Building Your Base: Running Techniques & Endurance Tips for 10k Training

(Working Title: How to Run Without Looking Like You’re About to Collapse in a Car Park)

Running is simple. You put one foot in front of the other, repeat until sweaty, then wonder why you ever thought this was a good idea.

But here’s the thing: running badly is also very simple! If you’re huffing, puffing, and flailing your arms like a drunk T-Rex, congratulations! You’re making running 10 times harder than it needs to be.

So, let’s fix that. Here’s how to run properly, breathe like a functional human, and actually build endurance without feeling like death warmed up.

Bad running form is like bad dancing. It feels right in your head, but everyone watching is deeply concerned.

🚨 Quick Fixes for Not Looking Like a Disaster:
✔ Posture Matters: Stand tall, shoulders relaxed. You’re running, not auditioning to be Quasimodo.
✔ Arm Swing: Keep arms at 90 degrees, swinging naturally. No flapping. You’re not trying to take off.
✔ Foot Strike: Aim for a midfoot strike. Heel-striking is a one-way ticket to Knee Pain Central.
✔ Relax Your Face: If you look like you’re trying to solve algebra mid-run, loosen up. No one wins races with a clenched jaw.

The goal here is to breathe efficiently, not like you’ve just discovered oxygen for the first time.

😵 Bad breathing sounds like:

😌 Good breathing sounds like:

📌 Best Tip: Try the 2:2 breathing rhythm: inhale for two steps, exhale for two. If you’re gasping every step, slow down before you pass out and become a road hazard.

A common mistake? Running every session at full speed like you’re being chased by debt collectors.

🟢 Easy Runs (Aka: Not Every Run Has to Feel Like War)

🔴 Speed Work (Aka: Let’s Make This Hurt a Little)

💡 Pro Tip: Speed work makes you faster. Easy runs keep you sane. Balance both unless you enjoy injuries.

If you double your mileage overnight, you’re not “committed”, you’re just begging for an injury.

📈 Follow the 10% Rule:

🗓 Break Up Your Runs:

🚑 Listen to Your Body:

At first, every run feels like a mistake. But give it time. With better form, smarter breathing, and proper pacing, you’ll stop feeling like you’re dying and start feeling… unstoppable.

(Okay, slightly less miserable. But still. Progress.)

See you next Monday for "The Importance of Strength & Cross-Training", or as I like to call it, "Why Lifting Weights Will Stop You Running Like a Fragile Stick Insect."