Are you a heel striker or do you midfoot strike? Over-pronate or under-pronate? Are you one of those runners who shed shoes altogether?! With all the jargon involved in running, some newbies are probably wondering, just what is the right way to run?
The answer is simple yet complicated. Run the way that feels right for your body. But how do you figure this out? One word– practice.
Recently I had to reteach myself how to run. In my prime, I effortlessly bounced off the balls of my feet with short quick strides and impeccable posture. Now with some saggy muscles and an extra 15 pounds of baby weight, that form almost landed me on the injured list. I soon realized that my old form worked then, but was not working for me now–and its ok! I’ll go back to that form when I get back to that shape, but for now I have to practice running in a way that is comfortable for my new body.
So next time you get discouraged and become close to deciding that running just might be too hard, remember, running takes practice and everyone runs differently. Keep running and listening to your body and running will become easier.
Start with these basics from runnersworld.com to get your running form off to a solid start.