Truth: running is not a chore.
Fact: running is taxing, requires effort and passion, but it is NOT a chore.
A few summers ago I had set out to stay in shape for lacrosse considering I had this profound determination to try out for mid, and the position required a lot of sprinting. Consequently, I took it into my own hands to start running...little had I known the great passion that would arise thereafter. A short mere months later, I had progressed into an avid runner, which came as a surprise to the previous slouch I had been. For many weeks I trained, barely being able to run a mile or two without stopping, and sure enough, I too hated the sport. Now for a while I had this predetermined notion that running was not a sport but rather an undefeatable endeavor. I could never understand why my brother joined the cross country team and went to nationals in high school, nor could I grasp why so many people went for early morning runs and late night jogs. But with my own discovery, I soon became part of this tribe, as one might call it. And finally, all my doubts made sense.
Although my efforts towards running were influenced by my passion of becoming a mid, I soon realized the whole situation in itself just flipped. As a result, I learned to love running more than lacrosse and finally considered doing so a sport. The fact of the matter is that running is indeed just like any other sport out there because it requires a lot of skill and understanding, which doesn't make sense, right? I didn't think so either. But with experience and some reading, I have come across a plethora of pointers that lead people to underestimate runners and their sport. To illustrate, running is easy, but running properly is a whole different ball game. The exercise involves a proper form and concentration just like other sports require skill and understanding of the game. Therefore, it is all relevant.
From Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run," a story is told about the Tarahumara Indians and their lifestyle of running. Within this book, which is actually my favorite of all-time, I have not only learned the correct form of running, but I have also instituted the passion that comes with it into my life. Furthermore, a lot of people misinterpret this love for the sport as mental insanity because they don't perform it in the right manner. So after failing, they stop and never brush upon even the thought of running again. But let's clarify the do's and dont's:
First and foremost, while running it is necessary to keep both arms to the side without swinging them across the chest, for doing so will constrict your lungs and make it difficult to breathe. Most importantly though, it is absolutely a must that you allow your toes to touch the ground first. This will greatly prevent knee injuries and provide a quicker, lighter stride. In truth, there is a science to this that is not quite evident at first. For example, while running barefoot, your toes touch the ground first, followed by a slight, if not at all, impact on the heel of your foot. However, when running with sneakers, your foot hits the ground with its heel first due to all of the padding on the shoe. This small factor creates such a huge issue because it creates a heavy impact and disrupts stride and pace, all eventually leading to knee, foot, and back problems. Not only is the placement of your foot significant, but the bending of your knees plays a huge part in running as well. By bending them with a little exaggeration, or rather picking them up a little more than you would normally do, you actually elongate the stride, which allows you to run a little faster. Thus, form is truly important while running because it helps you improve. It's true that endurance and pace will take time, but with strong efforts and practice, running will come as an ease.
Not long ago, I was prudent in taking up running because I thought it would be a waste of time and energy. Shortly after, with much hesitation and doubt, I trained myself and was able to cover distances of six to eleven miles. I am currently striving for a half marathon, which I never dreamed I would be saying only two summers ago. And to be honest, running is not this exhausting, maximum effort feat with little to no gain. In fact, the sport is simply a form of meditation and relaxation. Rightly so, Christopher McDougall claims, "You're not going to win, so just relax. If it feels like work, you're running too hard".
