GoLocal’s Running Coach: Who Runs?

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Monica Racicot, GoLocalWorcester Running Columnist

Have you ever thought about who runs? How do people run? Why do people run? And even said out loud there must be something wrong with them for running in this cold weather or the sweltering heat? But, deep down, you wished you could the same.

I teach a running class here in Worcester. Some people come from word of mouth, some get dragged into it by a friend or myself. But if there's one thing they all have in common, it's the feeling of wishing they could run but are convinced they could never accomplish this goal. Many think a runner has to be tall and slim. They need the legs for long strides and as little weight as possible to carry themselves. Well I'm here to bust this myth!

Running takes one muscle. That's right, you heard me. ONE muscle. The most important of them all. Your heart. And the last time I checked, everyone has one of those! You're only sore for the first 2-4 runs. After that, all of the other muscles in your body are trained and strengthened rather quickly. The one muscle that takes time and patience to build is the heart. And even when you do build that strength, it continues to need more. As you become better at running your pace improves causing your heart to keep up.

There are steps to running. You don't just get up and run a mile when you haven't ran in years, if ever. You build it up through run/walks. There's a process that includes pace, breathing, landing and endurance. Most people focus on speed rather than endurance. In my opinion, this causes runners to quit prematurely. If you focus on endurance first, speed comes naturally with time. Runners come in all shapes, sizes, and ages.

People run for so many reasons. A few include, weight loss, increased muscle strength including your heart, endurance, it is an all natural anti anxiety regimen, stress reliever and so much more.

Are you ready to become a runner?! My next few articles will break down each step in the running process. Till next time!!

Monica Racicot is the owner of MG Fitness in Worcester and head conditioning trainer for Framingham State University.