Run

Tue, Aug 11, 2009

Fitness

  • Make sure your body is loose and relaxed, but not hunched over. Keep your shoulders relaxed.
  • Run on the balls of your feet. Your heels should only lightly touch the ground. When the ball of your foot touches the ground, your toes should be pointing forward, not down, and the foot should be directly below the hips.

    • How to run

  • Breathe steadily. It doesn’t matter how you breathe (through your nose or mouth); what matters is you breathe with a rhythm that provides a consistent supply of oxygen to your body. Most people take two steps as they inhale and two steps as they exhale.
  • Keep your head in a neutral position, not looking up or down. Look approximately 10 feet in front of you if running a distance of more than 400 meters.
  • Keep your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Swing each arm forward and backward in time with the opposite leg, this gives momentum and prevents your body twisting. The motion should come from the shoulders, not your forearms.
    • Do not tense your fists. Imagine that you have two fragile items in each of your hands and if you tense too hard, you will break them.
    • Don’t let your hands cross the midline of your torso, or else you’ll create a twisting motion.
  • Keep your hips forward. Act like you’ve got a rope tied across your waist and someone is pulling you gently forward with it. Avoid side-to-side movement or twisting.
  • Increase your cadence. Aim to hit the ground about 85 times per minute. The simplest way to do this is to minimize the time your feet are on the ground.

    • Tips

    • In the event of sore muscles, use the R.I.C.E. technique (rest, ice, compression, elevation). If you don’t feel like sitting doing nothing with an ice pack, try turning the shower on cold and pointing the showerhead at the sore muscle for a minute or so after your workout.
    • If you get a cramp, walk it off. Raise your hands above your head and breathe. Remember, a cramp is lack of oxygen to a certain area so if you breathe, it will get better. Inhale when the foot where the side of the pain originates from touches the ground and exhale when the opposite leg touches the ground. e.g. If you have a cramp on your right side, inhale when your right foot hits the ground and exhale when your left foot hits the ground.
    • When running up hills, lean into the hill. Take short strides, pump your arms more than usual, and bring your knees up.
    • Be flexible with your schedule. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to do a hard speed workout on a Thursday, but Monday’s weather forecast showed Thursday as the hottest and most humid day of the week. So I rearranged my schedule a bit and did the workout on Wednesday instead. It definitely helps to use the weather forecast to plan the days and times of your workouts, so you can do hard workouts in the best possible weather conditions. Having a good run in decent weather will help build your confidence and improve your motivation.
    • Consistency is key. Being ready for a fall race (whether it’s a 5K or a marathon) isn’t about running well every time you get out there. It’s about running on a consistent basis. Try to keep running now, even when you may feel like you’re struggling and suffering through your runs. You’ll appreciate it when the weather improves in the fall.
    • Try something different. To bust through your slump, you may want to experiment with a new cross-training activity. Now’s a good time to give water jogging or water aerobics a try.

    Similar Posts:

    , , , , ,

    Leave a Reply