First off, let me just say this: I don't even know if this post will make any sense. It's basically just me rambling on about something I've noticed lately...something that's made me wonder if attempting to run will be any easier the next time I give it a try.
I started losing weight in January of 2011, and last summer I decided that I wanted to try running. At that point I had lost about 40 pounds, and I had much more energy. Plus, I already walked at an insane pace anyway, so I figured running would be a piece of cake. Right?
....No. Not so much.
Don't get me wrong...my legs/feet weren't really the problem. It was my lungs that hated me for it. I was huffing and puffing and getting on like a total lunatic, even though I was following the Couch to 5K program (and I only got halfway through Week 1, so it's not like I was running any crazy amount of time at that point.)
There's nothing wrong with my lung function or anything (I was tested for all that stuff at the beginning of my weight loss) but honest to god, I was just knackered. So I gave up.
But then I started reading about proper posture for running, and the thought flashed through my mind, "Hmmm. Maybe that's the problem?" And that's when I started thinking, well, maybe my posture just sucks. It always did, especially when I was fat (because of course I slouched like crazy.)
Recently, though, I've noticed that when I walk, my posture is soo much better. I literally walk tall now, which is something I never did before. And I notice that my footfalls when I walk are lighter and...I don't know, it's almost like sometimes I have to physically *stop* myself from breaking into a run.
Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? *Could* it have been my posture that was holding me back? I always found that when I tried to run, my upper body was thrust forward quite a bit. Maybe if I had been standing straight, I would have made it farther.
Also, a side question for those of you who run and are underpronators, like me: Do you have any recommendations for really good running shoes? I go through sneakers like *crazy*; I bought a pair less than a year ago and they're already worn completely smooth on the outsides of the soles.