Running

Either pushing yourself to extremes and learn the harsh reality of your physical and mental limitations or just coasting quietly down a solitary path just watching the earth spin beneath your feet.

But when you are through, exhilarated and exhausted, at least for a moment everything seems right with the world…

WMY teaser final – 021714DN02 from David Norman on Vimeo.

Running teaches me discipline

I love running for going against the grind, pushing myself daily in all kinds of weather, and then applying that to my daily personal / business life.

Running makes you an athlete in all areas of life…trained in the basics, prepared for whatever comes, ready to fill each hour and deal with the decisive moment.

That’s one of the reasons why I organise the yearly “tvrdak race” with my good friend Richard Voda. for those around Bratislava to deal with and overcome unexpected obstacles when running through life…

…Apart from a handful of 3km and 10km local competitions without doing any training whatsoever for them, I haven’t done much running at all in the past.

However in October 2010, thinking that a baby might be on the way, and how unfit I’d become, I created the habit of going for a simple 5km run, ideally 3 times a week on a small river island near my flat.

I didn’t think I’d keep it up for long, but 3 years along the line, I’m still running 2-3 times a week, usually in the early morning. Some days I run fast, some slow, some a mix of intervals. I leave it up to how I feel on the day, and record each run in my Runkeeper app.

My goals are not to run any long distances or achieve any great speeds, but mainly to:

• Keep me fit so that I have energy in the upbringing of my daughter and…
• Keep me fit so that my mind is productive.

Of course there are many other side benefits, such as the ideas I get along the way, the complete solitude of that half hour alone, being out in nature in the early hours of the morning and a chance to listen to some motivating music.

In addition to my 5km 3 x a week, it’s my goal to also run 2 half marathon contests per year ( half marathon – 21km ) as well as a couple of obstacle courses to check if my overall running health is declining or increasing, and a obstacle run or keep my overall determination to win in check.

 Start Running

You can on become a runner if you run, so start today and start light. Remember that it only takes 2 weeks to lose strength and 6 weeks to gain so keep that in mind when you start running, or decide to take a break.

Run right

This short claymation video is a good refresher on the proper running form. Using the tips illustrated in the video may help prevent injuries and make running more comfortable, especially if you’re running barefoot.
The main tip is to land midfoot, rather than on your heel, because heel strikes generate more impact.

Running Form in 30 Seconds from Greatist on Vimeo.

For lots more on this pose running technique, see Pose Tech or the similar 100-up form.

Only one person and one person only will determine how good of a runner you become…
You will become as good as you let yourself be. That one person is you.

Start by deciding a purpose for every run you take and know what that purpose is before you start – whether that is to just relax, beat your personal best, increase speed, endurance etc…