I once wrote a short post with two simple tips for running. As a refresher:
1. Keep the back straight.
2. Make sure the feet land under the knee.
There is a third recommendation I want to explore today. This is to relax as much as possible. Let's update the list:
1. Keep the back straight.
2. Make sure the feet land under the knee.
3. Relax as much as possible.
I didn’t include this point in the original post for two reasons. First, it seemed a bit too obvious. Think about a hypothetical runner who keeps his biceps flexed throughout the workout. This person would look like an idiot, right?
Since I posted my two recommendations, though, I’ve noticed a lot of stiff runners zipping past me. Some of these joggers hold their arms stiffly to the sides while others appear determined to run on their tippy-toes all the way home. My favorite example comes from the runners who arc their backs so that their chests point skyward - it's almost like they are balancing an invisible soccer ball on their tailbones.
What all this stiffness has in common is the way it creates unnecessary muscular tension throughout the workout. Tight muscles are a problem because they tend to forewarn of injuries. If I need to suddenly stop or change direction while running, a loose and relaxed muscle will respond to my movement while a tight muscle might tear under the strain. The analogy to a rubber band pulled taught is not a perfect comparison but I think it relates the general concept pretty well.
The second reason why I didn't include this point in the original post was because I was not quite sure myself how to explain it. At the time of writing, I thought sag was the right word. A runner who allows his or her muscles to saaaaag after accounting for the straight back and foot-under-hip landing motion will achieve the desired effect of maintaining relaxed muscles throughout the run.
I like relaxed a little better, though, because this word also covers the mental challenge of running. A runner who is constantly thinking of more, more, more during the run will soon have a lot of time to think while recovering from injury. It might be appropriate at times, of course, to pick up the pace or run an extra mile. But for the most part, the healthy runner’s mentality is to have the best possible run without being too hurried to wait at a red light, too fast to slow down in response to discomfort, or too tough to cut the run short in the event of pain.
The injury prevention mentality is the biggest benefit of this third rule of thumb. The most common running injuries derive from some degree of the runner’s insatiable desire to run faster, farther, or more frequently. A runner going past the limit often loses one of the first two rules of thumb and knows to stop. But it is possible to maintain the straight back and feet under the knees by keeping the rest of the body under constant strain. By keeping in mind the requirement to run with a relaxed stride, the mind buzzing to do more, more, more is finally settled and the big picture comes back into view.
