Running: What Not to Do

The 4 mistakes to avoid when running

     Running is a natural ability of human life. So it seems like you should just be able to go out onto a track or even just outside, and run with the right form. In fact, many people who are not familiar with track aren’t even aware that a correct running form exists. They just believe that some people are fast, and others aren’t. This is however, not true at all. Now let’s list some of the mistakes to avoid when running.

1.) Too Much Too Soon- If you do not run on a regular basis, your body is not prepared for vigorous running workouts. Too often people try to overload themselves, before their bodies are ready. An “old school” view of this is that overloading will just get you faster. This idea is far from the truth. I can’t tell you how many people i have seen, have to quit running all together because they overloaded themselves. If you do not ease into running over time, you will quite possibly find yourself hobbling around in a knee brace wishing you had read this article.

2.) Overstriding- For a few years, i was under the impression that the longer you stride, the faster you run. This is somewhat true but do not misconstrue it. If you attempt to stride further than your legs want to, you will actually slow down, and maybe even injure yourself. Striding too far causes you to land on your heel before the ball of your foot, basically acting like a brake and slowing you down. Overstriding will cause you injury if you are not careful because it can overstretch your muscles, leading to strained or pulled muscles, putting you on the couch for a few weeks.

3.) Inefficient Arm Movement- This is the most common of all of the mistakes people make as they run. People swing their arms wide or pull their arms up to their chest when they get tired. Both of these motions actually tire you more when running and lead to exhaustion of the upper body. Arm should be kept at a 90 degree angle and slightly brushing the hips with every step. Hands simply need to be relaxed. Straining your upper body does not make you run any faster, and it in fact makes you run slower by tiring you more quickly.

4.) Burning out too soon- This mistake can turn into a very miserable situation. If you begin any race that isn’t a sprint too fast, you will find yourself burning horribly before the end of the race. Learn the pace of the race before you actually run it full speed, and don’t make the mistake of taking off too fast. Once that energy is gone, its not coming back until you rest, and that can be extremely painful when you find yourself huffing and puffing halfway through the race.

     When it comes down to it, you have to be smart about the way you run. In doing so you will be much more likely to avoid injury, and you will be able to get faster if you continue to work at it.