Happy Birthday to World Champion Runner Bernard Lagat

2-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST

2015 RUNNING RECORDS	WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
2015 Masters Indoor mile	3x World Indoor 3000m gold medalist
2015 Masters Indoor 3000m	2x World Outdoor 5000m silver medalist
2015 Masters Indoor 2-mile	2014 World Indoor 3000m runner-up
2015 American Open 10K	2009 World Outdoor 1500m bronze medalist
2015 Masters world 10K	2007 World Outdoor 1500m gold medalist
2015 Outdoor 40+ 1500m	2007 World Outdoor 5000m gold medalist
2015 Outdoor 40+ 5000m	2002 World Cup 1500m champion
	2001 World Outdoor 1500m silver medalist

U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS	OTHER NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
7x USATF Outdoor 5000m champion	8-time winner of the Wanamaker Mile at New York’s Millrose Games
3x USATF Indoor 3000m champion	Owner of 3 American Records
2x USATF Outdoor 1500m champion	First American to win both the 3000m and the 5000m at the Continental Cup in 2010
2012 Olympic Trials 5000m runner-up	2010 Visa Humanitarian of the Year
2011 USATF Outdoor 1500m runner-up

Staying on track for success: Sound advice from Bernard

Don’t let all these running accolades fool you: Bernard is more than just a world-class athlete. He’s a terrific husband, father, and all-around great guy. He’s also someone who knows a thing or two about goal setting, motivation, and overcoming obstacles.

As evidenced by his myriad running awards, Bernard is no stranger to the challenges of fitness. Yet his words of wisdom are applicable no matter what type of success you’re trying to achieve. You’ll find his advice both valuable and surprisingly doable.

1. Setting goals

“Anybody from elementary school to old age can achieve anything they want by setting goals,” Bernard says. The key is to start with an attainable and realistic goal. Pick something you can reasonably do and then work toward it.

A good goal will also be specific. For Bernard, that meant running the mile in a specific time: under 3:55. This was an ambitious goal, but also a goal Bernard believed he could achieve, and one he did achieve the beginning of his 2015 season.

One of the keys to Bernard’s success is that he focuses on one goal at a time. He doesn’t look down the road to future events or goals. He focuses on the goal that is right ahead of him.

“A lot of people are busy,” Bernard says, “but if you’re committed, then you’ll make time to do what you need to attain your goals. I make my training my priority. You’ll always have something that comes up or tries to take your time, but you have to prioritize your goal. Maybe there’s a birthday party or something else that’s kind of far away, and I want to go, but I say, ‘No, I want to reach this goal, so I’m going to prioritize my training.’”

2. Staying motivated

Maybe you think professional athletes wake up every morning excited to work out. But you’d be wrong. “Motivation is a problem even in the professional circuit,” Bernard explains. “It happens to the most talented people. Right when they are about to succeed they lose their motivation and quit.”

So how can you stay motivated? Find your “why”—or reason for making a change—and remember that “why” when times get tough. For Bernard, one “why” is his family.

“Training is boring and it can sometimes be painful,” Bernard says. “You just have to imagine your success and that can give you motivation to keep going. I always think of my son and my daughter. I want to make sure they always see me working hard every time.”

It isn’t easy for Bernard to leave his family to go compete and train. But he knows that ultimately the sacrifice is worth it, both for him and for what he can teach his kids. “I want them to see that hard work actually leads to success,” Bernard says. “I want them to know that if you work hard and keep focused on your goals, you can achieve them.”

3. Dealing with discouragement

Bernard’s pay is directly tied to his performance on the track, so he understands the frustration people can sometimes feel when they do everything they can and still fall short. But his advice is simple: just be patient and stay consistent.

“We always say your success is just a foot ahead of you,” Bernard says. “You’re about to obtain that goal, just keep working. Your weight or your time will come down. Remember the end result and what will make you happy.”