5. Hone Your Speed
Even a marathoner needs speed work, and Hadley is no stranger to doing fast reps as short as 200 meters. The faster one can run a 200, the faster one can run a mile, and the more comfortable your marathon pace will feel.
"Some of my favorite workouts are hill repeats, during which I do 12 to 16 repeats up a moderate 400-meter hill," Hadley says. "It's a great strength builder."
6. Dream Big, Then Bigger
Hadley has earned the right to line up against the best American marathoners in the United States at the 2016 Olympic Marathon trials, which also counts as the 2016 National Marathon Championships.
Even if she were to place in the top three at the Olympic Trials, she's too young to be eligible to compete in the Olympics. But Hadley hasn't let that damper her spirits. Her eyes are set on many more Olympic teams down the road.
Hadley has short-term and long-term goals, and you should, too. Think of the short-term goals as manageable benchmarks that keep you headed in the right direction. These can be upcoming races, workouts, weekly mileages and so on.
Your long-term goals, on the other hand, should be big enough to intimidate you, she says. Aim high, because your body is capable of achieving things outside your imagined limits.
"You are stronger than you think," Hadley says. "Your body will always tell you it's time to quit and stop, but your body will listen to what your brain tells it."
Sometimes, looking at where you are now and then jumping to where you want to be can be overwhelming. Set that big goal and also focus on the smaller, more immediate goals that feel more achievable at the moment.
Even when Hadley ran her first marathon at 16, she already had her eyes on the Olympics. She dreamed big and was willing to put in the hard work necessary to make those goals happen.
"I like to think that each workout and race you do makes you mentally stronger and puts you one step closer to your dreams," Hadley says.
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