There are mistakes you make while running that have to do with wrong settings, wrong shoes, wrong choices. We might call them “configuration errors,” and we talked about them here.
There are also others that we will call “dynamic errors” instead, that is, incorrect and counterproductive attitudes and evaluations that are commonly made during running (but also before and after).
They can, in short, happen even if the setting is correct, if you chose the best shoes, and if there is awareness of the athletic gesture. But technique is one thing, its repetition (i.e., running) is something else.
“What do you want to tell me Martino, with this introduction?”
I’m telling you that today we are talking about right or wrong choices to make while running, as simple as that!
1. Get off to a strong start
Especially after a stressful day or if for various reasons you haven’t run for a long time, it is natural to start out very strong, driven by enthusiasm. In these very cases, and especially since your body is not yet warmed up or unaccustomed to running, it is instead essential not to overdo it. You have plenty of time to speed up then as you feel the muscles awaken.
2. Running if you are injured
This attitude, like some of those that follow in this list, is part of the category named “Overestimating oneself.”
Many think that nothing can stop them and that by sheer force of will everything can be done. While this may be true in many cases, it is almost never true when you are injured. The most insidious injuries are then the mildest: those that are not totally debilitating and that, perhaps with some contained pain, still allow you to run. And in this category, the most devious are those that … disappear while you run. Like what kind? Like plantar fasciitis. Because muscle fibers warm up and stretch during running, its symptoms may disappear and delude you. But fear not: they will come back “cold-footed.”
If you have suffered an injury then avoid running. Take a break and wait. And if you also want to avoid injuries, at least try to follow these tips;)
3. Going too hard on recovery runs
As explained here, recovery runs are not lazy runs but have a definite reason for being in your training plan. By definition, they are to be performed at a slower pace to consolidate the results of the other training sessions and to accustom the body to additional exertion (but without overloading it). Don’t be a superhero and stick to the plan: if your coach included a recovery run in your plan he had his reasons.
4. Feeling guilty if you don’t exercise
Hey, we feel you. Everyone who runs knows this unpleasant feeling: you’ve made a commitment to yourself, running makes you feel good, and so not being able to practice it annoys you. Start by telling yourself that it happens: work commitments, setbacks, events beyond your control can prevent you from training.
It is not a defeat, and it is stupid to feel guilty if you just can’t do it.
Why did I include this category among the errors? Because it is indicative of an unhealthy attitude toward running, which ultimately ruins the wonderful experience it can be. Not everything depends on you. However, there is a very simple way to tell if you are not running for real reasons: if you pathetically justify yourself into telling yourself you can’t do it, when in fact you can do it all right.
Ah, you want a list as well of the most lame excuses for not running? Here you go!
5. Not listening to one’s body
Also in the category of “overestimating yourself,” not paying attention to the warning signals your body sends you occupies a well deserved place. Some are the already mentioned injuries but there are many others, such as not paying attention to excessive fatigue, running while sick (especially when very cold or congested), running with a headache, etc.
The causes are an over-reliance on the power of the mind, which, we often repeat, has the ability to push the body beyond its limits but must also listen to it, especially when it’s telling that it really is time to give up.
In the end, running is and should remain above all fun. Instead, these attitudes may ruin the whole experience. And we don’t want that, do we?
(Main image credits: michaelpuche on DepositPhotos.com)