Basebuilding - the foundation of success

Sometimes it's hard to be patient when something you really look forward to is just around the corner. It's like a kid waiting for their birthday and getting increasingly anxious as the days go by.  Training for a long distance event like a marathon or half marathon carries with it much of the same anticipation and anxiousness.  Runners by nature are often eager to jump ahead into the more "fun" and challenging workouts like intervals and mile repeats and other higher intensity stuff, but it's important to lay the groundwork first so that when you get to the "fun" stuff -- your body is ready for it.  Base building is just that - building your base mileage, building your aerobic endurance, building your muscle and connective tissue and bone strength.  When the base is properly established then the higher intensity stuff is less likely to push your body over the edge into an injury.  Sometimes it seems like base buiding is tedious and boring but if you appreciate it for what it is (laying the foundation) then you'll realize that the bigger the base - the higher the dose of speedwork you can safely tolerate.  Be patient in these early weeks of training and lay a solid foundation of mileage to enhance your ultimate success.  The payoff for your patience is a better base to build from!

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