The Evolution Of Running

"The Evolution of Running"

Long before the beginning of modem civilization, our ancestors, starting with the apelike Australopithecus, raced through woodlands and prairies, chasing wild animals to feed their families. Although humans fare rather poorly compared to other animals when it comes to all-out sprinting (the fastest speed achieved by a human is 23.3 miles per hour, compared to the nearly 70 miles per hour achieved by a cheetah), we are among the best long distance runners.

Our ability to run long distances-and run down faster but less-enduring animals to death-enabled our early ancestors to provide food for their familles and thrive as a species. Charles Darwin's survival of the fittest in its most literal form, Millions of years later, running has become a part of our culture. We witness the joy on a baby's face when they takes their first tentative steps and we document the occasion. A few years later, schoolchildren discover the freedom that running, confers as they race each other on playgrounds across the country, showing off their speed to each other during recess.

Even at that young age, it is evident that something special happens when we run on two legs. Bipedal movement makes humans unique from nearly all other animals. The attraction to running has prompted many scientists to study this unique way of moving. While the classic photography of Eadweard Muybridge in Animals in Motion (1899) and The Human Figure in Motion (1901) may have been the first attempt at illustrating locomotion and is still referenced as the authority on animal gaits, the oldest documentation of a scientific study of running may be the classic book of Giovanni Alphonso Borelli (1608-1679), De Motu Animalium (Of Animal Motion), in which he notes the relationship of leg length and stride rate to running speed.

Most people who run just walk out the door and start running. They concern themselves with training-related variables, such as weekly mileage, length of long runs, pace per mile, and heart rate, and sometimes give even more concern to the proper angle and lighting of their post-workout social media photo. They pay little or no attention to how they run. Proper running technique is the first step In becoming a runner or preparing for a race. You wouldn't play in a tennis tournament before learning how to hit a backhand or enter a triathlon before learning how to swim. Learning how to run more skillfully can help prevent injuries and enable runners to tolerate greater training loads since they will be undertaking the training with better skill. To become a better runner, start by running better.

Running has an under-recognized neural component. Just as the repetition of the walking movements decreases the jerkiness of a toddler's walk to the point that it becomes smooth, the repetition of specific running movements can make a runner smoother and improves running economy the amount of oxygen used to maintain a given speed. Extraneous movements, unnecessary muscle contractions, Incorrect placement of the foot on the ground in relation to the runner's center of mass, and inefficient absorption of force at foot strike increase the use of oxygen to maintain a given speed, all of which make a runner uneconomical and can even cause injury.

Conversely, smooth, coordinated movements and the recruitment of the fewest muscle fibers needed for the task decreases the use of oxygen, which makes the runner economical With countless repetitions, the motor unit (muscle fiber) recruitment pattern becames ingrained, allowing for smoother running mechanics, a more efficient application of muscular force, and greater propulsive forces.

Once a runner learn and ingrains proper running mechanics, they will be better able to handle and even thrive off the training, And they will run faster.