When I first started running, I kept a very detailed training log. My dad still has my high-school journals and often referred back to them when he coached our local high-school cross-country team to numerous state titles. I was adamant about keeping my log up-to-date. I loved to record my workouts and add up my mileage at the end of the week. I bolstered my confidence before races by seeing how far my workouts had progressed and how much work I had done.

In college I grew tired of keeping a log. I also came to the realization that keeping a log showed that while I had worked harder than everyone else it didn’t necessarily mean I would run faster. It was the beginning of the realization that as in life, so in training: Sometimes less is more. I also realized that my intensely passionate personality easily became obsessive about running. Keeping a detailed training log was adding to my struggle with becoming overly focused on my running goals.

I didn’t return to a training log until I began to journal before the 2010 Boston Marathon. My coach has e-mailed me workouts on spreadsheets since 2005, and I have saved them all, but I rarely recorded my times. Sometimes I wish I could look back on a more detailed training log. Once I am all done with running, I will probably wish I had kept a better log, but right now, not keeping a log works best for me.

Keeping a detailed training log and recording my thoughts in a daily journal leading up to the 2010 Boston Marathon has been life changing. Writing is relaxing and deeply therapeutic, so this has been a powerfully positive tool in my life.

The best log is one that you enjoy and that is easy to use. There are many logs to choose from today, including online logs, spreadsheets, and even smartphone applications. When I was keeping my journal, I just opened up a Word document and started writing. If you are philosophical like me, perhaps writing in a journal will be better than plugging raw data into a traditional training log. Experiment and find what works for you. I do recommend writing in some way to remind yourself on a daily basis of your goals.

I have always been a dreamer. My siblings and I all played some kind of sport growing up. My dad pitched for Pepperdine University and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. As a kid, I wanted to follow in his footsteps—my dream was to be a pitcher in the major leagues, to one day stand out on the mound at Fenway Park—but as a five-foot tall middle schooler who barely tipped the scale into the triple digits, I spent most of my time sitting on the bench in basketball and football. I practiced pitching for hours in my backyard, usually throwing a tennis ball against the side of our house, inadvertently crushing all our Christmas lights in the process. Despite my work ethic, I struggled to get a fastball past my bigger and stronger peers.

In those days, my only athletic success seemed to be running the mile in PE. I broke the school record, running a 5:32 as an eighth grader, but I didn’t enjoy it. My dad was a triathlete and solid marathoner (around three hours), and he could see my God-given ability before I could. In fact, he told me I could be a world-class runner if I wanted. But I really wasn’t interested in any sport that didn’t have a ball—that is, until a normal car ride to a basketball game turned visionary.

I was 13, starting out the window of a Suburban full of rowdy, we just-got-out-of-school-early teammates. But I wasn’t feeling it. I was gazing out the window and daydreaming when I was suddenly overwhelmed with a crazy urge to run around the lake. The feeling is hard to describe—it was a vision from God, an unveiling, a seed He planted in me. In a moment, I could hardly wait to do something I would previously never have enjoyed. The desire was intense. (I experienced a similar moment years later when I first seriously considered moving up from the track to the marathon.)

The Saturday morning after that ride in the Suburban, I laced up my basketball shoes and headed out the door with my dad (who was curiously supportive of my bizarre idea) for what would prove to be a painful and slow 15-mile run around the lake. My hometown, Big Bear Lake, California, offers many cool things to do—skiing and snowboarding, skateboarding, fishing, baseball, basketball, football—but running was not among them. We had two dirt tracks (flooded with water most of the year) and no high-school track or cross-country teams. In those days, runners were seldom seen. I embarked on a journey that none of my peers would understand.

The run was hard—really hard. We had to make numerous stops, and by the time I finally walked through our front door and collapsed on the couch, morning had become afternoon. My calves ached like never before, my lungs burned from the thin air (we were running at 7000 feet), and I winced in pain with every step. My unorthodox shoe choice only made matters worse. I would never have imagined that such a painful first run would be the beginning of a running career. However, as I lay on the couch, my grumbling stomach begging for food, God planted two more seeds in me. One was that I had been given a gift to run with the best runners in the world. The other was that I could use that gift to help others.

That epiphany launched my running journey.

After placing 2nd at Saturday’s Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Tx, with a 2:09:30 time, Ryan Hall qualified to be part of the U.S.
team competing the London 2012 Olympic Games. Congratulations Ryan!!

You can read more about Saturday’s race here.

As I was reading this morning I was thinking how this passage would be translated in a RV (Runners Version…what a cool read that would be). I know when I think of the greatest runners of all-time my thoughts immediately go to guys like Bernard Lagat, Haile Gebrselassie, Hicham El Guerrouj and others. But who would Jesus tell me is the greatest? Who would He pull in front of me and tell me I needed to be like in order to be the “greatest runner of all-time?”

I feel like I would be surprised by who Jesus would sit in front of me. I think I probably wouldn’t have read their name in Runners World or watched them win an Olympic medal on television. I think He might put an ultra runner in front of me who maybe has never run a race in his/her life but soaks in every joy-filled step of their day to day running. I have a feeling that He would pull someone out of the Chicago Marathon who trained very hard for months, transforming their out-of-shape body into one that can cover 26.2 miles even if it takes them 4, 5 or 6 hours to cross the finish line. Perhaps he would put one of the many runners who run for a cause or in memory of a lost one. Maybe He would put that person that only runs because they want to spend meaningful time with friends and family out on the road. Maybe he would put Bart Yasso in front of me who travels over the world to encourage runners often going out on the course where no other spectators are just to shout some encouragement there way. Whoever Jesus would put in front of me I am confident of this: that it would be the heart of that runner that God see’s as great and the ability they have to run with a heart full of love for God, self, and others, not the speed of their legs.

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.” Psalm 147:10-11

I love to climb! Hill running is a great way to build strength and knee drive without zapping your body. Because of the low impact and slow speed, I can come back a few days after a hill run and do a hard long run. The hills provide many of the benefits I otherwise get in the gym, and I get a cardiovascular benefit as well. I have had some of my best races after doing substantial hill work. Here are two options you can try:

Uphill Threshold. Run at the same effort as a tempo run (the pace you run for a race) for 30 minutes on a road with a grade you like. I enjoy a consistent 5 percent to 9 percent grade. If you’re training for a marathon, gradually build up to 60 minutes. I never run back down because of the high impact of downhill running (unless I am training for a course like the Boston Marathon, which demands callusing to downhill running).

Hill Sprints. Find a steep hill and sprint for 20 to 50 meters (10 repetitions). The key is to keep the distance short so you can sustain maximum effort with proper form.

My favorite runner is my wife, Sara! In high school, I admired Sara for her amazing running ability. But at the Footlocker National Regional Meet in our junior year, I saw the heart behind the athlete. Sara had been a phenom since she was a freshman in high school (she was the first girl in California to win four state cross-country titles) and was one of the favorites to win the national title. However, at the Western Regional meet she had an uncharacteristically off day, finished tenth, and failed to qualify for the finals.

If I were in her shoes, I would have jogged from the finish line straight to the car and been home before the award ceremony began, but not Sara. She had a good cry and then graciously congratulated every one of the girls who qualified for nationals. Sara is truly gracious in victory and defeat, and for this and many other qualities, she is a hero to me.

I grew up admiring Eric Liddell (from the classic running movie Chariots of Fire). He was known for his great running passion and deep faith. I didn’t know exactly how to integrate my faith and my running, but I knew from Eric’s example that it was possible. He gave the world a glimpse of what is possible on the track with God.

I also admired Jim Ryun, the first high-school runner to break four minutes in the mile and an eventual world record holder in the mile. Jim and his family helped me begin to understand how to integrate my faith with running. Between my sophomore and junior year in high school, I stumbled across Jim Ryun Running Camp (which continues today), and I made my first trip across the country to spend a week in Wichita, Kansas.

At this point, Jim Ryun was already my hero. I had watched Jim Ryan: America’s Greatest Miler at least a hundred times. I could practically recite it. One day, Jim called my house and my mom told him I was watching the video. He replied, “Tell him to read his Bible instead.” Not the response I was expecting.

Going to the running camp changed my life. I instantly became a part of the Ryun family and began learning about how running should flow out of my faith, not the other way around. I began to build my own faith at camp that year. Jim is one of my heroes because he is up-front about where his talent came from and how faith helped him handle the many highs and lows of his career. Today, he continues to use his running fame as a powerful way to help people.

Jim’s son Drew lived with my family and trained in Big Bear for three months during my senior year. Drew introduced me to Stanford and to Sara, and he continues to be a major influencer in my life. I am blessed to call Drew, Jim, and all the Ryun family not only heroes but also friends.

My father is also a big hero to me. He knew before I did that God had given me the talent to compete with the best runners in the world, yet he never forced me to run. I am deeply thankful for this. If my dad had forced me to run, I would have never made it through all those tough moments when the only motivation that worked came from a seed God planted deep within me. I was blessed to grow up with a very encouraging family. Mom’s and Dad’s unwavering belief in me gave me the foundation I needed to become the person I am today. I hope that I can do the same for my own kids someday.

The other day I was out on a run thinking about how great my Coach is, so I decided to write about Him.

My coach goes on every training run with me, not only that, but He races right alongside me. He is constantly giving me encouragement as I go and giving me advice of how best to run.

My Coach loves to tell me about workouts that I will find both challenging and fun. Sometimes He surprises me with concepts that are outside my understanding. He knows exactly how my body works and exactly what type of training, nutrition, and rest it needs. Sometimes I am not the best at listening to advice but He is patient with me and just reminds me that I can have as much insight as I ask for.

He shows me how I can use my running to love other people, which is what He tells me, life is really all about. He tells me that just as long as I am loving Him and loving others then I am successful. He tells me I will experience joy in proportion to my love, but He doesn’t expect me to come up with this love by myself. I get so happy just from being around Him and talking to Him that I can’t help but to be happy and loving around other people. Sometimes when I am around Him I get distracted by other things but He is always there ready to love on me again. His love never runs out. He tells me I can have as much as I want.

My Coach has a different perspective on competition. He doesn’t think I should compare myself to others guys because in the end, when I compare myself to others, I don’t end up happy. He wants me to do my very best every time I toe the line. He even wants me to use other competitors to draw out my full potential, but in the end He wants me to be competing with a heart full of love for Him and my competition.

My Coach loves to watch me run! It brings a smile to His face and warms His heart. He particularly likes it when I take big risks and ask Him for help. After the finish line, He never gets upset with me even if I blow it. He is sad if I am sad, but mainly because He knows I don’t have to be sad, so He tries to broaden my perspective and restore my joy. He really loves to celebrate with me after I breakthrough.

He never gets upset at me when I mess up, but it does make Him sad when I am not full of joy. He tells me I should rejoice always. He is far more concerned with the attitude I have when I train than with the actual training itself. He wants me to be happy more than He wants me to be successful and He always tells me that I don’t have to be successful to be happy. Happiness comes from the heart, not from how well I run.

Actually my Coach doesn‘t see any of my faults. Not that I don‘t have them. It‘s just that He chooses not to see them because of a favor His Son did for me. It may seem prideful to say, but He is always telling me about all the things about me that He loves. Some of them surprise me, like how He loves to watch me dance in the car. He also tells me of his equal love for everyone else.

My Coach is a dreamer of dreamers. He believes in me even when I stop believing in myself. He tells me that Him and I can do things together that will blow my mind, but even better than that, as we experience life together we will share more joy than I could imagine. Every time I step to the starting line He tells me that anything is possible and I believe Him.

My Coach is full of surprises. He loves to come to help anyone who wants to His help. He works for free but He does require total commitment to His program.

My Coach loves everyone but He is particularly fond of those who are humble and who have faith.

He really likes it when I trust Him, especially when things seem to be going bad.

My Coach has all the best connections. He introduces me to people to help me right when I need them. He also introduces me to people that I can be helpful too.

Sometimes I can’t help myself from laughing at my Coach because He is so good to me. He grants my hearts desires when my eyes are fixed on Him. He is writing a story with my life that is a small part of a larger story that He is telling.

My Coach is the kindest person I have ever met. He is also the most peaceful person I know. He is always loving and everything He does, or doesn’t do, is from a heart of love. He is always good to me and is always looking out for my best interest. He always has hope for my future and is always encouraging me to go after more breakthrough.

I wish I could do a better job describing Him to you, but He’s indescribable. But in my opinion, this video does a pretty brilliant job…

I have had many spiritual experiences while running but this years Boston was unique. Never had I run a race with my faith leading the way in such a real way. What I mean by that is I didn’t have much confidence going into the race from a physical standpoint. My training had been solid but my last tune up race (the NYC half marathon) was far from encouraging (I ran 64 minutes).

I made a decision before the race that I was tired of letting my workouts and races determine how I was feeling about my running. I was finally at the point were I was going to walk by faith and I believed God had something special for me at Boston so I was going to run according to the promise and not my circumstances. I ran with this belief leading the way and know that it was God who was going to have to strengthen me and get me to the finish line.

As I was running I was thinking about my destiny and how God had created me for moments like this. I felt a connection with God and with those around me that was invigorating with every mile that went by. The race went by faster than any marathon I have run before.

Last year in my final journal entry in Running With Joy I wrote that this wasn’t the end of a journey but rather just a step along the way. Last years Boston Marathon was a huge breakthrough in my heart. I learned how to take joy in running despite my performance. It was a breakthrough of the heart that led to the physical breakthrough at this years Boston Marathon. I strongly believe in the connectivness between the mind, body, and spirit. Sometimes we try so hard at the physical aspect of breakthrough without putting as much energy into the spiritual and mental aspect of our being. I love the verse in the bible that says “watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4.23). If we are to experience physical breakthrough perhaps the best way to get there is to breakthrough in our hearts first.

Writing a book has been an interesting process for me to undergo. Last year as I was writing each day’s entry, I found the process deeply therapeutic and felt that I was learning things about me, God, and how I wanted to experience running and life on an almost daily basis. The process I was going through felt very much life altering and that I would never fall back into my old ways. However, as I went through the editing process and read the book through a couple more times I was re-learning some the same lessons that I was previously sure would last a lifetime.

I like to think that I master life’s lessons and can move on to the next only to later become disappointed with myself that I fall back into the same bad way of living. This was my experience three weeks ago when I had a very poor race at the NYC half. I was bummed after the race that things hadn’t gone as I had hoped but I was more disappointed with my bad attitude. Why was I pouting? I had just come out with a book called, “Running with Joy,” yet here I was letting my circumstances dictate my joy.

As I have processed through the events of the NYC half marathon I realize that learning these lessons, as Paul wrote, is a daily process. It is easy to lose perspective and to let the tough events of life dictate my joy, when I am commanded in the Bible to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” It wasn’t that I didn’t learn life altering lessons leading up to last years Boston marathon, my problems come back when I don’t remind myself of these lessons and what I am going after on a regular basis, keeping them on the forefront of my mind and meditation on them.