collegiate cross country season in which they ran at least 50 miles per week.

When the study’s authors re-tested the runners at the end of the season, they found no change in the results of the runners’ anaerobic and aerobic tests. That’s right – all of the hard training during the season had no discernable affect on the runners’ physiological systems.

This surprising study can be explained partly on the fact that the runners had already developed a mileage base in the summer before the season began. However, the workouts were much more intense during their season, and it is striking that those workouts appear to have had little or no effect on the physiology of the runners.

The lesson here is that it takes a long time to reach your running goals. Runners who believe that a month or two of training is enough for them to race fast will be sorely mistaken. Running is a sport that rewards patience.

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Intrinsic Motivation

According to psychological research, the best runners are those that are intrinsically motivated to train and race. “Intrinsic motivation” means to run solely for the pleasure of running and not for external rewards or praise. An intrinsically motivated runner does not measure running success with beating other runners, but whether running provides them with personal enjoyment and satisfaction.

Task v. Ego Orientation

In developing an intrinsic motivation for running, it is important to understand the difference between task orientation and ego orientation. A runner who is “task orientated” appreciates the process of learning about running. A bad race will not have a huge negative affect on a task orientated runner because he or she understands that bad races are part of the overall improvement process.

On the other hand, an “ego orientated” runner judges running success solely by comparing himself or herself against other runners. Ego orientated runners feel tremendous stress and nervousness before races because they will regard their entire running endeavor as a failure if they don’t win or beat other runners they feel they should beat. This kind of “win or else” attitude is very destructive to a runner’s image or his or herself and certainly does not lead to “intrinsic motivation” for running.

The Best Running Attitude

The most successful runners have a running attitude that mixes ego orientation and task orientation. These runners want to compete and beat other runners, but they also understand the danger of finding enjoyment only in winning a race. Although winning races is a goal, these runners are not solely motivated by external forces; rather, they understand that the best way to achieve the goal of winning is to view running as a learning process. Therefore, while they have a burning desire to obtain medals and win races, they also have a sincere appreciation for their individual improvement independent of their victories over other runners. The competitive drive is balanced with a long-term, sustainable outlook for running.

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