How to boil a frog

There is a proverb that says to boil a frog, you put him in a pot of cold water, increasing the temperature of the water so slowly that at he never notices an increase until it is too late. Whereas if you put him in the hot water initially, he would merely jump out and there would be no frog stew.

I think running is like this.  As I coach my high school tracksters, we try to increase their toleration to mileage and speed work gradually enough that they never really notice, but their bodies adapt and they can tolerate workouts they couldn't and wouldn't handle on day one.  

This also reminds me of marathoning.  If I tried (as some do) to run a marathon on no training,  it would be like placing me in boiling water: I would want out quickly.  So I build up my training and I can tolerate much more at the end than I otherwise could at the beginning. 

So the moral to the story is simple:  if you want to introduce a new behavior, introduce it a little at a time. Don't expect radical change at first, it will send the frogs hopping.  But with patience you will gradually have boiling water and a body accustomed to it.  

Happy running. Or boiling.