"You don't get better at running by doing everything but running. You get better by running."

I would like to share part of an interview with Chris Solinsky. He runs for the Nike Oregon Project. He is also the holder of the American 10k record (26:59). The following question was asked by a running magazine and it is in italics. His response is below that. Please pay close attention to the bold section.

You are a Nike runner. The stereotype of Nike runners is that they rely heavily on technology, using things like cryosaunas and altitude houses. Where are you at on the technology spectrum?
I’m pretty fundamental when it comes to running. I definitely agree about altitude--trying to be at high altitude as much as possible. I think that is a good avenue to take the next step aerobically. I think that is where a lot of Americans are falling behind the East Africans. We are not nearly as aerobically strong. Take for instance Kenenisa Bekele, or any of the Kenyans that are able to throw down 55 or 56-second last laps, specifically with the 5K. They are so aerobically fit, they are not tired coming into the bell. They are tired, but they are not tired enough that they can’t finish very fast. I think that is where we’ve been lacking. For a long time, Americans thought that a 13:20 was the gold standard. We thought that if you can run under 13:20 then you are a very successful runner. We wouldn’t push the boundaries of aerobic strength. Now, we kind of are doing that. Altitude obviously has a lot to do with that. You get to that last lap you can roll with anybody, because it doesn’t matter so much how fast you are, but how strong you are to use whatever natural speed you do have. So that is the extent of the technology that I or anyone else in our group uses. Under Jerry [Schumacher] that is. A basketball player doesn’t practice his free throw shooting by doing slam dunks all over the place. He does it by practicing free throws. That’s the attitude we take: You don’t get better at running by doing everything but running. You get better by running.

I think this is a great line and attention needs to be brought to this. I understand people belong to clubs, have dr appointments, and for others track is not the main sport. However, you will not get any better at running or jumping or throwing if you are everywhere else doing other things besides running, jumping, and throwing. Running and track is a difficult sport which requires countless hours and effort. There is no possible way to improve if you are constantly distracted by other committments. Track is not a "second" sport to me. It is not around for people to "get in shape" for something else. Track is a sport and I would argue it is one of the most difficult sports. I expect everyone to devote the time and attention it deserves. Please schedule appointments and other committments outside of our 2:30-4:30 practice time. I understand there are times when this is impossible and I do not have a problem with it. However, I think we need to do a better job at this.

If you have a free 29:00 minutes, watch this race, or at least the last couple laps. It's really good!