Running for beginners...or not

No Need for Speed
A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running

by John "The Penguin" Bingham

What a charming little book!  Best of all are the little quotes from runners old and young, new and experienced, fast and slow.  They're like little voices from running companions, spurring you on.

In the same way that Colin Fletcher explored the "feel how" of walking, he explores the feel how of running.  And of walking and cross-training, which in his opinion, are all part of running.  In fact, about the only thing that's not part of running is sitting...which is what I did while reading his book.  Sad, isn't it?  I should have found an audio version.

His tips and techniques are often quite perfect for the 'adult-onset' athlete, and best of all, he doesn't insist that the best treatment for any injury is to run (or hobble) to the doctor.  Rest, icing, elevation are often the best treatment--and then figure out what's causing the problem and you change your ways.  I've often found that running on the right side of the road makes my legs hurt in a peculiar way but the minute I switch to the left, they're happy campers. He mentions this issue--so it's not just me.  He also describes a time when he endured a bad, almost crippling, sciatic pain.  It ended up being caused by a poorly-designed office chair--which he only discovered by accident after trying all sorts of other treatments. 

So here's the point I took away:  if you're going to be a runner, or support a runner, don't assume all problems are caused by running. Don't, Oh, Honey, you need to cut down on your mileage, instead say: Oh, Honey, I'll help with the brush hauling this weekend.  I've been jogging for years, and I happen to know that the only time I have knee problems is after I've been digging with a shovel.

The section Finding the Joy was my favorite.  Here's a sample--while standing at the finish line and watching the runners cross, he observed many emotions. Some people seemed stunned--some crying--others even seemed angry.

But the emotion I saw on the faces of the vast majority of first-time marathoners as they cross the finish line was joy--real, hones, earned joy.  It was joy that they could see, feel, and believe in, that they could cling to. It was theirs alone. It can never be taken away from them.

Yeah.