Run Fit: Improve Your Running, Finish With a Smile

Table of Contents

Title page

Copyright

Get Run Fit

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

PART 1: GETTING STARTED ON RUN FIT

CHAPTER 1: THE RUN FIT WAY

CHAPTER 2: RUN FIT PRINCIPLES

PART 2: BECOMING A RUN FIT RUNNER

CHAPTER 3: GAME PLAN

CHAPTER 4: MINDSET

CHAPTER 5: SKILLS

CHAPTER 6: FITNESS

PART 3: RUN FIT IN ACTION

CHAPTER 7: STAYING ON TRACK

CHAPTER 8: RUN FIT COACHING

A REQUEST

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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First published in 2021 by Nick Muxlow.

© Nick Muxlow 2021

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

All enquiries should be made to the author.

ISBN: 978 0 6451440 0 0 (paperback)

978 0 6451440 1 7 (ebook)

Printed in Australia by McPhersons Printing Pty Ltd

Cover & interior layout design by Charlotte Gelin Design

Cover photo by James Knowler Takes Photos

Editing by Carolyn Jackson

Disclaimer

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

To all the runners I have been fortunate enough to work with and learn from, and whose dreams I have been privileged to share…

I hope the ideas in this book help you to achieve your full potential, chase bigger dreams and fall in love with running that little bit more.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To all the great coaches, teachers, mentors and wonderful individuals who have had a profound influence on me in all my endeavours: You have all taught me, inspired me and helped shape my views. You have allowed me to become the coach and educator that I am and allowed me to achieve my impossible. Some of you will read this and say, ‘Is this me?’ It certainly is.

To the team of professionals that has helped keep me on the field, road and trail over the years: You have always been so generous in sharing your knowledge and expertise with me. This is appreciated far more than you have ever realised and, equally, has helped far more than you know.

To all the athletes I have ever been fortunate enough to coach and assist on their personal journeys: It is a privilege to be able to work with such an inspiring and fantastic group of people every day.

To Mum, Dad and Benjamin: Thank you for everything. You are always there to support, encourage and assist however you can in my endless adventures. Never saying ‘no’, you taught me to dream big, believe in myself and go for it.

To Amber: I look forward to running in the forest with you today and every day. Thank you for pushing me, challenging me and being patient with me, while allowing me to follow my heart in all that I do.

FOREWORD

When Nick Muxlow contacted me out of the blue to write a Foreword for his latest book, I have to admit that I had no idea who he was. But I always like to help out a fellow runner, so I told him to send along the manuscript and I’d take a look. Well, I have to say that I liked what I saw right off the bat. I loved the subtitle – ‘Improve your running … finish with a smile!’ Is there a better way to finish a race? Then I opened the book and started to read, and found that I kept nodding, agreeing with Nick and saying ‘YES!’ out loud over and over again. Run Fit is a book not just for you, but a book that can be shared and discussed as we spread the word to allow runners out there to reach their full potential.

Nick covers many crucial elements for a successful and enjoyable running experience on the way to becoming Run Fit. Much of what he talks about are the theories and practices that I use myself when coaching. He knows that it’s all about having the right training processes for you. As the saying goes, ‘It is all about the journey, NOT the destination.’ This book certainly addresses that by setting out the steps in training to allow you to enjoy your running, but also to be the best at it that you can be. Nick delivers the crucial message that patience and long-term, sustained training practices lead to gradual improvement and, ultimately, success. But Run Fit is about so much more than the physical side of training. It also asks questions to make you think about your life in running … this thought-provoking method ensures you own the training and know why you train the way you do; putting the focus fair and squarely on the outcomes you are striving for.

If I were to make a daily calendar of inspirational quotes to live by, it would read a lot like the topics in Run Fit:

Good training leads to good racing

Structure creates enjoyment

Be an inquisitive runner … have a training plan that tells you HOW to train rather than just WHAT to do

Train when it matters, race when it counts

Slow and steady wins the race

You have nothing to fear but fear itself

Focus on what matters

In addition to all this inspiration, the book also discusses well constructed training plans and carefully considered methods to ensure you run your best race. Then there is a detailed section on developing your running skill set that is practical, detailed and on point. And just as importantly, there are ways to focus your mind to succeed – an area often not given the attention that I believe it deserves.

I certainly learnt a lot from Nick’s wise words and I know you will too. So enjoy the book, learn from it, and I will see you on the start line at an event soon – because I might not see you at the finish line if you adopt the Run Fit way!

Yours in running.

Steve Moneghetti AM

INTRODUCTION

All around the world you will find many different kinds of runners. And some of them are Run Fit runners.

Run Fit runners are the ones who improve their running and finish with a smile. They train with confidence, clarity and focus. They are injury free, and they love the process of training and the structure it brings to their life. They have confidence in what they are doing. They thrive on the experiences that training for, competing in and finishing various events allows them to have. They love the challenge and journey of training and are driven to improve. On the start line of a race, they have certainty – certainty that they’re going to have a fantastic experience and enjoy the day out. They cross the finish line with a smile, having achieved a new PB, and are already dreaming of their next running adventure. Running brings them abundant happiness. In fact, running is their way of life. We call these people Run Fit runners.

I am endurance coach at The Run Journey, The Ultra Journey and The Kona Journey. I know running and have been a runner all my life. It started with playing chasey and running laps in the schoolyard and progressed to playing centre in my beloved childhood game of lacrosse. From there I moved on to a crazy sport called triathlon, and then to Ironman triathlon. I have now come full circle and am back to pure running. Road, trail and ultramarathon running.

But while I have always been a runner, I have not always been a Run Fit runner. My early attempts at what I thought was run training lacked the clarity, focus and certainty that I now have. The improvement in my running was far slower than it could have been because the critical elements required for a runner to reach their full potential were missing. My mental game was lacking. I didn’t make the best use of the time I spent training. I had no long-term plan in place, focusing instead on the here and now. I didn’t spend the time I should have refining my skills, preferring instead to compete and believing that was the best and fastest way to improve. I feel like those were wasted years. Years that I could have spent on a consistent path of improvement if I had known in the beginning what I know now.

That knowledge was hard won. I had to seek mentors and coaches and go through the difficult process of trial and error to uncover the fact that there is a better way to do things. This understanding was intensified when I became a running coach. What looked like disorganised progression suddenly became clear. A logical path that runners progress along to improve. A progression that, by putting the right stepping-stones in place at the right time, could be fast-tracked. Ultimately, consistent progression and a love of running, and the process, can be fostered in all. That is the journey that we are going to take you on. If you want to join us…

WHO ARE YOU?

If you picked up this book, you are undoubtedly a runner, and you probably have a running goal in mind. It might be a 10 km or a half marathon fun run, or you might be eyeing off a marathon. You might be looking to up your game in your chosen event and hit a new PB.

On the other hand, there are runners looking to take things further and tackle a 50 km or 100 km ultramarathon or even dreaming of completing 100 miles. But you all have one thing in common; you are not sure how to reach your goal or what is needed to allow you to be successful in