Running is good, but running well is better ! Like all sports, technique is essential. It not only allows you to improve, to exceed your limits, but above all to reduce the risk of injury.
So, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, follow my running tips to adopt good habits. Your practice will only get better!
Running well: what you need to know
Running is a little more than putting one foot in front of the other. It’s a sport that requires rigor and technique, but which can make you feel great in return!
Before feeling all the benefits, it is essential to take into account a few parameters so as not to be disgusted and avoid injury.
Have the right equipment to run
Have the good equipment is fundamental to running well. We are not talking here about overpriced big brands, but about high-performance and above all adapted equipment! In running, you will understand that the essential is our pair of sneakers.
It is central to our practice. So to run well, forget your old pair found in the depths of the closet. Invest instead in a quality shoe, light and with good cushioning. It will prevent your knees from hurting while running.
The sneakers are the key to a good runtake the time to choose the pair that suits you best!
Next comes the outfit. It is quite free, but one element remains essential for you ladies: the sports bra.
Choose a high-intensity or high-impact bra that will properly support your chest. You will see, your runs will be even more comfortable.
Finally, the little extra: the compression socks. They are not essential, but will be a non-negligible boost for increase your performance and recover faster.
Set goals for yourself
The secret is to take it little by little. Progress in running does not happen overnight. Stay realistic and set achievable goals. The important thing is to plan for the long term so as not to get discouraged and keep enjoying running.
I say it often, but a good way to track your progress is to have a little notebook where you can write down your goals and your performance. With this, you can easily view your progress and the way you have yet to go.
You can then congratulate yourself on each of your victories and gradually move towards ever-increasing performance.
And if you are not paper, applications can also help you!
Start at your own pace
Whatever your goals or the reasons that led you to start running, you must adapt your sessions to your abilities. Of course, it’s not about resting on what you’ve learned, but you shouldn’t plan endless or too intense sessions either.
It is important to find your balance and training rhythm to progress well.
Keep in mind the following mantra: “move slowly, but surely”. Your sessions will only be more enjoyable and you will enjoy doing them. Running is above all there to relax you and make you feel good in your sneakers.
No pressure to put on, no one asking you to be the greatest runner the earth has ever known.
Take time to improve
This step is somewhat similar to what I was saying about the objectives a little earlier. You have to take the time. The benefits of running are numerous, provided you practice it correctly. Wanting to improve too quickly can be heavy to bear, both for your body and your mind.
By overtraining, you will increase the risk of injury, but also the stress already present in our ultra intense lives. It would ultimately only slow down your progress and become disgusted with discipline.
In addition, you are never better than with experience and practice!
Enjoy your runs
The goal is to enjoy the moment! The run must above all remain a pleasure, a means of escape. Of course, setting goals is super important to motivate yourself, progress and make the experience more beautiful, but they should not cloud your mind.
The mind will play a predominant role in your running practice, do not neglect it.
Feed it fun outdoor outings, enjoy the moment. Besides, there’s nothing better than doing things for fun rather than compulsion, right?
In short, the key word remains pleasure, always pleasure.
Try running barefoot
It may sound a little crazy like that, but running without shoes is super beneficial for rehabilitating your feet, your ankles, your calves, and learning to run better.
At the beginning, you have to go slowly!!
- After warming up on 2-3km of normal running,
- go to an athletics stadium or a football stadium (or an equivalent),
- take off your shoes,
- run 1 to 2 laps, i.e. 400 – 800 m maximum.
You will feel your feet asking to land on the midfoot instead, with the heel then pressing down on the ground and bouncing up high.
Barefoot running aims to find the role of natural spring that constitutes the leg: foot, calf, thigh. Take very small, airy, delicate steps. It is a moment of relaxation, of learning.
We recommend around 190 to 170 steps per minute. It’s very fast. Running is not walking fast. Running is flying.
You should gradually come to feel like a starting block under the heel when you run barefoot in acceleration.
What are the rules for running properly?
If everyone knows how to run, not everyone knows how to run well, far from it! It is therefore essential to take the right stepsas soon as possible.
Don’t look at your feet
One mistake I often see is runners staring at their feet. You wouldn’t say how, but the direction of the gaze is important. It plays in particular on your posture during the race.
Looking down or just a few feet ahead directs your body forward.
This action has the effect of unbalancing you, which will require more effort from your thighs to compensate. As a result, you tire more quickly and do not engage all your muscles. A loss of performance not to be underestimated.
To avoid this, keep your neck vertical and look ahead of you.
Of course, that doesn’t mean peeking at the floor is forbidden. It’s even necessary if you’re running on rough or uneven terrain.
Adopt the correct body posture
By directing your gaze towards the horizon, you will automatically improve your position, but it is not enough. Good posture consists of four elements:
The goal is not to be completely straight and stiff as a post. You can afford a slight tilt forward to give yourself greater momentum.
However, it is sometimes difficult to measure it, that’s why you often have to film yourself sideways while running, to be able to analyze your posture. The heels should land just below the hips, never in front.
You will be more enduring and limit the pain associated with running.
Have good foot posture
The position of the foot is very important. Yes, it is on them that the whole body rests. We will therefore have to work on foot contact with the ground. It should be rather flat, just below the hips.
This is perhaps the least obvious thing to correct, because bad habits are hard to erase. That said, with a little practice, I’m sure you’ll be able to!
To do this, try to focus with each stride on bouncing up, not forward, to understand what your habit is and see how to correct it.
Relax your body
With all these posture rules, it’s hard to stay relaxed, especially when you’re not used to it. It’s not necessarily easy to find the right balance between active and relaxed muscles, but it is necessary! Strengthening your upper body muscles may help you stand up straight without tensing up.
With our lives that force us more and more to sit all day, we quickly pick up bad habits and the muscles relax. To strengthen them without becoming stiff, strength training and stretching movements can be excellent solutions.
A good running warm-up can also help you relax before your run as you prepare your body and mentally focus. This remains an essential element to preserve your muscles and avoid wear and tear on your joints.
Change up your workouts
Changing your workouts regularly is absolutely essential for good long-term running practice.
Here are the two main reasons:
In addition, there are plenty of ways to train:
If you are a beginner, this is the best way to discover other practices and vary the pleasures. Personally, I’m a big fan of 50/50. 50% “pleasure” running and 50% training running to progress.
