Why I Want to Love Running
Humans aren't very good jumpers. For every high-flying long jump champion, I can find a mammal with superior jumping ability. Humans are terrible sprinters. Try racing anything in the wild with four legs. Humans are physically weak, pound for pound. Consider every other primate relatively close, in size, to the average human. Would you get into a ring and fight it?
Now, think about running long distances. How many animals, off the top of your head, can outrun a human in a long-distance run? I can think of two: horses and dogs, though, they are trained and forced to do so by humans. Call it hype, but after reading Born to Run, I've been trying more and more to incorporate running into my life. I highly recommend reading it! It's an inspiring and captivating story of a trail-runner exploring the superathletes known as the Tarahumara. Here is one of my favorite excerpts from the book:
"You ran to eat and to avoid being eaten; you ran to find a mate and impress her, and with her you ran off to start a new life together. You had to love running, or you wouldn’t live to love anything else... We were born to run; we were born because we run."
To channel my inner runner, I decided to sign up for the Hot Chocolate 15k. It's a simple city course with hot chocolate at the end. Nothing beats that!
Why Barefoot?
I've been exploring barefoot running for awhile now. I was introduced to the concept by an old coworker of mine who sent me a link to this video on YouTube. I've slowly been training myself to properly run barefoot ever since.
When I was first starting out, I trained myself to strike with my toes to reduce impact on my knees. My calves were really sore, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed improvement in my form. From there, I shortened up my stride and straightened my back for better breathing. I noticed my overall posture made me more comfortable. My legs felt like springs rather than cement blocks. My running motion flowed smoother and my joints were less sore from impact.
Over the last year, I've taken more steps to running completely barefoot. I'm not quite there yet, but I recently bought a pair of FiveFinger KMD Sport minimalist shoes to run in. These offer protection from rocks and rough surfaces, but have the structural feel of barefoot running.
Why the Caveman (Paleo) Diet?
In order to succeed at running, my body will need the proper fuel. I've changed my diet several times throughout my life. I've been on the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, and even went vegetarian for a period of time. Each were very effective for weight loss and regulating my energy levels, but I wanted something a simpler. So, I looked for a more primitive diet.
The Paleo Diet consists of foods that were likely consumed by hunter-gatherers during the Paleolithic era. This means anything a person can forage, hunt, and fish. Most dietitians will recommend meals made up of fresh vegetables and lean proteins. Paleo foods fit right into these categories. I figure if I'm going to run barefoot like my caveman ancestors, I might as well try to eat like them too!
The Training Schedule
Disclaimer: I'm not an experienced runner, so I've developed this plan based on stuff I've read around the web. Suggestions are appreciated.| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3mi | Crosstrain 20minute | Rest | 2mi + Strength | Crosstrain 20minute | 4mi | Rest |
| 2 | 3mi | Crosstrain 20minute | Rest | 20min Interval | Crosstrain 20minute | 5mi | Rest |
| 3 | 4mi | Crosstrain 25minute | Rest | 2mi + Strength | Crosstrain 25minute | 6mi | Rest |
| 4 | 4mi | Crosstrain 25minute | Rest | 25min Interval | Crosstrain 25minute | 7mi | Rest |
| 5 | 5mi | Crosstrain 30minute | Rest | 3mi + Strength | Crosstrain 30minute | 8mi | Rest |
| 6 | 5mi | Crosstrain 30minute | Rest | 30min Interval | Crosstrain 30minute | 9mi | Rest |
| 7 | 6mi | Crosstrain 35minute | Rest | 3mi + Strength | Crosstrain 35minute | 10mi | Rest |
| 8 | 6mi | Crosstrain 35minute | Rest | 30min Interval | Crosstrain 35minute | Rest | Race Day! |
This is a very simple training schedule:
Mondays: Casual jogging
Tuesdays and Fridays: Elliptical, Stair Stepper, Bicycle, Rowing
Wednesday: Static and Rotational Stretching
Thursdays: Weekly alternating between interval training and strength training. Interval training is 5min fast, 5min slow. Strength training can be squats or lunges with resistance.
Saturdays: Long running
Hopefully, come race day, I'll be ready to run like a caveman!