CONTROL YOURSELF

You’ll run harder if you’re in charge

To get more from yourself, you need to feel that you’re the master of your feet, the captain of your sole. When runners have a perception of being in control, they can stretch their physical limits further, according to elite-running coach Steve Magness (scienceofrunning.com). In a VO2-max treadmill test, runners produced significantly better results when they were allowed to choose their speed and how fast they ramped it up than when researchers were in control of the pace. What are the implications for everyday runners? When a feeling of control fades away, we quit early. What can you do to prevent this? Run your own race, at your own pace.