HEAD OVER HEELS RUNNING
Run For Fun?
Over the course of 40+ years spent
running with, training with, learning
from and also coaching folks from
8 to 80, I've come to a single conclusion:
Running can be fun.
Visit any playground on the planet and
you will see children running spontaneously
without thinking about it
…and laughing. Of course, we all see
adults running as well—along roads,
bridges, and recreational trails—and
although they are probably not laughing,
they would probably say they are
having fun, too. But is running still as
simple as it was when we were kids on
the playground? You betcha.
We may not be as fast or graceful as
we were then, but we can still move
forward, and the positive gains in
physical and mental health mined
from this simple sport can be nothing
short of amazing.
My own achievements in competitive
running are modest at best. But I
have had the great fortune to help
folks of all ages and sizes navigate
their way through the sport from the
first day they lace up a pair of running
shoes to the day they cross the
finish line at a marathon and beyond.
In future installments of Head Over
Heels Running, I hope to share what
I’ve learned from these athletes along
You Betcha.
RAY MORRISON
our miles of fellowship and training
together. Our aim will be to cover the
most basic tenets of the sport and to
progress as far as our personal goals
take us.
Our first step: Ready? Set? Consult
your doctor! Seriously. No matter
what your age or ability is, you
should be given the green light from
your qualified physician before you
begin any training activity. Don’t be
stubborn about this. For heaven’s
sake, even the teenagers I've coached
in high school cross country were
required to see a physician and pass
the requisite sports physical before
they were ever allowed to run a step
with our team.
Maybe you’ll breeze through with a
high five from your doctor and be on
your way to Olympic glory! Maybe
you will be given a cautious nod with
some restrictions. Whatever the outcome,
see your “doc” and get things
going with his or her blessing.
That's step one. In the next issue,
we’ll truly get into the sport with
some thoughts about shoes and an
outline of a very practical approach
to our break-in miles.
Until then,
C Ray
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