Running has become very popular since the pandemic. Many influencers now specialize in content about running and what surrounds it, which is excellent for the development of our sport and the promotion of physical activity! Excellent news! However, I find that we often tend to complicate things by talking about VO2max, from " lactate threshold orrace economy.
In fact, my philosophy on this has really changed over the years. At the beginning of my "career" as a kinesiologist, I was mainly interested in performance and I read a lot on the various topics mentioned above.
Looking back, I realize that for about 97% of people (in my not-at-all-scientific assessment), these various concepts are completely irrelevant.
Not only are these concepts irrelevant, but they can also put off people who would like to start but find them intimidating. Yet, running is the simplest sport in the world:
- It requires almost no equipment (in summer)
- Everyone (or almost everyone) has already done it
- It's easy to progress (run often and more)
In fact, the only real issue for 97% of people is avoiding injuries!
And for this, there are no 10 solutions: gradually increase the speed and the amount of training. To learn more about this, consult these two articles:
Humans have been running since the dawn of time. Some even believe that endurance running was one of the ways hunter-gatherers exhausted their prey before killing it.
So running is in our genetics. It's in your genetics too, even if you don't believe it.
Even the first "athletic" runners achieved frankly impressive performances in cotton shorts, leather shoes and no idea what VO2max represented.
So if all the advanced running concepts get you excited, go ahead and dive into a technical analysis of your last Zone 3 interval session that boosts your anaerobic threshold.
On the other hand, if it bothers you, don't feel bad. Enjoy the race (and life) and sink your teeth into it!
Well done, Daniel, for simplifying running. I have the same opinion as you on this subject, and I think it's this way of thinking that has allowed me to run for 55 years without major injury.
Thank you for the kind words, it is appreciated!
Daniel, your simple, real-life vision of physical activity speaks to me SO MUCH. It makes me feel good to read it!
I spent my entire childhood and teenage years believing that I didn't like sports, before realizing that what I didn't like was PERFORMANCE, in sports, and I discovered that I LOVE sports!
I wonder how many other young people (and not so young) are sedentary or unable to find their place in an active lifestyle, simply because of a conception of what “ideal” and “effective” physical activity should be…
Indeed, that's a good question you're asking yourself!