Last week, I thought I had hit a wall in my running program. I was stuck on week 4, and didn’t feel ready to move on to week 5. I repeated week 4, and by the end it wasn’t any easier than the first time I tried it. I blamed it on my always too tight upper traps and pecs. I thought if I just do a little yoga before running maybe I can conquer this looming mountain before me.
Then I read a few blogs from professional runners and self-proclaimed fitness gurus digging for any advice I could find.
Now, I’m not trying to become a professional runner. That is not and never has been my goal. I just want to work to improve myself and become more fit by running. So after reading countless posts with all kinds of advice, I decided to put a few ideas I found to the test.
I went to the gym today ready to tackle day 1 of week 5 of the C25K program. It consists of 31 minutes, starting with a warm-up of walking briskly for 5 minutes followed by alternating jogging for 5 minutes with walking for 3 minutes three times and a 5 minute cool down.
What I decided to do differently was 3-fold:
1. focus on form
I read differing opinions on where your foot should strike the ground for maximum efficiency with the least impact. I decided that aiming for the middle of the foot would be best, since it can absorb the shock and evenly distribute the force to the body. This worked for me! I believe that it took substantially less energy and that I was less tired in the end as opposed to striking with my heel. I also tried to focus on not overpronating even though this is a more difficult mechanical technique to fix.
Controlling arm swing is also vital. I would run with my elbows at 45 degrees, arms swinging across my body with my hands balled up in fists. After today, let me tell you that is no way to run. It is extremely inefficient and takes away from your forward motion. try to run with your elbows slightly bent and arms only slightly swinging back to front, not across your body. Try to keep your hands loose, you don’t need to be ready to slug the next person to jump in your way unless you run in a particularly dangerous part of town.
It is also crazily important to stand up straight since it is very easy to find yourself hunching over to propel yourself forward while running. Once I straightened my spine and centered my core over my hips my ability to breathe improved dramatically. This goes with my second point….
2. Find my breathing pattern
If you stand up straight, it is way easier to get air in an out of your lungs. Practice breathing with your diaphragm, NOT your accessory muscles like your back or shoulders (this I still need to work on though I’ve been trying for ages). Breathing with your diaphragm allows your lungs to expand to their full capacity, and gives you a lot more air to hold in your reservoir so you won’t feel out of breath as quickly.
Another trick to finding your breathing pattern is to be conscious of your foot strike as you breathe. I found that if I exhale immediately after striking with my right foot every 3 or so strides it is easiest for me to maintain my breathing pattern. My pattern tends to be inhale for 2 strikes, exhale for 3 strikes. I’m not sure whether this is the most efficient way to do it or not, but it’s working for me for now.
3. Remain conscious of my technique
It was difficult to remain focused throughout my run since I often like to let my mind wander, but whenever I felt like I was getting too tired or out of breath, I was able to switch my mind back to my technique. This will admittedly take a little more practice before it becomes automatic, but that’s okay. Taking short strides, focusing on breathing properly and keeping my body in good form definitely improved my running today.
The only other point I have is to make sure you are running slow enough to make this all happen. I had to slow my pace by 0.3 mph in order to be able to focus on these essentials so I was not huffing and puffing and trying to remember what I was supposed to be doing. Once my improvements become more automatic, I will speed back up and probably have a lot easier of a time doing so. I also know I absolutely need to do more core work. I HATE core work with a capital H but I have added it to my routine because I know it helps….but that’s for another post.
What running or exercise tips have worked for you? What hasn’t worked so well? I’d love some more pointers, especially things you have personally learned from.
A life beyond meaning 