Running is
striking the ground at your midfoot and making sure your arms don’t cross your
body and distance and times and marathons.
To go running is
going an unknown distance without a timer and just running. It’s finding old
music on your iPod you haven’t listened to since you got your first tattoo or
had your first child; it’s saying hello to all the dogs you run past; it’s time
to think or to not think at all.
I always hated running. I tried it so many times and just
couldn’t figure it out. My body would ache, my lungs would scream fire, and it
would take me so long to recover that it was a week before I felt like I could
run again and at that point, I was not having it. I ran cross country in middle
school, and played volleyball, soccer, and softball all through high school.
But I could not run.
I’ve read running books from scientists and professional
runners and tried to apply what they said but still I could not run. Four years
after college, I got on a treadmill and huffed my way to ¼ miles before I had
to stop.
But then two weeks ago, I started to go running. I ran about
a mile nonstop (to the end of my subdivision) on my second outing and felt
great afterwards. So great that the next day I went again and ran about two
miles (to the end of my subdivision and back) with a short break in between. It
was on my third outing that I figured out the difference between running and
going running.
All the books by professional runners talked about timing
yourself and increasing distance. They talked about schedules and foot strikes
per minute. I don’t do any of that. I run in a straight line until I can’t run
anymore. Then I turn around and walk back until I can run again. I take
different paths through my subdivision to keep it interesting but I don’t map
anything out or time myself. I keep proper form but I’m not concerned about increasing
my speed or distance because I can already tell my body is doing that on its
own.
I started running again because my sister took it up and I
got to hear about her journey from novice to half marathon runner in real time.
I got to see the joy she felt and how it became her religion. I got to see a
runner being made. The problem with reading books by professionals is they are
already runners and their advice doesn’t apply to people like me who started
out not being able to run ¼ mile without feeling like I was going to die.
There is plenty of advice out there but a lot of it is
preferential. I like carrying a small water bottle; my mom doesn’t. I like
listening to music; some people prefer the silence. But there are three pieces
of advice that are universal and will help you run more efficiently so going
running is more pleasurable.
1. THE KEY TO RUNNING IS BREATH. This is the most important
piece of advice and the one the professionals are absolutely right about: Keep
your mouth closed when you run.
You don’t need maps or timers because your lungs will tell you
everything you need to know. If breathing through your nose becomes difficult:
slow down. If breathing is easy: you can speed up. That is all you need to know
about running. In fact, by keeping your mouth closed and slowing down when
breathing gets harder, you could probably run forever.
Oftentimes, runners talk about “hitting a wall” and they
tell you to push through. To me, “the wall” feels vaguely like I’m coming down
with the flu. I feel wrong and off. I used to power though by speeding up as if
it was a physical wall I literally had to run past. But once I closed my mouth
I realized that breathing became very difficult when I hit the wall so I slowed
down to get through it. Like way down. Like babies could crawl past me. It is
kind of embarrassing. But after a minute, I’m past the wall and then I can resume
running.
2. Imagine there are strings at the end of your heels
pulling up. Don’t reach your foot forward. Just lift up the backs of your heels
and lean forward until that’s all you need to do to run. Running is just
controlled falling. Again, lean forward until all you have to do is lift up the
backs of your heels. You’ll be surprised at how fast you go. I’ll say it again
so I know you’ve got it: lean forward until all you have to do is pick up the
backs of your heels. Everything else will take care of itself.
3. Don’t cross your arms in front of your body. You want
your chest and lungs to be open. Goes back to the whole breathing thing. And
make sure you relax your shoulders. I have to remind myself to relax my
shoulders like 12 times while I’m going running.
So, hopefully the above advice will make running easier so
it is more fun to go running. Because let me tell you: I hate running but I love to go running. Because there is something
about feeling your limbs and your lungs and your heart. It’s the most alive
I’ve ever felt even though it feels like I’m dying.
