My body just isn’t cut out for running….

One of the cheapest and easiest and most freeing way of getting and staying in shape for your whole life is running. 

Now, if you take it too far, it can be a vice, and then you become someone who only talks about running, who experiences chafing too often, wears too much lycra too often, and are constantly going to the physio for an injury, caused by too much running, especially if you are physically imbalanced. Running using the hip flexors instead of the glutes for example my dear desk warriors. 

But on a more positive note. As a thin but un-sporty teenager joining a gym, I was mesmerised by the people running for what seemed like forever on the treadmills, legs light and nimble moving effortless rhythm. 

I got on, that looks easy I thought, and started walking and gradually increased the speed to something more than a jog and within two minutes it felt like these logs of lead attached to my trunk were the most uncoordinated tools of torture and my chest was heaving and lungs about to explode. First and last time I tried that for a long time. I’m just not made for running I said to myself. My body is not suited to this.

A lot of time went by, different forms of exercise came and went… step aerobics, half assed attempts at weights programs, stuff with bands, long periods of nothing, . … yoga and pilates became a thing.. a gym membership direct debit would often be hanging around, and my whale the treadmill would be there .. taunting me. 

And then early mid life hit. A stressfully boring job and a realisation I would one day be old, made me realise I wanted to be the kind of old that was active and healthy, not hobbling around hunched over and at the mercy of possibly ambivalent carers. So on went the running shoes and the training began. I wanted to be one of those people who effortlessly powered their legs one after the other, to be strong and sprightly. As I got going, one night, at cocktail do at a friend of a friends house I saw she had a mannequin in the corner of her effortlessly cool town house, draped with multiple medals from marathons she had run (she was a about 10 years older than me at the time, not that you could tell on a side by side). I. was. mesmerised. I want that too I thought. 

I did much research as to how to train for marathons, and also found that there were always half marathon options available. I wanted to still like running I thought, so the halves were the way forward and you still got a medal. 

Here’s what I learned, ten years later, having now run six half marathons, and done enough running that even after three or fours years off the treadmill you can still hop on and shift into running mode as if your last run was last week (the next day however is another story):

• common sense and widespread wisdom says if you want to run and run faster you gradually increase your pace of training over sessions and weeks, incrementally until you become comfortable with the faster pace. This does work but I found it to be slow going and harder than;
• in the beginning, just power walk, then break into a jog at a comfortable pace for 1-2 minutes then walk again. only do this though for about 4-6 sessions then it’s time to step it up.
• running a bit faster than you’re comfortable with, for at least a minute, but two to three is better and then train down, gradually decreasing your pace over the course of minutes as you catch your breath. 
• control your breath as much as possible. this doubles as a moving meditation session. always breath in through the nose as much as possible, but when you are recovering while still moving, use your mouth to breath out under your control, not like a Labrador on a hot day. 
• intermittently run faster than you ever thought you could for 1 minute. Always remind yourself you can put up with any amount of discomfort for 1 minute. Never recover from sprints by walking, always jog, even if it’s a slow jog it must be a jug. This will train your heart to recover quickly.
• always have a playlist that matches the beat of the music to the rhythm of your feet
• when you are really doing it, you’re controlling the breath, the arms are pumping forward like a real runner, the legs are moving forward and the foot is landing underneath you, in time to your music and your hips are straight, not sashaying anywhere, you are getting fit while meditating.
• Lastly, think of your heart like a canary in your hand, you want to sooth it if it gets too wriggly, but not hold it so tight you make it worse and stress it out. Just gently keep an eye on how hard it’s beating and use your breath like soothing words to calm it down. 

And that’s it, a bit of envy combined with a desire for a better future gave someone who had never committed long term to anything the drive and tenacity to learn how to run, which became a skill and a practice that lives in my lifeskill toolbox. Never ever believe you’re not cut out for it, if I can do it anyone can.