The first thing that most people say when trying to start running is, “I like running.”

I’d love to tell you how that statement is wrong because running is a sport and not a way of life. Some would call running “work” in that it is a form of exercise, but the term “work” is also very subjective. It is not work to want to run the Boston Marathon. Work is what you have to do to achieve your goals and what you do.

As I told J.P. Bichette-Dionne in his book, “The Runner’s Body” – “You can’t change your work – you are what you do.” What is the difference between training “like” you run and training “as” you run? This is a very simple question. Do you run like you do on a race night, or like you would if you ran for the rest of your life? If you can tell the difference, you are in good shape. If you cannot, you probably need to re-evaluate your training.

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You may not be a runner, but you are either starting out at the marathon distance or have made a bad choice. The second statement, “I like what I train,” means that you are a runner with a passion and you want to run for the rest of your life. You want to run forever and become that runner who doesn’t stop.

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That is not reality, but it is what is on your mind. If you are someone who is running for your dream and you are the type of runner who wants to run until the end of time, then you need to be focused on becoming the best you can be in jump rope roping.

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