Running Man instalment five

Learning to run is something most of us master in the forgotten whirl of pre-school development. Before we know it, this simple, untrained technique of locomotion has stuck with us for the rest of our lives, forming well-trodden neural pathways until it’s completely instinctive.

But for many of us, we’re not actually running in a way that suits our adult physique. I certainly wasn’t, even after 25 years of semi-regular training. Which is fine if you only jog for the occasional bus, or sweat your way through five-a-side once a week. But if you’re training for longer distances – like I am, what with the Bristol-Bath Marathon looming on October’s horizon, it’s worth getting your running technique right. 

It was only when Chris Kay, head coach at The Running School Bristol, analysed my ungainly gait that my numerous bad habits came to light – and as regular readers of this unmissable Marathon Diary will know, I’ve since been sent back to toddler school, re-learning how to run. 

This week’s Running School focus is on building strength in the supporting muscles that ensure a stable stride, meaning minimal stress on vulnerable knee joints. So I’m lying on my side with a giant rubber band around my knees, attempting to stretch it using the power of my glutes (that’s butt muscles to you and me). Strong glutes mean better balance, and better balance means better running. The rubber band doesn’t want to stretch at all. Soon my butt-cheeks are burning. In a nice way. Sort of.

“How many legs do you run on?”, Chris asks as I roll over to try the other side. The answer, of course, is one. Or one at a time, anyway. If you can’t balance unwobblingly on one leg and control movement with the muscles of that leg, you’re in danger of running yourself into injury. 

Endless lunges and single-leg dips holding a medicine ball add to my growing list of strength homework, which comes on top of a weekly regime of four runs. Each has to be at least 20 minutes long, but no more than 40. I can mix up outdoor and treadmill stuff, hill-work and intervals. That sounds more like it: actual running, instead of all of the funny butt-workouts.

“Not instead,” says Chris. “As well as. Use the strength exercises as a warm-up before each day’s run. Getting your joints moving properly before you run is also a good way of minimising injury risk.” I’m going to have to get up even earlier on training days. 

But it feels good to have a plan, instead of the head-in-the-sand approach to injury avoidance I’ve adopted in my running career so far. It’s slowly dawning on me that re-learning something as in-grained and instinctive as running is definitely a long-haul project. Much like a marathon. 

The Running School Bristol offer a range of courses for everyone from recreational runners to elite triathletes. They also offer a specialist Marathon School course.  

www.runningschool.co.uk