This site is kept in loving memory of Trish Reske, who passed in October of 2021.
Trish was a writer - this site captures a bit of her incredible sense of humor.
You can read Trish's full obituary here.

Relax, you’re Running!

Week #1

Remember when running was fun?

Remember when running was fun?

“I could never even run a mile, I don’t know how you do it.”

“I can’t run, I have knee problems.”

“I find running is so boring.”

I’ve heard these comments – and many more – over the years any time I get into conversations about running. I don’t know why it is, but a lot of people who know I am an avid runner feel the need to tell me why they’re NOT. I don’t really ask them –it just comes out.

But I wonder sometimes how something that really is a natural human motion has turned into something you are or aren’t. I mean, kids run out of sheer enjoyment. It’s like swimming: Why do kids enjoy themselves immensely playing in the pool for hours, while adults either wade like human hippos or wear themselves out doing laps?

I think we’ve forgotten that running can be fun.


And that’s where I’d like to start this training program. We all have a goal of completing a 5K race – 3.1 miles. And that’s a good thing. Goals are good. But if you don’t enjoy the process, it’s less likely you are going to make it to your goal. Or that you’ll continue to enjoy running after the race is over.

So Rule #1: Relax and Enjoy. You may be thinking “Trish has lost her mind” but I promise you that if you start this program with this in mind, you will have an easier time training, you’ll look forward to it more, and you’re become more appreciative of your own body and your surroundings. Here’s how to run relaxed:

Take Your Time

A neighbor once told me she couldn’t run outdoors because she always got out of breath too fast. “Well, maybe you could slow down,” I suggested helpfully.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” she replied.

The first few times you run, you’ll likely feel awkward. You’ll feel out of breath. You might feel self-conscious. Let go of those things and listen to your body. Go slow enough to breathe comfortably. Walk some if you need to. This is not a contest. This is you learning what it feels like to enjoy moving your body.

Breathe Deep

Find your own rhythm where you can breathe in, out, in, out, in rhythm with your stride. Some people say to breathe through your nose and out your mouth. I tend to breathe in and out of my mouth (which has its downside in buggy areas – yuk!). Get into a rhythm with your breath, and every now and then, take a deeper, longer breath and really let it out. If you know how to belly breathe, you’re ahead of the game.

Practice Optimum Running Posture

There’s a great book that helped me tremendously that I recommend: Chi Running by Danny Dreyer. You don’t need to buy the book right away. But you can put into practice some of its basic tenets.

Here’s a great article from the Chi Running website that outlines the basic principles of the techniques that I believe develop the best posture for running. The basics (according to the article) are to:

• make sure your body is aligned well
• keep your pelvis level
• relax your shoulders
• lead with your upper body
• begin with a slow running pace
• keep your stride short and your body as relaxed as possible.

The first time I heard about Chi Running and strengthening my core (abdominal muscle group), I burst out laughing. What core? I lost that back with baby number three and haven’t found it since!  But even though I still have weak stomach muscles, I focus on leaning into my runs and keeping everything relaxed and forward-moving. Sometimes I imagine I’m swooshing down a ski hill (ski boots automatically lean your body into the hill). Sometimes I imagine I’m following an imaginary line with my face forward, always leading with my upper body.

The key is to use as little effort as possible to run, and let gravity be your friend. Don’t swing your arms to wide or lift your legs too high. You’ll be working against yourself. Make sense?

One thought on this: I would recommend NOT running with a jogging stroller unless you absolutely have to. Why? You will have a difficult time running relaxed if you are pushing a stroller. Your arms will be tense and your shoulders high. You won’t be able to use your arms to go up hills.  Having said that, do what you need to do, and put these principles into practice as best you can. You will notice a world of difference, even when running with a stroller.

Become More Aware

Please don’t start your runs thinking, “If I could only get this over with!” Open your eyes. Look around you while you are running. Become aware of your surroundings. Hear the birds. Smell the flowers. I love springtime, because the flowers are always changing. Enjoy!

Practice body awareness. Take a minute while you are running to do a body scan. How is your breathing? How are those shoulders? Relax them. How about your ankles? Concentrate for a minute on making them feel rubbery. Are you landing on the balls (rather than heels) of your feet? Good, that means you’re leaning into the run.

Finally, practice mind awareness. What thoughts are you thinking? Sometimes I like to have a short prayer in my head that I repeat. Or maybe I pray for people and things on my mind. Sometimes I sing to myself. Sometimes I get an idea for an article. Sometimes I focus on not thinking at all, and just take in sights and sounds. Sometimes I run with a friend and we have great talks. All these are good. And all can happen at different times.

My advice? Leave the iPod at home. Tune into running.

Forgive Yourself

OK, so you had a bad run and feel terrible. So what? That doesn’t mean diddly about the next run. Don’t say, “I’m no good at this.” No one’s keeping score. Your next run will be better, no doubt. You will always have good runs and bad runs. Just the fact you got out there is amazing – congratulate yourself! (Just not with ice cream.)

Which brings up one more thing: do not start running to lose weight. Why? Because it may or may not happen. Don’t count the calories you burn, add them up, and expect your body to do the math and drop the weight. You may lose weight, and that would be a good thing, perhaps. But it cannot be your primary goal, or you will get frustrated. Trust me on this. Your primary goal should be to…

…Discover the joy of running  🙂

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2 Responses to “Relax, you’re Running!”

  1. Great post, Trish! Thank you!

  2. Sweet advice- you’re the best Trish!

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