A couple of years ago my friend got fast. We both started running at about the same time about a decade ago. Then, boom, he took off and was way, way faster than me.

One day I asked him how he got so much quicker. I imagined that his new regimen included track workouts and sprints and probably dietary adjustments and supplements.

His response: I started running faster.

If you want to run faster, then what you must do is, well, run faster. It’s that simple and it’s that hard.

I mostly despise the fact that this is true.

I’d much prefer formulas and prescribed workouts and insights and hacks. Instead, the way forward is barely hanging on and burning lungs and aching knees.

The truth is that my friend started running with a group of people who were faster than him and then over many weeks he found a way to keep up. After several months, their pace became his own.

There’s a chance that you could train hard enough on your own to get faster and then join a pack. Much more likely though, you’re going to need to show up and suck wind and nearly puke. Then one day you’ll lace up and realize you’re in lock step with your crew — and much, much faster.  

( Photo by Marvin Ronsdorf on Unsplash )