And I'm hoping it's a new concept that will catch on. Let me back up..... WAY UP, to the middle of this summer. When it was just too darn hot outside to even consider doing any type of activities for any length of time outside that didn't involve submerging oneself in water.
I began to run again slowly (more like walk) to get my body and feet used to the idea again. It had been so long since I ran barefoot, I had to watch some others at the gym, run on the treadmill with their Vibram Five Fingers on to remember the form. It was really hard for me (and still is) to keep my arms relaxed. I found that I would to want to raise them up close to my body. But, my hands have no problem being relaxed and bouncing around. Is that odd? I thought so.
So, I came up with a very odd solution to my very odd dilemma. I figured, if I unconsciously drew my arms up and in, I would just let them hang all the way down and let them dangle, like my hands. This way, it would take them longer to draw up and I would notice them and stop them before I fatigued. Right?
Ok! This is what I noticed right to start off with. Once I put my arms all the way down and relaxed, I realized that I normally walk this way, anyway. DUH! If I walk this way, why can't I run like this? Running is just walking faster. Right? I very slowly started running. Before I knew it, I was running on the treadmill at a speed I had never ran before. But, I was really walking it, at a running pace. It felt naturally, weird too.
Because of the speed, I had to bend my knees to absorb the shock. So, it looked like I was "hunkered down". Those of you who run barefoot know what I mean. For those that don't understand the term, please, read books on barefoot running like, "Born to Run", by Christopher McDougall. Other than that, my speed and length of my strides, it was no different than walking. Nobody gets tired from walking.
I felt like I hit a gold mine. I know tons of others run like this. But, I have never seen anyone run with their hands so far down. It felt a little funny. The treadmills at the gym face the windows. I don't know if anyone was watching me, like I watched them to remember the form I needed. I wondered while I ran on one. I imagined people walking passed and glancing over and then doing a double take of the chick on the treadmill running like a freak. I laughed at the thought... out loud. I cleared my throat, looked at the person next to me and said, "That was funny." and pointed at the small TV screen in front of me. I hoped they noticed I had my Ipod and my Sennheiser ear buds attached to it, while the TV was off. If they were going to think I'm crazy, might as well make it good. Right? My mama always told me if I'm going to do something, do it right.
Jump to when I decide to run outside in the mornings. Oh this gets even better! At least I kinda know the people at the gym and can talk to them afterwards to let them know what I'm doing. But, I can't explain to the millions of people on their way to work in the morning why I’m running down the road looking like a freaking running as if my arms were tied to my hips and swaying like... like.... ?!?!? In coming calls to Mr. Joy, that would be the husband. See, we live in a relatively small town where everyone pretty much knows everyone. In other words, everyone knows your business. Dear hubby loves me, he rarely complains about what people have to say about me.
In the mornings, I go for my runs and in the evenings, hubby and I settle in and watch a movie or two. The past few nights, we've decided to catch up on the 'Planet of the Apes" movies. I used to love them as a kid! But, I couldn't recall much of it anymore. In order to understand the latest movie, we started from the beginning. I have to give props to the film makers. They did an awesome job for what they had to work with in those days. Great movies! One thing I noticed right to start was the way the Chimpanzees walked or ran (not sure which it was). They had their arms dangling down and their knees bent. I chuckled because it looked exactly like the way I run. I thought it was cute. I was too into the movies to put two and two together.
We watched the first two on the first night. The second night we watched the third movie made. The next morning, I woke before hubby and put on a pot of coffee. It felt good to get out of bed so late on a Saturday! I hate going to bed hoping to sleep late on my day off only to wake up at 5am. GAH! I sat down with a hot cup of Joe, my laptop and my dogs and began surfing the web to see what I had missed over night. With one hand scratching behind one dog's ear and the other multi tasking the coffee and mouse, I came across a blog http://runlikemonkey.com/ and all of a sudden it all came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks falling from the highest peek of a mountain.
Pictures flashed in my mind of myself running on the treadmill, running down the roads, the "Planet of the Apes" movie scenes of the chimps running and the phrase 'running like a monkey'. OMG! Why didn't I see it before? Just run like a monkey. Monkeys do it naturally. We do it naturally when we walk. It's so simple. Why don't we all just do it instead of "pumping the fists"? Where and when did we change the way we run like that? Wow! Has anyone else figured this out? Because I haven't seen anyone run like this before. Not with their hands and arms THIS relaxed.
Here are the key things I do when I run like a monkey. Start off walking. Notice how you keep your arms and hands. See how they sway back and forth? Your arms sway, not your hands. It looks like the long pendulum of a grandfather clock, going back and forth. As you quicken your pace, your arms move with your legs. But, you'll see that your shoulders will get into the movement too. Let them. It helps with the quickness and the sway and it doesn't hurt any part of your body as long as you let your arms and hands stay relaxed and flimsy.
Keep your head straight and look forward.
As you build speed to the point of jogging, remember to bend your knees as you make contact with the ground. This helps protect your body from injury by absorbing the pounding from the hard impact of your feet hitting the ground so much. You should also practice what I call the art of "running lightly". That is to say when you land, land on the ball of your feet. Sounds hard but picture this. You are running as fast as lighting, in a world class race of the fastest athletes and you're winning. You're in the lead. What are you wearing? Can you see the shirt and the shorts? Can you see the bib? Are you just a blur passing by? Awesome! OK, freeze frame. Not the song. You're in mid stride, caught in the air. One foot pointed out front, one folded back behind you. Your arms are not folded up and your hands aren't fisted up. They're loose and are in opposite stride of your feet. You have on foot pointed out in front and the other is bent towards the back. You have a huge smile on your face. There is no hardcore face of determination. This is a walk in the park for you. Everyone else behind you is pumping and working hard but getting nowhere.
Next frame. The ball of your front foot touches the ground first. Your hind foot is pulled under you getting ready to be the next front foot.
Next frame. Your front foot completely rests on the ground from heel to toe, knee slightly bent. Your body is directly above it. Your hind foot is now pulled up under you like you are going to lift up your knee to hit a soccer ball or a hacky sack with your knee. Your whole weight is on the foot that rests on the ground. You look like the karate kid doing the eagle pose minus the hands out. Go ahead and do it. I know you want to. I'll wait. Key in the Jeopardy game shoe music...
Now that you're back, next frame. Your once hind foot is now your front foot and the film loops over and over again. There you go, you too look like a monkey!
Remember two things. Keep your arms all the way down and flimsy. Land on the ball of your feet and keep your knees bent. Everything else will come with time or naturally. Like the sway. You just can't help it, you'll want to sway. Don't stop it. Your head will want to sway with the rest of your body, try to keep it as straight as you can. You need to focus on where you're going. If your head is swaying back and forth, you may not see a pothole or you could get dizzy.. Monkeys keep their heads completely still when they run. We should try to as well. Keep your shoulders relaxed, or as pulled downward as possible. I'm a very uptight person, this is very hard for me. If you hold a lot of tension in your neck and shoulders like I do, carry something in each hand like a water bottle with a carry handle. Just make sure you don't injure yourself if you should drop what you carry.
I will post a tutorial video soon of How to Run like a Monkey. You can ask your friends if they can do the Monkey Run. When they ask what that is, you can do a demo for them. You'll be the hit in the office! Don't forget to scratch your pit and ask if anyone as a banana. Picking a flea or two off the Ms. Prissy of the office and eating them shows how much of a team player you are. Impress your boss with your new talent and then post a comment about how much of a raise you got! Just kidding here, but not about the video.
I could be totally wrong. There could be a whole old movement on this technique of running and I'm jumping on the caboose but I think I'm the Engineer. Has anyone ever heard of the Monkey run before? What name does it go by? I've done a little search can't seem to find anything similar to what I'm explaining. If there isn't anything out there like this. I'm claiming stakes on it, the style and name. IT'S MINE!! WHOOOHOOO! That's just in case lol.
Part 2 will be the video. Should be really.... entertaining. Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?!?!? I'm going to be running on the internet like a monkey. HAHA! The remakes done by others are going to be great. I love you guys. Make sure to post links to them here so I can see.
P.S.
Even if you don't run, you really need to give this a try just for a few strides across the house or across the yard with the kids. Maybe you could do it down a hill or down the street with your dogs. It's pretty fun and not really tiring. That's what everyone loves to hear. It does take practice to get it right and to do it automatically. You have to run often and use this technique every time if you want your muscle memory to take over each time you begin to run. Practice makes perfect.
P.S. after the P.S.
For those who may take offense to the title by thinking that it is something meant to be a racial thing. I have a few words for you…. Grow the fuck up and take a good hard look at the picture of the author. I just happen to be half Afro~Latino and very comfortable with myself. I see past the color of skin because a person doesn’t have the choice their color. But, they do have the choice of what type of person they are going to be, each and everyday they wake up. Everyday we wake up and put our feet on the floor is another wonderful opportunity to be a better human being than we were the day before. Color has no play in it, what so ever. So please, spare me and anyone else for that matter the racism crap. If you have a problem with that or with any race, creed, nationality or religion of people, you’re in for it here. I’m not just an Afro~Latino, I’m a Bruja!
You’d better RUN, I’m going to get you!!!
Leave a comment!