Why we should not mimic other athletes

It is in our human nature to want to compare ourselves with each other, and always want to mimic what the best are doing in order to improve ourselves.

But when it comes to running, it is not always a good idea to blindly copy what the top runners are doing.

This is because everyone is built differently. What may work for one person might not necessary work for another person.

Some common things that influence the way an athlete prepares for a race include

Genetics

Some people are born gifted when it comes to sports, but others are gifted in other ways such as writing or in other academic areas.

Obviously then, athletes who are more gifted in sports will have a genetic advantage so this means that it is no use trying to copy from these athletes.

Goals

Everyone has different goals when it comes to running. Some run to lose weight, others run for health and some run to improve themselves. Thus, a runner looking to improve will be different to someone who just runs for health and has no intention to improve their timing.

Also, some runners specialise in shorter distances like the 5K while others prefer to focus on the Marathon. As such, a 5K runner’s training will be drastically different to that of a Marathon runner. So again, it is no point copying a 5K runner’s training plan when you are preparing for the Marathon.

Background

A runner who has been training for many years will have a much better base and will thus be able to handle a much higher mileage, as compared to someone who has recently started running. So instead of blindly copying another athlete, see how their training is able to fit in with your current background and level of running.

Commitments

Everyone has different commitments and will thus be able to recover differently from training.

For example, a person who has a full time job and with young kids to take care of, will have much less time to train and recover from training – as compared to an elite runner who can simply focus all his or her energy on training, eating and sleeping.

So if you are a full time employee, it will not be conducive for you to follow an elite runner’s training schedule and hope that it will work for you.

Fitness Level

Current fitness level is also an indicator of how much training a person can handle. Someone who is much more well trained and better conditioned will be able to handle more mileage and train at a harder pace, than someone who is not.

Conclusion

In conclusion, instead of simply copying the top athletes, or athletes whom you look up to, it may be a better idea to learn from them and instead find out how to adapt their methods to your own training, and see if similar methods work for you. This is how you can improve in your running.