Guiding Values for Measuring Progress

Part of your progress will be measured in terms of what the training has produced – your ability to run further and run faster. But the equally important, if not more important part of your progress will be measured in terms of how running feels – your ability to do it pain and injury-free. Quantities – what you produce- is not the only thing that matters. Qualities – how you produce – is what matters more.

The highest value of this program is to create and sustain healthy, longevity-promoting motion. Running can be a good contributor to longevity when it is done well and the body is respected. So, we will measure progress more in terms of how running feels – your ability to enter into a more pleasant state of motion and emotion and maintain that for the entire distance. These sensations are indications of proper motion and energy efficiency,

To this end, we measure progress and success by how well you held your best form during a workout or race, and then observing how it increases from practice to practice. Good form will create more pleasant sensations in the body, and make you feel more ease in motion, more pleasure in emotion, and make you feel like energy can last much longer.

You gain points (toward longevity) when you back off or stop a workout or run when your form deteriorates and you can no longer restore and protect it. You lose points when you persist running farther or faster while allowing form to deteriorate.

But you can maintain, restore and protect your form for longer distances and higher speeds by increasing the strength of your attention. Hence, building strength of attention in order to improve quality is the chief objective of this program.