What advice do you have for teenage runners who want to compete at a high level?

Question

Drew Wartenburg · Answer

Advice for teenage runners who want to compete at a high level. I think before answering that we probably should distinguish between running at a high level for a high school athlete and then running at a high level in a more global broader context. There are numerous examples of teenage phenoms and sensations that you could say are running at a very high level during those high school years. If that is the end goal, I think you probably want to find a program and a coach that can maximize your potential between the ages of say 15 and 18 years old. To run at a high level beyond high school, whether that be in the college years, post-collegiately, perhaps professionally, the best approach is to take a long-term vision, develop progressively, sensibly over time, and not to try and find where your ceiling is or the end of your curve of progress too soon. That can be really hard to navigate at a young age, but it's always important to understand what you're doing at the level where you're currently running and then what follows. As a high school runner, keep in mind you have four, maybe five years of college and then a lifetime of running after college if that's something that you choose to do. I'm a big believer in becoming lifelong runners and at some point your best performances are also going to emerge during that period.

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"What advice do you have for teenage runners who want to compete at a high level?"