I tell all my runners that if they had a PR (Personal Record) every race that they ran, we would all eventually become Olympians. Of course that is completely not true, so we all struggle in ebbs and flows, moving forwards and backwards with fitness and PR’s basically our whole running careers. If we go by running time alone, then Father Time always wins in the end. There is no 90-year old running 15:30 5Ks as there are not too many 90-year old runners out there period.

Moments of Frustration

All is moving well and you are improving. You are feeling good and getting in your runs. Weather is on your side and you are able to find time for your runs. However, life is not always going to be that nice to the runner. You can get sick, your family can get sick, there can be 3 weeks of intense heat, your boss could fly you on a 2-week business trip, your hamstring tightens up during a routine run…… There are so many things that can go wrong. All these things can get you frustrated. Remember, however, that in the realm of the average 80-year life, what are 2-3 weeks…… 2-3 months?

Moments of Rest

Your body is telling you to stop and/or your life is telling you to stop. Right now I have friends in various stages of forced rest due to injury, life and work. This rest is key to your evolution as a runner. Use this time to get ready for the next running season. Go to the gym and do some new exercises; work with a PT or chiropractor; try a new thing like yoga or swimming; go on vacation and relax. You learn to move forward by getting through these things.

Moments in Time

Running careers can become long ones if you learn to take those moments of frustration and wait……. You will come back as long as you don’t rush. It is never a good idea to come back too fast or to run when you are not in a good state mentally or physically. And if at some point you don’t get any faster, well, you are not sitting on the couch and are out there having fun (hopefully most of the time…..). Grab a friend and have a great running conversation – the end result is so worth it.

Trials of Miles,

Coach Nick

Nickolas Joannidis
Nickolas Joannidis
I have been running for over 35 years, having done practically every possible racing event or distance from the 100 meters through the marathon. I competed in varsity high school cross country and track at Saddle Brook High School in the mid-1980's, varsity cross country and track at Division II Pace University and finished well over 200 road races since then, including 20 marathons with a lifetime best of 3:14:50. I was the president of the Hoffmann LaRoche corporate running team for 7 years, growing the team from 25 to over 90 during his tenure. I coached many of these runners to achieve their goals, whether they were beginners or advanced. In 2011 I was an assistant coach for the Fair Lawn Recreation track team, helping the 10 to 14 year old group. I am currently personally coaching dozens of runners, from beginner levels to advanced levels and getting them to be prepared to meet their goals.

1 Comment

  1. Great, I really like it! Youre awesome