| A few years ago, a friend of mine decided that it | | | | order to properly exert themselves. After you |
| was time to teach his six year old son to run by | | | | practice for a while, your mind is ready to |
| jogging to the end of the block and back. | | | | regulate yourself, and your muscles are ready to |
| His theory is that we are designed, physiologically, | | | | move you from one place to another. |
| to be able to run and run well. We have an instinct | | | | The purpose of having a coach is to help you |
| called the "Fight-or-Flight" response, which sends | | | | learn how to run. Your coach may want to teach |
| adrenaline to our muscles so that we can escape | | | | you to run so that you can chase a ball and kick |
| a dangerous situation or defend ourselves if | | | | it around, or he may want to teach you how to |
| running away isn't possible. That instinct is honed in | | | | sprint a few hundred meters or run a marathon |
| us for most of our lives. | | | | at an even pace. His purpose is to make sure |
| After thinking on it for a while, he decided that | | | | that you are able to accomplish your goals by |
| people do need to be taught how to run. As silly | | | | teaching you and your body what they need to |
| as it may sound at first, there is some level of | | | | do. Your coach will also help you reach those goals |
| skill involved in regulating your pace, your | | | | safely, helping you teach your body enough that it |
| breathing, your body position and running form. | | | | can learn but not so much that you get injured. |
| For many people, being stubborn and working | | | | When we are younger, our soccer and baseball |
| through pain is usually enough to learn those skills. | | | | coaches teach us to run by using running as a |
| But not for everybody. | | | | punishment during practice for the other sport. |
| For some people, rhythm, pace, and breathing | | | | The kids that learn that running is not a |
| don't come naturally at all. | | | | punishment but a joy are the ones that wind up |
| I believe that he is absolutely right. We do need | | | | getting fitter and who stay active their whole |
| to be taught how to run. We also need to | | | | lives. The ones that continue to believe that we |
| constantly practice our running or else we will | | | | should never do anything but sprint have a |
| forget. | | | | miserable time of it, and wind up hurt as a kid and |
| Not only does our brain need to know what to | | | | inactive as an adult. |
| do, but we also need to teach our muscles. If you | | | | Don't get hurt. Adopt a healthy lifestyle, learn how |
| stop running for a year or two or five, coming | | | | to run, and enjoy keeping your body and mind in |
| back is not easy. Your muscles and your heart | | | | peak physical shape for your entire life. |
| have forgotten what it is that they need to do in | | | | |