Technical: of or relating to technique
Put one foot in front of the other. Rapidly. Over and over and over. That’s it; that’s running — or is it?
Simplicity is the outcome of technical subtlety. It is the goal, not the starting point.— Maurice Saatchi
Running is simple — isn’t it?
On the surface, running isn’t a very technical sport. Which is probably one reason so many take up running — some clothes, some shoes, and you can run, right? What else do you need?
No balls. No helmets. Maybe some day runners will be required to wear helmets like bikers! Talk about your hat hair. You can go out your front door and simply run.
Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they’re great because of their passion.— Martha Graham
A little technique is a good thing
Running isn’t as non-technical as it appears on the surface. Sure, you can just go out there and run. Heck, you don’t even really need shoes if you buy into the whole barefoot running thing.
Take it from my sister, whom I think assumed she, the athlete, could run if I could do it — and did just that — just ran. And wound up with an injury so severe that she could barely walk for six weeks.
A little technique isn’t a bad thing. Learning about the technical side of running should help you to run better. What is good running form? What should you eat to fuel your runs — or should you even eat? How can aid your recovery? What’s the best sort of cross training (and how little can you get away with)?
These are questions most runners ponder. They’re definitely the technical side of running, and they’ll keep you guessing your whole running “career”.
Welcome to the dark side of running
GPS watches. Heart rate monitors. Phones and apps. Safety devices. Some way to carry water. Fuel belts. Running clothes that will keep you warm or keep you cool. Before you know it, running just got a whole lot technical — as in you have to make sure everything is charged up and has a place before you can even step out the door.
And let’s not even talk about the cost of running shoes and how quickly they wear out . . .
Do you need all of that? Old timers will laugh at you and tell you you don’t. The running magazines will tell you you do.
It’s up to you to decide just how technical you want to be.
I am linking up with Debruns and her Wednesday Word
I’m linking up with with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.
This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup
Tell me in the comments:
Do you think running is a technical sport?
What running doo-dad can you live without?
What running doo-dad do you have to have to get out the door?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
I think running has gotten too technical…or at least, there’s way too much available technology involved. Of course, that’s an individual choice. Myself, I have resisted most of the technical stuff…I do have a Garmin, but I seldom wear it unless I’m in a race, and even then I only glance at it during the mile marks to monitor my pace. I would be just fine without it, though…and on occasion I have had to go “old school” and rely on my math skills to calculate my pace when I’ve hit a foreign button and/or messed with the settings. And, I lived to tell about it LOL
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I am not a run by feel runner. I admire those who are. For easy & long runs I will mostly just note the time each mile.
But for speedwork — running fast just doesn’t come naturally to me. Having the pace feedback from my watch is helpful to me (although I can still be all over the place!).
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When I ran as a teen and when I returned to running in my 30’s, it was just me and my running shoes. I paid no attention to pace. Ironically, the Caveman had the first “Garmin” in the family, except at that time the GPS device was made by Timex and was worn on a strap on the upper arm. I have all the bells and whistles now, but maybe because of how I started, there are plenty of times I don’t wear my Garmin and typically I don’t look at it until after my run anyway. Totally agree that running can be as technical as you want it to be.
So did your sis ever take another stab at running?
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Nope, the sis gave up on running. She really did a number on herself. She’s still a power walker, though.
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Yup, it’s a technical sport. While some of it is natural stride, you need good form, a quick cadence, strong muscles, and work with your own biomechanics. If I’m tired and slip out of my cadence, my ITB speaks up!
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It’s funny sometimes I watch cadence and sometimes I don’t. My IT is more likely to be aggravated by hills if I’m not properly trained for them.
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I think I was a better runner before I worried about all the technical stuff or even just stuff like fueling, gps, the right shoes, the right gear, etc. But now that I know about all this stuff I can’t go back….haha -M
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That’s funny, because someone else responded kind of in the same way.
Running just does not come naturally to me. I am definitely a better runner with the tech than I was at the beginning when all I had was my Nike foot pod!
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I think I used to run much better before I got caught up in times and gadgets. Something to think about for sure!
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You’re the second person to say that!
I guess it depends on how you definite “better runner”. My watch definitely has helped me get faster. Left to its own devices, my body will tell me I’m running fast when I definitely am not!
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I love your take on this month’s Wednesday Word – technical. I have to admit that I love all the gadgets! I guess I’m a technical runner even when I don’t hit the technical trails. 😉
Thanks for linking up!
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I like gadgets, too, and I cannot lie. 🙂
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I’m with Kim. I never wear a watch except in a race and then it’s mostly for distance not pace. My half PR was without a watch.
I’m a techie but I prefer it outside of running. It can ruin your fun. It’s not all about speed.
We focus too much on getting faster. I am guilty of that as well
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I don’t think training hard and trying to get faster necessarily make it less fun. Well, maybe some days.
Have you ever really seen me in a race where I don’t seem happy afterwards — irregardless of my performance? The challenge is part of the fun for me.
The only time it’s not fun is if I injure myself, and that’s why I make sure to train.
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To me, it’s restrictive and not as much fun as running without knowing and worrying about your pace.
But I do agree about the challenge. Every race is a challenge even if you are well trained.
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I definitely made my running technical because I geeked out over all the stats and images and suffer from FOMO, haha! Now that I am not doing races and training for long distances, I feel like it is a lot simpler again.
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I have times when I’m training hard and other times when I’m just running for fun. I won’t lie, sometimes just running for fun seems a lot more fun — but then again, there’s such a feeling of accomplishment of racing after training hard.
I don’t suffer from FOMO a lot. Otherwise I’d probably always be racing!
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