In today's episode, Coach Jessica Marie Rose Leggio aims at a rampant misconception in the running world. Despite what you may have heard on your group run, running more miles isn't going to make you a Boston qualifier. Sorry to burst your bubble, but #RunPainFree ain't a religion; it's a science – and there is so much more to consider.  I run all the time but "tank" on race day.  When you're running seven days a week, you are running yourself out. That 2.2 pounds of pressure per step builds muscle, so your body can't keep up, and you are exhausting your systems.  You will never find somebody overdoing their sport who doesn't end up injured. The proof is in the pudding. When you do this for six months training for a marathon, your body buckles by the time the race comes around. You hit the wall in a marathon not because you didn't have the appropriate gels; you hit the wall because you didn't prepare your body for it. All the miles in the world won't stop you from bonking if you don't have a strong foundation.  But I regularly go to the gym and workout. What's wrong with that?  When people think of doing a workout, they're thinking about hitting the gym and building strength. First up is the bench press, then working the guns, booty squats, swinging kettlebells, and smashing pull-ups – all that good stuff.  Yep, that's a workout, but is that sport-specific to running? Nope. Sorry, it just isn't. When are you going to have to lift your body weight above your head on a run? Unless you are David Goggins, that isn't something you need to train.  Running is not the workout?  This piece of advice is the golden nugget of this episode: You have to do sports-specific training as this will support the sport's action.  You do not run to run. Face it; it's a dumb idea. You don't see football players playing football games every day of the week to then play on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. So why would running be different?   If you're clocking your miles throughout the week, at that same pace, with that same sloppy stride, you are on the highway to injury.  So what is a long-distance-running workout?  Good question. I'm glad you asked. Firstly, no, it's not hitting the track and doing four hundred meter repeats; that's anaerobic interval training. You need to condition specific to the sport of long-distance running.  "By definition, athletic conditioning is to prepare the body to perform." Conditioning starts with addressing the basic mechanics that allow you to run. There is a range of motions that need to be in place before you sign up for a marathon or even a 5km around the park. Focus on building your mobility, particularly at your hips – most people with office jobs have weak hips that need to be conditioned for running.  But I used to play sports in high school?  Sorry, but you ain't no spring chicken anymore! All that "pencil-pushing" in your chair has made you soft. You probably could run 5 miles in your youth and not feel a thing. But those days are long gone. Like all things in life, as you age, you've got to apply your brains if you want to develop. The bottom line is that you have to train basic body mechanics and your muscular development if you're going to avoid hobbling home. Or spending days on the couch after your goal race.  Okay, I know nothing. What should I do?  At a basic level, find a running coach educated in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and pulmonary and cardiovascular systems training. It's a far cry from the Instagram-certified run coaches out there, but there are people, such as yours truly, who devote their lives to this.  These are the fundamentals of the #RunPainFree approach to strength conditioning and injury correction. We use sequencing and programming to build your body up to withstand the endurance required for long-distance running. With these elements in place,