Runners - New Runner Needs Advice

[jessmarimba]

I'm finding lung speed harder to improve, though, like on a bike, it seems to be improving by suffering through intervals/speedwork, hills, and just pushing when my mind says no. Really learning to relax can help - occasionally while you're running, shrug your shoulders up to your ears and then let them flop. And if someone can watch you, have them see if you're leaning forward or sticking your chest out - slight problems with posture tend to be greatly exaggerated while running (when I get tired, I slouch really badly and then - tada! - can't breathe).

For legs - and maybe partly for lungs - most beginner runners overstride, which seems like it would be efficient (larger steps, right?) but uses lots more energy. The correct stride, as I've heard it described, should never allow you to see your feet, since they should be landing directly beneath your knee. If they're in front of the knee, you temporarily stop and then re-start forward momentum with every stride. Tweaking stride efficiency has helped me immensely in the last year but I'm still struggling mightily when my lungs can't keep up.

Edit - one more thing: turnover/cadence. Theoretically, we're most efficient at about 180 steps per minute, though it can vary person to person. A side effect of overstriding (or learning to run while overstriding) is a slower leg turnover, which also essentially means you're hitting the brakes every step. So think shorter, quicker steps. Your legs might take awhile to get used to that but it will eventually make it easier to go faster.