Understanding The Formula (Part I)
Everyone should take advantage
of the abilities they have.
As I’ve briefly mentioned, I am “progeny” of the Jack Daniels school of running coaches. Now that I’m coaching myself, blathering on about the tenets the great doctor is serving as a focus mechanism as I’m assessing my progress and adjusting my training as race day creeps ever closer.
Daniels identifies four “basic ingredients” of running success, each of which I will distress myself with in turn:
- Inherent Ability
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Opportunity
- Direction
Those wishing to further excruciate themselves may also commit the 12 Daniels’s Basic Laws of Running to memory, as well! I’m giving these lists a bit of grief, and while Daniels is far from the only game in town, I’ve gotten good results out of his stuff before and think there’s some value in picking a coaching style and sticking with it.
Without further ado, we’ll address each of the ingredients in turn…next time, on Lake Patrol!
- Mileage Today: 5.1
- Mileage This Week: 9.2
- Mileage on Lake Patrol: 37.1
- Mileage To Date: A lot.
About Me
Hey everyone! I’m John Christensen, the top-ranked non-finisher at the 2025 Never Summer 60k. I’ll be running the 2026 Grandma’s Marathon in support of the American Cancer Society, a nationwide non-profit in operation since 1913 dedicated to eliminating cancer.
The “Lake Patrol” blog will catalog my training and some of my pontifications and bloviations. I intend to use this as a form of self-coaching, as well as a record of my state of mind that I might appreciate re-reading one day.
If you enjoy the blog, consider making a donation to the ACS on my personal page, directly to the ACS, or to a charity of your choice.