Perfect Practice makes Perfect
My high school basketball coach used to preach this to the team all the time. “Does practice make perfect? NO. Perfect practice makes perfect.” We all rolled our eyes and went back to daydreaming about the cheerleaders.
But 20 some years later, I look back and he was right. I learned this the hard way when training for the Baltimore Marathon.
I trained hard. Lots of miles. Lots of speed work. I thought this combo would ensure a great marathon time. The problem is, I went into the marathon already fatigued. Crash and burn at mile 18. I finished, but not even close to my goal.
I over-trained. Training hard does not equal training smart.
Fast forward to the Shamrock Marathon. I hired a running coach to help me achieve a Boston Qualifying time. Coach Kyle laid out the ground work and explained the methodology behind the various runs. I followed his guidance to the letter. Race day, I felt great and cruised to a Boston Qualifying time.
I trained smart. I was at my peak when race day rolled around.
Perfect Practice makes Perfect.
