Yearn-to-Run

jet propulsion

   Back on Father's Day, I was surprised by Doralyn and the boys with the gift of a Running Room Learn-to-Run clinic membership. These clinics are designed for people who are interested in entering the "running life" or at least testing the waters. As added incentive and moral support, she also signed herself up!
   We showed up together at the Running Room store in downtown London in early August and met Kathryn, our instructor, and a handful of other "newbies". The structure of these clinics is that you receive in-store instruction for the first half hour or so and then you actually get out and run. You run in increments; run a minute, walk a minute up to a total of twenty minutes and then, the following week, you run two minutes and walk one minute up to twenty and so on, over consecutive weeks. Eventually, you end up walking one minute and running ten and, at this point, you have finished the Learn-to-Run clinic.
   They actually teach you how to run properly; what part of your foot needs to land first, how high the knees should be, how long the stride, where your head should point, even what direction your thumbs should face. Apparently all these things make a difference.
   For me, the toughest thing to learn was not to have your heel land first. We were taught what they call a "mid-foot strike", where your foot lands much closer to your toes than your heels. This felt very unnatural to me until I got used to it. Now, it feels unnatural to do it the old way.

I will need different motivation, however

   Right at the moment, we are at the end of the clinic and are looking towards out target race. It is called the "Gobbler Gallop" and most of us are entered in the 3K race. The in-store teaching session this week touched on race strategy and etiquette. My strategy is to not drop dead and to be polite while I am not doing that!
   Doralyn, by the way, was amazing in the way she supported me in this. We went to the first two or three sessions together and then would go out on regular training runs in our neighbourhood. Quickly, though, she developed shin splints and this greatly decreased her ability to both run and get any enjoyment out of it. She plugged on, even through all that, like a trooper. Eventually, though, it didn't make much sense to continue if all it was going to do was cause pain. So I have continued on my own, with her encouraging me from afar.

What MOST of the "Gobbler Gallopers" will see...

   Where I go from the "Gobbler Gallop" is any body's guess. I've been asked to join the 5K clinic which seems to be the natural progression from the Learn-to-Run. This, however, will take me right into the winter and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for snow and ice yet. Something about broken legs... On top of everything else, ball hockey will start soon and many nights it would conflict with the running. So I don't know, we'll see. I'm not sure if eventually I will wind up being one of those guys who needs to get and run three or four times a week, or not. I suspect not but, once again, we'll see.


...but what I hope at least ONE "Gobbler Galloper" will see.

   Whether I become a runner or not, the idea of being in a race (though it'll be more like a fun run) is kind of intriguing, though. I hadn't even thought about it (or signed up, for that matter) until we started talking strategy this week. We're not talking huge strategy, if you must know, more like "don't run too fast at the beginning or you'll die near the start line instead of the finish line". Not much but enough to fuel the little bit of competitive spirit in me. Right now, I'm imagining being right at the back of the pack with about half a kilometer to go. And then passing one person...