Run Run Away

Question:

   Unfortunately, there are no videos on running form (that I know of) or even any consensus on how to run.  I would suggest thinking about what your hips are doing when you run and trying different hip movements and hip placements.  The only advice I know concerning hips comes from Jack Heggie, who said that they should roughly be going in the same direction as the legs, which is to say, the hips go forward as the legs go forward.

It would be nice if there were. I’m one of the coordinationaly impaired (any success I had with coming up with a decent stroke in swimming generally involved 10+ years of hacking through the water.) The only suggestion my HS coach had form-wise was that I ran on my toes too much. Anyone in the Fort Walton Beach/Niceville/Destin know of a cheap place to swim? The only place I’ve dug up from afar is the ‘Y’, and I’m wondering if any of the local high schools have lap times.  (With no local masters groups around, I’m looking for something cheap) Jill

Response:

There are many possible reasons for finding running boring.  But it seems that you also found it unpleasantly painful, mentioning a constant pain in your hips.  It is possible that your running style is not good, leading to the hip pain.         For example, my impression is that nowadays, swimming style is considered very important for achieving speed — merely being able to swim does not mean your form is good.  Slowly, piece by piece, I am coming to the same conclusion about running — your habitual running style probably is not the best.  But for running, the game is not so much running faster as it is avoiding injury.  (Though I suspect that a running form which avoids injury would also probably be faster.)         Unfortunately, there are no videos on running form (that I know of) or even any consensus on how to run.  I would suggest thinking about what your hips are doing when you run and trying different hip movements and hip placements.  The only advice I know concerning hips comes from Jack Heggie, who said that they should roughly be going in the same direction as the legs, which is to say, the hips go forward as the legs go forward. Bob Frick (a MOP runner cruising rst) — http://www.psy.sunysb.edu/rfrick/ statistical testing, dyslexia, running & glutamine, flow & intuition

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Just run!…and be very patient.  It will take as many years to build a running base as you have experienced in swimming.  After several years of running, you will be able to run 30 to 45 minutes easily…just like you can easily swim a mile.   I recommend a walkman with jammin tunes for the long runs.  Try to run up to four times a week (if doing swims and bike rides also).  Do a couple of half hour runs during the week (faster) and a longer run on the weekend (slower). It is the combination of short, fast, long, slow, hills, terrain, etc that will make the difference. But, the biggest improvement will come from the long run.  It will teach your body to be more efficient when running and your mind to deal with the boredom. Take a full running rest day the day after. Personally, I think an hour and a half run is barely long enough to collect my thoughts.  It takes 30min to warm up, and another 30 min or so of quality paced crusing before the major endorphin load hits, then the last hour is when you experience personally running bliss. Swimslug

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Anyways, I’m looking for suggestions on how to make run training if not fun, at least somewhat interesting or, at minimum, tolerable.

Good question.  Being a self-appointed authority on the subject, i.e., a poor runner that doesn’t like run training, here’s what you do:  Run. "How’s that," you ask?  Well, kiddies, settle in for a little story. I’m in my second season of triathloning after getting hooked after my de-virginizing event in August 1996.  I barely dabbled in running before that event and had a miserable time with the run.  But I wanted to do tris and dragged my lazy butt out running just so I could. Hooking up with a running club was essencial to make the running tolerable.  I don’t mind running with a group but still don’t enjoy it on my own.  And, luckily, running groups are one of the easiest groups to find or to form. The next breakthrough was watching the finish of last year’s IMH.  After seeing Ingrham and Welch crawl to the line, I said, "I gotta do me one of these."  A prerequisite (IMHO) is to be able to comfortably run a marathon.  I ran my first marathon in April and, although the training got to be a bit much toward the end, and the marathon itself was quite difficult, the residual effect is that I’m a much better runner.  My run splits in my first two sprint tris this season have been the relative fastest (historically they were always the worst by far) and I shaved well over a minute off my 5mile/10K mile splits. Coincidentally, I had another breakthrough just the other morning.  I was out running at the ungodly time of 5:30am, although I’m sure that’s quite typical with this group, and actually enjoyed the run!  Sunrise, nice and cool, quite, birds chirping (and pooping–watch out!)…  I’ve never understood people that actually enjoy the act of running but I’m almost getting a feel for it.  I can’t explain it–it just happened. Best of luck, Doug

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Okay, I’m a person who is having something of a mid-life crisis (or as much of one you can have at age 25) and given that we’re in the process of relocating to a tri-friendly area (the Florida Panhandle) I thought a nice triathlon might help me shake that nagging feeling that I really haven’t done anything with my life yet. I’m an above-average swimmer (19:50 1650yds in college) with some open water experience (famous words from the starter: "The buoy that was supposed to tell you where to come in has blown out to sea because of heavy surf. Just aim for the water tower, and then come in when you’re beneath it. You’ll be fine. Oh yeah, and the jellyfish are a little more prevalent than usual this year..") and I genuinely like a nice 30 mile bike ride, though I would like to replace the 15 year old ten speed sometime soon. My problem is with my attitude toward running. I lasted one season as a distance runner in high school before deciding that shot put and discus were much more fun. (My hips didn’t hurt all the time, and you got to make those cool grunting noises) Anyways, I’m looking for suggestions on how to make run training if not fun, at least somewhat interesting or at minimum tolerable. Thanks for any suggestions! Jill

Response:

Jill, You’re an animal!!  With that kind of athletic background, *you* probably should be telling *me* how to get motivated to train (any ideas on making swimming in a cement pond interesting for a leaden guppy??). I’ll go under the assumption that you have appropriate running shoes and don’t have any inherent biomechanical impediments to running free from pain.  As macho as some runners may act, you should be able to achieve a level of pain-free running within a few weeks of following a good training program (see running books/mags for suggestions, or email me directly), especially with your base level of fitness.  Nothing will help you to enjoy running if it always hurts you to do it, and this should be addressed directly if this is the case. Have you tried running with a Walkman on?  I have found that listening to good, fire me up-type music helped me to get through those runs that weren’t fun by themselves.  Big Hint:  Country music should be avoided at all costs. I rely upon soundtracks from action movies to get me in the spirits- Mortal Kombat (both movies) and The Crow are three with good tracks that help me get into the zone. Make sure that you run several different routes throughout your training week. These should vary in length (part of a good training plan) as well as layout. Your inner runner will appreciate the variety in scenery and intensity. Cameron P.S.  If it were at all possible, I’d be willing to trade some of my running ability (I run a 39min tri 10K) for some of your swimming ability (my PR for 1650 in the pool is 29min)!!

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P.S.  If it were at all possible, I’d be willing to trade some of my running ability (I run a 39min tri 10K) for some of your swimming ability (my PR for 1650 in the pool is 29min)!!

Be glad to trade ya, if it were possible. During my one season of track, I was extremely excited to break 3:15 for 800 meters. (and under eight minutes for a simple mile track race was cause for celebration) I’m a real tortoise. As far as livening up swimming goes, the most interesting sets for me were (like you’re suggesting for running) the ones that had some sort of variety to them. Especially when you’re varying the intervals so much that when you finish one, you’re not quite sure when you’re supposed to start the next one. (There is a lovely moment of panic when you’re not sure if you were supposed to go on the :30 or the :40) Also, if you can get a group of people together, water polo can be a lot of fun, as well as serving as a sort of training for thw start of a typical open water swim. (When I’ve played, the only rule is that you’ve got to let the other person come up for air if they let go of the ball) Watch out for the girls/women though. They’re the visious ones. Jill

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