this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2024
26 points (93.3% liked)

Running

2562 readers
8 users here now

A place for runners.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

This is my VO2 max over the last few months. I’ve been in terrible shape for a long time, bet you can’t guess when I started running. I can’t believe how much more fun running is when you learn how to do it first!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I can’t believe how much more fun running is when you learn how to do it first!

Elaborate. What do you mean by this? What did you learn to do while running that makes it fun?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Learning proper form, pace, intensity, etc helps tremendously. Even learning how to increase your leg turnover, utilize your core, and run tall with proper hip tuck makes running much more enjoyable and can minimize injuries.

It seems like everyone would just "know how" to run efficiently so it seems a little weird that you have to "learn" to run. That's generally true: kids tend to run pretty efficiently if they do it regularly.

A lot of the "learning" for adults is actually unlearning bad habits and relearning good ones: not using your shoes to compensate for what your muscles and tendons should be doing, not slinging your hips back ("sitting in the bucket"), not reaching with your feet in your stride, and working against the muscular abnormalities that result from sitting all the time.

I was helping someone with their running form, and when she "got it," she said she never realized her ass would be sore from running. Glute utilization is really important, but many people don't even know what it feels like to activate the full kinetic chain that includes their glutes. Unlocking that can be pretty huge for a novice runner.

She described it as feeling like she had rubber bands suddenly attached to her legs that helped propel her and made her feel lighter. That's actually a pretty accurate metaphor.