: Running once again

[sraj]

Dear All,

Today morning I went for a jog after a long time. Keeping my head well back (in relation to my back) I ran four rounds around a small pond, having circumference of around 250m -  a total distance of 1Km.

I was jogging quite comfortably, very differently from the way I used to jog earlier. If I had wanted to I could have kept on jogging for a longer time. My plan is to take it easy and slowly build up.

The purpose is not to see how far I can run, rather it is to discover how easily I can run. It is said that the human anatomy evolved so that we could run. Evidently ease of running should form an important part of certifying that our posture is OK. 

... Let's see how things pan out.

Regards,

Selvaraj

 

[sraj]

The researchers also found that up to 2.5 hours of jogging a week at a slow or average pace, three times a week, was associated with the lowest mortality. Although there was no evidence to support faster or more frequent jogging, there was also nothing to suggest that people shouldn't partake in this type of exercise.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dr-paul-zollingerread/running-benefits_b_3237226.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

[Michael Mossey]

On 5/13/2013 4:20 AM, sraj wrote:
>
> Dear All,
>
> Today morning I went for a jog after a long time. Keeping my head well
> back (in relation to my back) I ran four rounds around a small pond,
> having circumference of around 250m - a total distance of 1Km.
>

Have you considered one the lessons that F. M. Alexander observed, which
is that he couldn't tell what he was doing with his head without looking
in a mirror? How do you know you are doing what you think you are doing?

Mike

[sraj]

I can see the back of my head in relation to the roughly straight line formed by my back when I look in a mirror - I have to bend forward a little to be able to do so. I can also feel my 'Atlas' and 'Axis' becoming freer - not free enough to satisfy me at the moment. Eventually very good overall BALANCE of the body will (I feel) decide whether posture is good or not.

Selvaraj

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[Michael Mossey]

On 5/14/2013 2:27 AM, sraj wrote:
> I can see the back of my head in relation to the roughly straight line
> formed by my back when I look in a mirror - I have to bend forward a
> little to be able to do so. I can also feel my 'Atlas' and 'Axis'
> becoming freer - not free enough to satisfy me at the moment.
> Eventually very good overall BALANCE of the body will (I feel) decide
> whether posture is good or not.
>
> Selvaraj
>

I was thinking specifically of how you know what you are doing with your
head when you are running. One of the lessons from Alexander Technique
is that you can take a direction and implement it skillfully, or you can
take a direction and implement it through bracing and the usual habits.
And there is a powerful pull to do the latter, because there is a
powerful pull into the familiar. If you just go by what feels right to
you, you may end up doing the same old habit (in a new way, but still
the old habit is there).

It seems like if you are going to post to an Alexander Technique list,
you should be interested in key ideas like debauched kinesthesia.

Mike

[sraj]

Hi Michael,

I am not claiming that my posture is OK. In fact I am painfully aware that it is not OK and I have quite a long way to go before I satisfy even myself. (The idea of debauched kinesthesia would I think be more applicable to someone who thinks that things are OK when actually they are not).

In our present day of technology it is not too difficult to take a photograph or to record a video, which can be shared so that people can comment on it. When I am a little more confident that I am getting it right, I plan to do so. 

One reason why probably you may be wondering what I am up to could be because of my apparent contradiction is stating that my head is well back and then contradicting myself by stating that when I am lined up against a wall the back of my head and my back are more or less touching the wall at the same time.

This riddle could be explained by looking at Fig 1 of my website www.humanposture.com where we see Dr. Barlow correcting a subject's posture. If we look at the subject's posture, the back of the head and the 'back' seem to be in vertical alignment. If the subject were to lean forward however, the back could flatten out a little making the back of the head appear to be further back in relation to the 'back'.

Regards,

Selvaraj

Mike

[Michael Mossey]

On 5/14/2013 3:41 AM, sraj wrote:
> Hi Michael,
>
> I am not claiming that my posture is OK. In fact I am painfully aware
> that it is not OK and I have quite a long way to go before I satisfy
> even myself. (The idea of debauched kinesthesia would I think be more
> applicable to someone who thinks that things are OK when actually they
> are not).
>

Actually, debauched kinesthesia applies to everyone, and it's more
specific than a vague notion that people think they're OK. It's about
whether you can tell by feel that you are doing what you intend to do.
Your intention is to keep your head back, but the question is whether
you are aware, first of all "if" you are actually doing that, and second
"how" you are doing it. (for instance, are you doing it with additional
muscular bracing?). That's the lesson from Alexander Technique.

Mike

[sraj]

Dear All,

My first run (13 May 2013) after a long time - wearing canvas running shoes, with foamy insoles of about 4 mm thickness - was a reasonable success, but for the fact that the soles of my feet were burning for a couple of days. 

The problem of whether I should run with or without shoes in the future remains.

I have now worked out a strategy to run barefooted inside my house. My house is not carpeted and my running track will be a distance of about 11 meters from one corner of our sitting room - through our dining room - to a corner of our kitchen. (The track is free in the morning when the rest of my family are asleep). 

My plan is to run only when I get this 'I could fly' feeling that I get once in a while, with my improving posture. A few days back I ran about 150 meters and then stopped when this 'I could fly' feeling wore off :-) (It can wear off due to both physical and mental reasons).

Do I recommend this to everyone? Run only as long as you have 'a very springy feeling' - then stop!

The human body is designed to run. How well and freely we are able to run will be one of the indicators of good posture. 

Regards,

Selvaraj

On 13 May 2013 16:50, sraj <sra...@gmail.com> wrote:

[sraj]

Dear All,

My first run after a long time was a reasonable success, but for the fact that the soles of my feet were burning for a couple of days. 

The problem of whether I should run with or without shoes in the future remains.

I have now worked out a strategy to run barefooted inside my house. My house is not carpeted and my running track will be a distance of about 11 meters from one corner of our sitting room to a corner of our kitchen.

My plan is to run only when I get this 'I could fly' feeling that I get once in a while, with my improving posture. A few days back I ran about 150 meters and then stopped when this 'I could fly' feeling wore off :-)

Do I recommend this to everyone? Run only as long as you have 'a very springy feeling' - then stop!

Regards,

Selvaraj

On 13 May 2013 16:50, sraj <sra...@gmail.com> wrote:

[sraj]

An earlier version seems to have got posted ....

Dear All,

My first run after a long time (13 May 2013) - wearing canvas running shoes with 4 mm think foamy insoles - was a reasonable success, but for the fact that the soles of my feet were burning for a couple of days. 

The problem of whether I should run with or without shoes in the future remains.

I have now worked out a strategy to run barefooted inside my house. My house is not carpeted and my running track will be a distance of about 11 meters from one corner of our sitting room - through our dining room - to a corner of our kitchen. The track is free early in the morning when the rest of the family are asleep.

My plan is to run only when I get this 'I could fly' feeling that I get once in a while, with my improving posture. A few days back I ran about 150 meters and then stopped when this 'I could fly' feeling wore off :-) ( This special feeling could wear off due to both physical and mental reasons)

Do I recommend this to everyone? Run only as long as you have 'a very springy feeling' - then stop!

The human body is designed to run. The ability to run freely and easily will be one of the indicators of good posture. 

Regards,

Selvaraj