You’re Not Broken—You’re Just Moving Wrong (How to Fix Your Running & Performance)

You’re Probably Not Weak… You’re Just Disconnected

Every athlete has that moment.

Something feels off.
Your calf tightens. Your hip gets cranky. Your running just… doesn’t feel right.

So what do we do?

We stretch it.
Strengthen it.
Attack it.

And sometimes it works.

But a lot of the time?

You just end up chasing the next problem.

That’s exactly why this conversation with Lawrence Van Lingen hits different.

The Big Idea: It’s Not About Parts—It’s About the System

Most of us have been trained to think in pieces:

• Tight hamstring? Stretch it.
• Weak glute? Strengthen it.
• Sore knee? Fix the knee.

But the body doesn’t work like that.

It’s one system. One conversation.

And when that system loses coordination—when things stop working together—that’s when problems show up.

Not because you’re weak.

But because you’re out of sync.

Why Most Training Advice Falls Short

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

A lot of training advice is reactive.

Something hurts → fix that thing.

But what if the problem isn’t where the pain is?

What if your calf hurts…
because your hips aren’t doing their job?

Or your running form feels off…
because your breathing and nervous system are out of whack?

That’s the gap most people never address.

And it’s why they stay stuck.

The Trap: Trying Harder Isn’t the Answer

This one might sting a little.

Because most of us are wired the same way:

“If I just work harder… I’ll get better.”

More miles.
More intensity.
More effort.

But here’s what actually happens:

You start training the dysfunction deeper.

You get tighter.
More fatigued.
Less efficient.

And eventually… something breaks.

Not because you didn’t try hard enough.

But because you never fixed the foundation.

Movement Before Performance

One of the biggest shifts from this conversation:

You don’t fix running… by running more.

You fix running by improving how your body moves.

That means:

• Breathing better
• Restoring natural movement patterns
• Building coordination (not just strength)

And yeah… sometimes that looks like slowing down.

A lot.

Not sexy.
Not flashy.
But it works.

The Power of Going Back to Basics

This is where it gets interesting.

Before we ran… we crawled.

Sounds simple. Almost too simple.

But those early movement patterns are where coordination, rhythm, and connection are built.

And modern life?

Destroys them.

Sitting all day.
Phones. Screens. Stress.

We lose that natural flow.

So instead of forcing better running mechanics…

You rebuild the foundation underneath it.

And suddenly, things start to click.

Stop Overthinking Your Running

Another big mistake?

Over-cueing everything.

“Fix your cadence.”
“Land like this.”
“Move like that.”

Now instead of running…

You’re thinking.

And when you think—you lose flow.

The goal isn’t to micromanage every step.

It’s to get to a place where movement feels natural again.

Where your body just does the thing.

Performance Starts With Your Nervous System

This might be the most underrated piece of all.

Your body doesn’t perform well when it’s stressed, tight, and guarded.

It performs when it feels safe.

When your nervous system is regulated, you:

• Move more freely
• Recover faster
• Perform more consistently

You’re not fighting yourself anymore.

You’re working with your body.

The Real Shift: From Forcing to Expressing

This is the mindset shift that changes everything.

Instead of asking:

“How do I force better performance?”

Start asking:

“How do I allow better movement to show up?”

Because you already have the ability.

It’s in there.

You just need to create the conditions for it to come out.

Final Thought

Most people don’t need more effort.

They need more awareness.

They need to slow down, reconnect, and rebuild how they move from the ground up.

Do that…

And performance takes care of itself.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

This conversation goes way deeper into movement, breathing, nervous system regulation, and how to actually apply this to your training.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, beat up, or like you’re missing something…

This is one you don’t skip.

👉 Hit play and rethink how you train.

Lawrence Van Lingen Community  ⁠https://www.lawrencevanlingen.com/⁠