Consistency Is Key: 15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as a High School Runner

How can high school athletes unlock their potential and become excellent runners? In Consistency Is Key, veteran coach Jay Johnson, drawing from 25 years of experience coaching high school, collegiate, and professional runners, helps young athletes understand how to realize their potential and race fast.

Through 15 essential keys to success, Johnson breaks down the fundamentals of running that apply to both cross country and track and field. From building your aerobic engine to strengthening your chassis, from mastering the art of recovery to understanding the importance of sleep and nutrition, each chapter provides practical, actionable guidance for young runners.

What makes this book unique? Unlike most running books that get bogged down in exercise physiology, Consistency Is Key offers clear, straightforward advice that high school runners can immediately put into practice. Johnson emphasizes that while there are many paths to success, certain fundamentals must always be in place.

The 15 keys include:

1. Remember That Talent and Excellence Are Not the Same Thing
2. Build Your Attention Span for Hard Work
3. Know That Progress Is Not Linear
4. Understand There Are Dozens of Ways to Train
5. Build Your Aerobic Engine
6. Strengthen Your Chassis
7. Rev the Engine Most Days
8. Run by Feel
9. Do Easy Days Easy and Hard Days Hard
10. Practice Race Pace (or Faster)
11. Know You Could Have Gone Farther or Faster (or Both)
12. Practice Running Fast, Faster, Fastest
13. Remember to Sleep
14. Don't Forget Nutrition
15. Listen to Your Body

This second edition includes three valuable bonus chapters covering Mental Skills, Health Science, and Recruiting. Plus, you'll get an inside look at some of the country's most successful programs through team profiles of Nike Cross Nationals powerhouses Niwot High School, Mountain Vista High School, American Fork High School, and Naperville North High School.

Whether you're new to competitive running or aiming for the podium, Consistency Is Key provides the framework you need to reach your potential as a high school runner.

Jay Johnson has coached high school, collegiate, and professional runners for more than two decades, including three USATF champions in cross country, indoor track, and road racing. He studied kinesiology and applied physiology at the University of Colorado, where he was a member of the varsity cross country team featured in Chris Lear's cult-classic Running with the Buffaloes. Johnson earned his M.S. in Kinesiology and Applied Physiology from CU in 2000. His book, Consistency Is Key: 15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as a High School Runner, was published in June 2020 and has sold over 20,000 copies. Johnson has written for brands such as Nike, websites like PodiumRunner.com, and magazines including the much beloved but now defunct Running Times. He's been quoted in several publications, including Wired, Outside, and Runner's World. He frequently posts videos on his YouTube channel, which has garnered over 2 million views.You can find Jay at www.coachjayjohnson.com and @coachjayjohnson on all platforms.