A-ha! That's How to Run!

This morning I made progress in changing my form to become a more efficient runner.  I've been working on this for a week and added it to new strength training.  It's been difficult to discern why my muscles are sore.  Is it because of the weights, the classes, the runs?  Probably all of it.  This is a picture into how my progress has gone so far:

Take one:  Basic Training class;  Running portion on tiptoes: Slow and awkward.

Take two:  Five mile run on tiptoes; Slow and awkward.  

Take three:  10 mile run on tiptoes to heel;  Fast and uncomfortable.  

Take four:  Five mile run on tiptoes to heel;  Fast and uncomfortable until "A-ha!"  I understand now. 

I've read about proper technique, listened to people explain how to achieve it, and watched videos, but I still didn't get it until today.   I had been armed with this information:  land with my feet under my hips (never in front), move my feet quickly, and lean forward.  In practice I landed on the front of my foot, rolled to my heel and pushed off while keeping my footfall under my torso and leaning forward.  When I told my husband what I had been doing, he said that's impossible.  It's amazing that I can still walk and haven't injured myself.  

Today on my run with a friend, who successfully changed her form, I uttered, "A-ha!"  Talking through it while running brought clarity.  I had shared with her how sore I am and asked how long her conversion took.  It took  a month to change and condition herself to hit 180 foot strikes per minute.   One week down, I thought.  I told her how I'd been slapping the ground heavily with the front of my foot before rolling back to my heel.  "Your heel never touches the ground,"  she said.  My husband said the same thing earlier in the week, but it didn't register.  How did I not get it?  The video showed runners springing off the front of their feet, and it made perfect sense.   I thought I mastered it on Saturday when I was merely expending more energy to run faster (and hurting myself). I look forward to tomorrow's run.