running

running

What is running

1. The practice of standing perfectly still while moving your feet really fast.

2. Sustained flight interrupted by brief moments of contact with the ground.

What is not running

The following things are similar to running, but they are not running. Do not be fooled!

1. Walking

2. Jogging

3. Juggling

4. Juggalos

5. Running Whipstitch

6. Horses

7. Refrigerators

History of running

Running was invented in the 1790s when Thomas Running accidentally tried to walk twice at the same time.

It quickly became a national craze and then a global phenomenon, and you can still see people doing it even unto this very day.

Why running

• WHY NOT

• It's fun. Sometimes you wanna go fast.

• It is the fastest wholly self-sufficient way of getting from Point A to Point B.

• Running is an excellent way to explore your neighborhood. I feel like a superhero on patrol when I run, checking on things and people. "Good day, Citizens!" I think I'll go run by a friend or neighbor's house and see if it looks okay.

• Good for your physical health, and mental. I think a lot on runs.

• Improving your cardiovascular health feels like a good way to survive coronavirus.

How to run

There are lots of ways to run. Here is one framework that has worked well for me:

1. Put one foot in front of the other.

2. Repeat.

3. Now faster

Best time of day to run

Whenever you goddamn feel like it!

Minimalism

A bicycle is probably the most perfect tool ever invented for personal transportation. It is an incredible simple machine. You don't even need breaks (!), or multiple gears, or derailleurs, etc. But a bike can also get really complicated and kitted out until you've become Captain Dashboard with your phone and your GPS and all kinds of things mounted on your handlebars.

Running is similar. It is the most perfect method of personal transportation sans tools. It can be incredibly simple: you basically only need shoes. But it can also get really complicated if you start to incorporate phones and mp3 players and garmins and heart rate monitors, etc, etc, etc.

Rules for minimalist running:

• No headphones: just don't do it. There are few enough times that you can spend without somebody else's thoughts. Let this be one of those times.

• If you're not training for something, you don't need a watch.

• If you need a watch, you're training for something.

Here's what I bring with me on a run every time:

• sunglasses

• house key

• phone: not for mapping my run or anything, but for safety, in case I need to call for help, call a ride, or hop on the bus or train in order to get home.

Stuff I say to myself when I run

Here are some things that I repeat to myself almost mantra-like while running.

It never gets easier. You just get faster.

Attributed by the internet to Greg LeMond, one of the greatest cyclists of all time.

Somebody posted this on a running forum years ago, and it stuck with me. I think this whenever I feel discouraged about the fact that running is still really hard despite all the time and effort I dedicate to it.

This concept is applicable to a lot of different practices. Take yoga for example: it doesn't ever get easier. You just get stronger, more flexible, and nicer.

Bend your knees

This mantra is part of my obsession with posture and form. I feel like I move better, easier, and quicker if I keep a slight bend in my knees. Makes me feel like more of a coiled spring, and like I can absorb impact better and step more lightly.

Pick 'em up, put 'em down

This is something I tell myself to do with my feet. I say it to myself when I am feeling fatigued. It's my version of Dora's "just keep swimming, just keep swimming.."

Slow down

I have to constantly fight against the urge to go too fast. Going fast is fun, but really unsustainable. A run isn't fun if you burn yourself out during the first half.

Keep your feet under you

This is another thing I tell myself to do with my feet. To me, it means not over-stepping. Shortening my stride and taking quicker steps.

Long steps are tiring because you're using more energy and strength to propel yourself forward. And legs are heavy. It's tiring to be flinging them out there in front of you, and to haul them forward again after you let them drag along back behind you.

Don't let your feet be all over the place. Keep your feet under you.

You don't have to be fast, but you do have to be quick.

This is something I tell myself about how to move my feet. Sometimes I'll suddenly notice that I'm really tired because I've been running too fast, with too long a stride. At those times, I have to remind myself to slow down, shorten my stride and take small, quicker steps. Quick feet are more important than an overall fast pace, because they allow me to be more comfortable and to run for longer.

See: Slow Down, Keep your feet under you

Move your knees, move your elbows

This is something I tell myself when I'm tired and having a hard time moving quickly. Or when I'm already moving (my feet) quickly but I also want to go faster.

I don't ever like the feeling of lengthening my stride. I like keeping my feet under me. But somebody told me once--and I have found this to be true--that if you find you can't move your feet quickly enough, then try moving your knees and elbows more quickly. That is, the faster you pump your arms, the faster your feet will move. That's a neat trick!

Loosen your wrists, loosen your ankles

One time I checked out a "Lee Holden Teaches Tai Chi" video from the library. He used this metaphor of "wood and cloth," saying that your movements should be originate from a solid core (wood) but that your extremities should flow and follow that movement like cloth.

I like to use my core to move my knees and elbows, but to keep my wrists and ankles loose like cloth, along for the ride.

Forward is down

The very best runs I've been on, when I get into the zone, into a flow state, running feels effortless. It feels like I'm falling gently continuously forward, and my feet are just gently pitter pattering along to keep me upright and moving forward while falling. It is an incredibly pleasant sensation.

When I'm feeling this, or thinking about this feeling, or trying to achieve this feeling, I think about the book Ender's Game. Specifically the phrase "The enemy's gate is down". Ender's series of reinterpretations of the rules of the battle room seemed like cheating and changed the way the game is played.

The feeling of falling forward, that change in perspective and orientation is literally almost the exact plot device of that first scene. But also, more symbolically, getting into a state--call it runner's high if you must--where running is hard and difficult but also feels good and is exhilarating, well that feels like changing the rules by which the game is played.

Resting

If you learn how to rest while running up hill, then you have learned a very valuable skill. Next, you should learn to rest while running downhill. Then, you can focus your efforts on the most difficult lesson of all: resting while running on flats.

How to get faster

• There is only one thing that will make you better at running, and that is running more.

• Sometimes if you want to get faster you first have to slow down.

How to slow down

You should learn to recognize and assess your speed, or level of exertion. It is useful to know at least the following "gears".

2. Slow: this is a speed that is sustainable indefinitely. You can easily maintain a conversation at this speed.

3. Medium: this is a slow to moderate speed that you can sustain for medium to long periods of time.

4. Fast: moderate to high speed. Only sustainable for short bursts. Requires recovery time before continuing.

There are few things more productive and enjoyable and challenging than the long, slow run.

Here's how running is like meditation: while meditating, the untrained mind may wander and occupy itself with thought and distraction without you really being aware of it. So the exercise is to note that your mind has wandered, and resume your focus. When running, the untrained mind may wander and allow your body to start running faster than slow. So the exercise becomes to continually slow yourself back down so that you can run longer and farther without tiring yourself out.

At least that's how my speed junky mind+body configuration works. Your mileage may vary!

Injury

Oops! You ran too much! Guess you better stop running for a while.

Prevention

• Core strength: do some crunches and planks.

• Don't do too much too soon. Only do an appropriate amount, only at the right time.

Is running rascist?

Running is not rascist, but lots of things are, including US law enforcement, the criminal justice system, housing and voting regulations, education and employment opportunities, and plenty of individuals.

People have been murdered for running while black.

Running safely without molestation, or murder, can be argued to be a privelege enjoyed by white males.

Safety

• Wear bright colors

• Wear lights if it's dark

• No headphones

• Smear yourself with blood so you look extra intimidating

Comfort

• Wear socks

• If your hands get cold, maybe try some gloves

• You might need to lube up if you chafe easily

Groups

Running is a group activity.

But the most common group size is one.

Crosstraining

Sometimes it is important to do stuff that is not running.

• Do some yoga.

• Do some biking and swimming. Now you are a triathlete!

Fun games to play while running

1. NEW ROAD! Something to yell (out loud or in quiet) whenever you turn onto a road you have never run on before.

2. What's that? When you see something neat and you don't know what it is, run over to it and see what it is.

3. ALWAYS GREEN: when approaching a traffic light, either speed up to catch the green light while it's still on, or slow down enough that the red light turns green by the time you get there.

4. I Hope That Person Is Just Sleeping! Risky game. Sometimes turns out real bad.

5. Go Fast Game: Sometimes you see a tree or a sign or a hydrant or a building or whatever, and you think to yourself, "I bet I can get there really fast" and then you run really fast and see how quick you can get there. That's a fun game.

6. Counting: Sometimes I like to count how many steps there are between two landmarks.

7. Sweet or sour: If you see another runner, give them a smile and a wave. If they waive back, they are "sweet". If they do not, then they are "sour".

Further reading

Here are some books I've read about running:

1. Ender's Game

2. Born To Run (the McDougall one not the Springsteen one, although the Springsteen one is good too, but it is not about running. Well, it is a little bit, but only metaphorically.)

3. ChiRunning

4. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running