I was always a lousy runner. Terrible. Awful. As in, like really bad.
And now I'm over 30, fat and out of shape. So I'm starting back on the treadmill again, trying to contain my "lipidinous" tendencies. And I'm going at a totally slug-@ss pace that would make any self-respecting member of male society cringe. But this time I have an edge I never had before. I saw a little kid running ahead of his Mom, and managing to keep all of two-steps ahead of her. But I watched his motion and realized his gait was way different from what an adult would have done. And adult would have jogged ahead, but this kid was running ahead, but with only the tiny footsteps that his undeveloped balance would allow him. And that's when I realized that the reason I was always so awful at running is that I've never really practiced running before -- I was attempting to jog-really-fast, and was getting completely worn out. So now it's a mile every day on the treadmill as I slowly work my leg musculature up to being able to sustain running at a non-mortifying pace, and you know what? It's almost fun!
15 comments:
I do vaguely remember getting it right from time to time during the runs at the "I" and it was almost fun - you got in a good rhythym and could just enjoy the scenery.
I think what you really need, like all of us desk monkeys, is this:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/19/steelcases-walkstation-marries-desk-and-treadmill/
Hook it up to a dynamo and you can put those calories into energy generation! No more energy crisis, hooray!
Nah, I'd rather just do a mile per day and be a lazy slug otherwise. :o)
Excuse me, mein bruder...
describe the FARKING TECHNIQUE!
Twins who theoretically think running is neat and would truck along at miles per day but can't because their bodies get trashed want to know!
:)
I tried it today instead of walking. Finally, I found a way that didn't make my joints feel like hell. It was at a pace that made me want to throw up, granted, but it didn't feel like I was pounding my twisty-leg to pieces like it normally does.
It's that slow pace that's the ego-killer. :)
Well, don't feel too bad guys. I was chasing the ability groups today and was beating the crap out of 18-19 years olds at pace. It helped when I would yell "I am 36 years old with a pseudo-bim knee and I am beating you." That did get some moving. And I did really get someone's attention when he started talking smack and I said if he had breath to talk he wasn't moving fast enough. He ran so fast that when he got done he heaved.
And his Drill Sergeant said "Now that's effort."
The point of this is not that I am in okay shape. The point is that you are not necessarily so bad and that you are working on it. You don't have to be great, you just have to keep getting better.
If you want, I can come out there and yell at you to run faster...
It really AIN'T the effort, Mike. I *can* pound pavement until I fall down (ever spar 3-on-1 for ten rounds? Believe me, it's aerobic). What Jim's talking about is figuring out how to move so as it doesn't have that deep-joint "I feel like this is damaging me" feeling to it.
Russ: that's not what I'm referring to (although it's a nice side-effect).
The main thing though, is that I gave that level of effort over & over again when I was in the 18-19 year old category and never developed any ability as a runner. Sure, I could barely pass the PFT (except maxing pull-ups, which I was really proud of), but I would be ready to hurl at a pace that most everyone else handled pretty naturally. What I never realized was the difference between jogging and running isn't just a speed thing, but that they're different skills. What I used to do when beating feet was never remotely close to what someone would call "mechanically efficient".
You are not either fat.
No, trust me; I'm fat. But I'm not obese, which is the new fat.
Actually the Army Basic Training Program works on some of that. Sadly, the recruits we get are not in that great a shape. I can out PT about 90% of them. THey have redone our PT program that works on getting the muscles adjusted THEN getting them in shape. It helps us not to break so many, but I also feel we are not really getting them into the shape they need. I'd almost rather break a couple and have them in real shape prior to AIT. But so far it seems to work.
I've heard a lot of back-and-forth on that one on some of the milblogs, and folks seem to think it's resulting in better readiness down the road, even though it means a longer ramp-up.
Hopefully what I've been reading works out to true...
Well, speaking from what I have seen as the Bn XO, it does appear to be breaking less folks. I still think we could ramp it up a bit and still not hurt anyone, but we gotta be careful for a variety of reasons.
That's frustrating enough when it's *yourself* trying to back off and ramp smoothly, let alone watching the same phenomena over thousands of folks.
You have no earthly idea. Especially when you just know someone is shamming at it. But I did actually get to use the line "if you can talk you are not running fast enough" and get a response. And I actually do get to see guys so intent on doing better that they have run until they heave. A bit disgusting true, but no one can question their motivation. Hell, they are actually proud of it.
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