Running is exercise I have always enjoyed, however at times the road can have negative effects on our body. I believe anyone can learn to run however like most exercise it does take practice.
Here are 4 steps to make sure you don’t become discouraged, uninterested or at worst injured
1. Start SLOW
Running is great exercise and there are many ways to run more efficiently to fulfill your personal goals. Most people can not wake up and run a marathon and truthfully I would not recommend trying without training.
Running your fastest is not the most efficient for the body. The equation below helps to keep you in a fat burning zone. fat is our most energy dense and efficient material to make energy.
Simple Equation to Run In a “Fat Burning” Zone
A good rule of thumb, keep your heart rate about 180-(insert your age). This may also be around the heart rate at which you can talk to your friend while running.
You’ve might of heard of the term aerobic base (more on this in another article coming soon). The calculated heart rate above is generally the number at which your cells efficiently use oxygen. The less oxygen you use in metabolism the less fat you use as a fuel. As you increase the intensity your cells cant get enough oxygen and your body makes a choice. It choses to burn sugar not fat. Let’s stick with this idea that Sugar burns “faster” than fat but is less efficient.
Above is a simplified version of the ideas discussed in this paper on metabolic flexibility. If you have any questions please ask in the comments below.
Your Body = Complex Hybrid car
Imagine a hybrid car (battery and gasoline). The car has a very efficient battery engine that produces a more than enough energy. The battery will make energy at slow speeds for a long distance. The car’s gas engine is very inefficient only lasts a short period of time and distance. This fuel is mostly in use when you need to get chicken nuggets at 10:00pm and Chic-fil-a closes at 10:30. Maybe stop the late night chicken runs.
Similarly your body when you walk or jog slowly uses the battery engine (fats). This produce the necessary energy to walk/run for a long distance. As your body moves faster it uses gas engine (sugar). This fuel burns “faster” for energy but not for long distances.
Start SLOW and enjoy the stroll through some great running spots in your city or countryside. If you run slow enough you can take cool videos like this
2. Foot Strike
Most people are not taught how to run, learning how to land your foot is a good place to start.
Some running jargon to start, striking The front of the foot is referred to as the forefoot striking the rear of the foot is called the heel striking, and mid strike is somewhere in between those two. Personally running injured spurred an epiphany about two years ago when it came to running shoes.
Running Away From Large Orthotic Shoes.
I run mostly on the rough street terrain outside the city of Pittsburgh. This surface is much different from the fields and soft ground I ran on as teenager while participating in sports. Store employees told me my shoes needed support, big heels, wide base, I had an instep and some other terms I didn’t fully understand. These huge orthotics made my knee and hip joints hurt after every run. I was running about 15 miles a week about 30 pounds overweight and convinced myself I was old at 24.
Minimalist Shoes
I slowly moved myself away from these large padded shoes to a more minimalist shoe, much like the cleats I wore playing sports growing up. When people think of minimalist shoes please don’t only imagine ones with the toes. I also agree those are really odd. Minimalist or zero heel shoes are great to help improve your form, prevent injury, and make you a more complete runner. Below is a video by Dr. Irene Davis who outlines beautifully the mechanics of our feet and why they are perfectly engineered to run.
Some personal tips
Over the past two years I’ve been running in a minimalist shoe. I switched back to a minimalist shoe and no longer fighting my foots mechanics. However, I would be cautious when you go from a tradition running shoe to a minimalist shoe.
- If you are a heel strike runner you will need to adjust your form to run in this shoe. In the video above it explains how heel striking created a greater force on the bones in the body. It may take some time to adjust your form. If your are absolutely set on your running form, involving a heel strike these shoes are probably not the best choice.
- You will not be able to run as much distance at first, it takes the foot time to adjust to minimal padding. However not having the extra padding helps to keep you from running when fatigued, you will receive immediate feedback as your muscles fatigue. I found this helps me recognize when to stop running for the day.
- Make sure to be cautious in rocky or uneven terrain. The shoes don’t have the large supports or padding you do have to be careful if your feet are untrained or your strength is not 100%.
Our feet are engineering marvels, for thousands of years there was no cushion in shoes.
3. Reward Yourself with New Shoes
Xero Shoes are the shoes I wear to run, these shoes have a 5000 mile warranty and are great for running on any terrain (even on the Pittsburgh streets). These shoes have been great and I have had no pain in my knees, hips, or back. Xero offers a array of shoes with multiple colors and styles. If you’re interested in picking up pair, use the link here. This is not an affiliate link at this time.
4. Make it Enjoyable
Running slow gives you time to enjoy the scenery. Talk to a friend, take breaks, and truly enjoy something that is healthy and active. How many people are training to win a marathon or run a mile under 4 minutes ? If you are one of those 5% of the population, that’s amazing and another article later on will be better to describe training for those events.
I ran with a neighbor at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and not only was there a physical benefit but a full mental health benefit that came along with it. Running with people outside builds a better social connection, is perfectly safe if you’re still feeling caution, and helps to reduce stress.
I have three suggestions to make it enjoyable
- Run with someone at your pace
- Find the most beautiful spots in your city or town and run there
- Unlike other sports running is free. Please treat yourself after a good jog.
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