I did a 4 mile trail run this afternoon. What is significant about this is that I don't run, normally. I've been an athlete all my life, playing multiple sports, spending a lot of time outdoors, doing martial arts, etc. I even run sprints here and there. But I've never been much for any kind of distance. "Distance" to me = anything more than 100 yards. The reason for this is two fold. One, I tend to get bored without a ball or an object. Two, I don't have good arches.
Well, I dunno...I guess I'm always looking for something new to try. About a month ago I started running a little bit here and there. Half a mile, a mile, then a mile and a half. Mostly on a tread mill at the gym. Now I'm hitting a local trail which is much better than the boring treadmill. Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air is the choice to make whenever possible.
The main benefit I'm finding is that running can be sort of calming. Like I said, I have always preferred to run in pursuit of something, a layup on the basketball court, a shot on the tennis court. This has always made sense to me - a reason to run. But running just for running forces you (or me, at least) to get into some kind of zone. It's not meditative, but maybe a close cousin. The secondary benefit is the strengthening of my arches. I've always had sort of flat feet. Now, I'm not sure if this can be changed, but I think I can improve the strength in my arches. I can already tell they are not as tired after a few miles.
What does this rather attractive woman have to do with my feet? Well, let me try to explain...
Looking around at full body exercises designed to help endurance athletes (like runners) I've recently come across Jessi Stensland. Truth be told, I understand a fair bit about body mechanics and exercise science - having gone through the NASM program a few years back and doing some work as a physical trainer. But what I like about Jessi is the way she communicates the ideas around core strength, balance and flexibility so that an athlete can easily see how to apply certain training techniques. Oh, and Jessi is a world class triathlete, so she walks the talk. Check out Jessi and her MovementU training philosophy if you're looking for ways to improve athletic performance or even to just figure out how your body can work more efficiently in everyday life.
Besides, anyone who quotes Balzac on their performance athletic website is ok by me.
Cheers!
Well, I dunno...I guess I'm always looking for something new to try. About a month ago I started running a little bit here and there. Half a mile, a mile, then a mile and a half. Mostly on a tread mill at the gym. Now I'm hitting a local trail which is much better than the boring treadmill. Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air is the choice to make whenever possible.
The main benefit I'm finding is that running can be sort of calming. Like I said, I have always preferred to run in pursuit of something, a layup on the basketball court, a shot on the tennis court. This has always made sense to me - a reason to run. But running just for running forces you (or me, at least) to get into some kind of zone. It's not meditative, but maybe a close cousin. The secondary benefit is the strengthening of my arches. I've always had sort of flat feet. Now, I'm not sure if this can be changed, but I think I can improve the strength in my arches. I can already tell they are not as tired after a few miles.
What does this rather attractive woman have to do with my feet? Well, let me try to explain...
Looking around at full body exercises designed to help endurance athletes (like runners) I've recently come across Jessi Stensland. Truth be told, I understand a fair bit about body mechanics and exercise science - having gone through the NASM program a few years back and doing some work as a physical trainer. But what I like about Jessi is the way she communicates the ideas around core strength, balance and flexibility so that an athlete can easily see how to apply certain training techniques. Oh, and Jessi is a world class triathlete, so she walks the talk. Check out Jessi and her MovementU training philosophy if you're looking for ways to improve athletic performance or even to just figure out how your body can work more efficiently in everyday life.
Besides, anyone who quotes Balzac on their performance athletic website is ok by me.
Cheers!
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