Learning proper form, pace, intensity, etc helps tremendously. Even learning how to increase your leg turnover, utilize your core, and run tall with proper hip tuck makes running much more enjoyable and can minimize injuries.

It seems like everyone would just “know how” to run efficiently so it seems a little weird that you have to “learn” to run. That’s generally true: kids tend to run pretty efficiently if they do it regularly.

A lot of the “learning” for adults is actually unlearning bad habits and relearning good ones: not using your shoes to compensate for what your muscles and tendons should be doing, not slinging your hips back (“sitting in the bucket”), not reaching with your feet in your stride, and working against the muscular abnormalities that result from sitting all the time.

I was helping someone with their running form, and when she “got it,” she said she never realized her ass would be sore from running. Glute utilization is really important, but many people don’t even know what it feels like to activate the full kinetic chain that includes their glutes. Unlocking that can be pretty huge for a novice runner.

She described it as feeling like she had rubber bands suddenly attached to her legs that helped propel her and made her feel lighter. That’s actually a pretty accurate metaphor.

Kinda both? I’m so out of shape that at first staying in zone 2 was not an option at any speed. Now I can somewhat stay in zone 2-3 for a 2 mile run. Basically I was going slow and steady until too tired to keep my heart rate down, then I’m doing intervals of walking when my heart rate goes up to zone 4 or 5.

I think later on that’s going to look like ending most runs with a few intervals and having at least 1 or 2 high intensity days a week in zone 3-4.

These are the gains of going from inactive and not running to running on a regular basis. I saw the same spike when I started running again last year after a ten year hiatus.