Blog 162 – Running Lessons

Today is sprint day. I do sprints once a week, and add one per month, this month I am currently at 8 and will go to 9 in July. The low hill near my house is perfect. I warm up with a walk/run of about a mile, stopping to do air squats at each street lamp. This warms me up enough to engage in hill sprints without injury. Knock on wood.

I learned some things about running technique when I competed in a couple Olympic triathlons about 10 years ago. The run portion of 10k was my least favorite. Running sucks. But, I knew that good technique could help get through it, and that I could become much more efficient if I learned a few things. I read about “the pose” running method, landing on the balls of my feet not my heels, letting my leg lengthen out behind me a bit and allowing my footfalls to land under me instead of out in front of me. I noticed that using my core muscles via hip rotation seemed to incorporate more muscle, utilize my whole body and not just legs.

I discovered that running faster efficiently required a falling forward feeling – with my feet catching up and driving; that running is a kind of controlled forward fall. Wish I had known this consciously when I was a kid. I remember the exhilaration of running fast on the beach where the water and sand meet, I’m sure I ran this way instinctively, naturally when I was 7,8 9 year old. However, it’s kind of funny to remember this; I got to school one day in 7th grade and we were having timed 50 yard dash races that day. I was fired up and wanted to beat the competition. I remembered how fast I felt running all out on the beach and thought I could really show em’.

At the beginning of the race I just poured on the effort reaching out in front of me with my feet and pulling myself forward with all my might t get my speed up. My legs were clawing the blacktop before me and my body was not out front. Well, it wasn’t more than 5 or 6 clawing strides forward and my quadriceps muscle in my right leg suffered and awful “pull,” it felt like a tear really, I was in extreme pain and that injury stayed with me for many months. Years actually. I never really sprinted again until high-school football my junior year. I was healed but never forgot the agony of my former injury. My 40 time (common football speed metric) was not impressive. So, I paid a price for my ignorance, ego, and bad technique that day in seventh grade.

Now I fall forward consciously when I run, and have also incorporated the “jumping over logs” and pulling my rear leg foreword “like a bowstring releasing” as mental images. These mental techniques seem to help my sprints, I feel faster and smoother when I do this.

So, I don’t know much about running. I know it’s good for me, I know I don’t like it much, and I know the few techniques I have learned (like those mentioned above) have made me better and more efficient than I was. The main thing is to just do it, but do it without injury. Being able to physically run toward something or away from something seem like abilities I want to have for as long as possible, and practicing often is the only way.

Ben Wagner (169)

Member The 365 Commitment

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Share the Post:

Recent Blogs

Day 329 – Art is Capturing the Form

The author explores the concept of art through the lens of form and function, using two tape measures as an analogy. They then delve into Charles Ross’s Star Axis project, which aims to capture the journey of the North Star, suggesting it as a powerful example of art capturing form and connecting humanity across time.

Day 328 – Would You Trust Your Brain?

The author explores the idea of copying a human brain into an AI and questions the trustworthiness of such an AI, highlighting human biases and limitations. The piece argues that AI excels in repetitive tasks and factual recall but will never truly think like a human. It also delves into the author’s personal frustration with an AI agent, revealing that the frustration stemmed from their own inadequacy and unwillingness to plan, rather than the AI’s limitations. The author concludes by suggesting that AI’s “flaws” often reflect human tendencies and a lack of clarity in communication.

Day 327 – We Need God

This article explores the practical necessity of a concept of God, regardless of personal belief in a literal deity. It argues that humans need a higher, fixed point of reference to establish values, prevent self-serving rationalizations, and guide their aspirations beyond immediate desires and worldly pursuits.

Day 326 – Small Things Do Not Automatically Compound

This article explores the idea that while small, consistent actions are powerful, they don’t automatically compound into significant results. It emphasizes that mindful repetition, reflection, and adjusting the process are crucial to ensure habits remain effective and aligned with their original purpose.