Such as:
wearing sweats
running for 30 minutes instead of 29
drills, like leg swings or "A" skips or whatever before a race
post-run snack
never eating any cookies or dessert
etc
The way I see it, running fast requires
1. Running close to every day, increasing mileage or speedwork (and I take off days when I need to; I'm not one of those people who HAS to run just to get miles in every day)
2. Eating at least FAIRLY healthy, that is, the right proportion of grains, vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy at the right times
3. Having the MINDSET and DETERMINATION to push your body to its limit when racing, while being competitive with other athletes and the clock.
4. A decent amount of sleep each night
However, what irritates me are those who are obsessive compulsive about getting their 4-second stretch routine in, or whatever else they feel is important. If these people would focus simply on RUNNING fast, rather than trying to get every little other aspect right, they could run FASTER.
Anyone agree?