The Long Run

Training your mind is as important as training your body if the goal is to add speed and stamina

- Shayamal Vallabhjee

I’VE BEEN a runner for close to two decades now, and have spent the latter part of that time in India. I’ve not only witnessed the exponential growth in the number of runners firsthand, but seen the impact of this participation sport on the health and psychological mindset of the entire nation.

While I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best runners in the world—who at times are neck and neck at the finish line—I still associate running with that personal ambition to push oneself as one redefines the limits of one’s potential. For most of us, running will always be the quest to get faster or run farther, within the confines of our ability. And therein lies the beauty of running. Thousands of runners with individual stories line up together to ‘raise the bar’ and, in the process, uncover strength they never knew they had. How can we not love this sport?

As a sports scientist, my job is to bring perspective to the opportunity, and roadmap the way to achieving your goals. At times, it’s through new training methodologies or diets, but very often it is by unleashing the power of the mind or testing new equipment. In fact, over 300 variables are looked at in the quest to improve performance by just one percent.

In addition, my extensive work as fitness and education consultant for Herbalife has given me insights into how athletes and scientists seek to boost performance using organics and nutrition science.

I’m now going to debunk a few myths and outline three simple strength-training exercises that are guaranteed to improve your performance.