For a beginning runner, the thought of covering 10k with anything other than a motorized vehicle may seem daunting. But the human body is a remarkable machine, one that will adapt to different environments, conditions, and stresses. Running is a stress for sure, but also a natural movement that has many uses that have helped humans survive to this point in time. When done properly there is no reason to believe that our bodies will not adapt. As a species we may be built to move and run, but as individuals we are sometime slightly out of practice!
.JPG) | |
| Away we go...Kevin, the author of this blog, is closest to you in the red jacket. |
This innate ability to run doesn’t mean that we can just get up and go right away. Running is a skill and just like any new skill it takes time, practice, dedication and patience to improve. Recall learning to drive. You had to think about every movement, master where the different knobs and dials were located, experiment with the pressure on the gas and brake, get comfortable at different speeds, etc. But now you can likely drive while listening to the radio, eating, texting and carrying on a conversation all at the same time.
The same learning process applies to
running. Too often I see the assumption
that adults already know how to run, so they are just sent out to cover more
and more time or distance each day.
Why? Thinking back to driving, it
would be a poor assumption that a new adult driver would automatically know how
to drive right away. They need lessons
and instructors just like they fresh 16 year old drivers. Participants taking up other sports often
turn to coaches (golf, tennis) – why wouldn’t runners?
It is essential to learn to how to run
properly. While there is no single,
proper way to run, and not everyone will look the same, learning the basic
principles of how to run will lead to fewer injuries, increased running economy
and more enjoyment.
This is why I am so emphatic about doing
running form drills, plyometrics and strides with new runners. The elements that make up good form (and thus
fewer injuries, increased economy and more enjoyment) have to be practiced
deliberately, muscle-by-muscle, nerve-by-nerve, and at various speeds to
establish the neural pathways that will eventually make the movement
automatic. It’s also a great reason for
newbies to incorporate walking breaks into their program. Once you become tired it’s more likely that
things start to break down (sloppy form, heavy steps, slower cadence, increased
risk of injury), which is where bad habits develop. Forget “Practice makes perfect,” it’s
“Perfect practice makes perfect.”
Congratulations to everyone who has been coming out to the group for the past month! There has been some great improvement through attendance, completing the weekly “homework” and going through the various exercises that I put you through (as silly as they may seem!). I’m looking forward to the next month and continuing to prepare you for the 10k in May.
Cheers,
Kevin
(Kevin is a running coach with Living Primal, www.livingprimal.ca)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)