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.  

Changing Running Form Process

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 had figured it out on Saturday when I was merely expending more energy to run faster (and hurting myself). I look forward to tomorrow's run.  

I am a heel striker

I am a heel striker, and I want to reform my ways.  For a while, I didn't know that I wasn't using proper technique.  I just ran;  it felt natural.   Then I noticed friends reading and raving about "Born to Run" and buying minimalist shoes.  Finally, I read the book and bought the shoes.  After that, I didn't change anything because it would have taken time to learn something new, and I didn't want slowing down to affect my chances of qualifying for Boston.  It's time now.    

How does one learn to run properly, and not just study how, but practice by doing drills, adjusting, adapting, and ultimately, run more efficiently?   I am about to find out how difficult it is and how long it takes.   Today after my speed work and while folding laundry, I watched "Evolution Running," a 45 -minute DVD that teaches how to become a more efficient runner.  It was straightforward, and most of it made sense.  I  have more information to read and drills to try.  If I feel I am already running naturally, and I am not, how difficult will it be to retrain myself to a new normal?  It seems daunting.   My motivator is that if I can run with the proper technique, it should be easier to run, and I might even be faster.  That sounds too good not to try.

 

May is National Runners' Month?

When I sifted through the local Sunday paper last night, I stopped at the Dick's Sporting Goods sale insert.  The front cover proclaims that May is National Runners' Month, and I'm invited to "Celebrate National Runner's Month at DICK'S SPORTING GOODS." I've called myself a runner for a while now, but I was not aware that runners have a special month.  I noticed the fashionable young runners and rows of shoes and looked inside to see what sale Dick's is holding in my honor.  I was disappointed to see that the best sale items were socks and pricey, technical wrist gadgets.  Several pairs of nearly $100 shoes were discounted by about $10.  This wouldn't lure most runners I know into the store.

Curious to know why I was not aware of a whole month dedicated to me, I Googled it.  A few other bloggers were commenting on the same thing.  They knew about this before me through TV ads.  I don't watch much TV, and when I do, I don't usually watch commercials.  Reading further I learned that Dick's invented National Runners' Month two years ago.  It is a marketing ploy to boost sales.  If Dick's can promote running and get more people moving, that is a good thing though.  Will being able to get a few dollars off running gear motivate people enough to start running?

My favorite places to buy apparel are at Nike Factory Stores and on-line through Athleta.  Sometimes I grab something fun and colorful while navigating through Super Target.  I've gone through a lot of running shoes, and of all of those, I only bought one pair at Dick's.  That's because the shoes I had been wearing were on sale, plus the store had a generous shoe coupon in the paper after Christmas. I was tickled with that purchase.  Otherwise, I buy most of my shoes from local, specialty running stores or through mail order. I go to a running store when I am looking for a new type of shoe or my shoe has been discontinued because I value the wisdom and advice of the trained staff who share my love of running.  Once I find a pair of shoes I like, I stick with it and shop around for the best prices on-line.  I don't foresee changing my habits because Dick's wants me to celebrate with them by opening my wallet.  I look forward to seeing what is ahead for the rest of the month.  If a super coupon is involved, or if I run out of Gu, I'll be there.

"Running is Play"

"That was a good one,"  I said to myself after reading the Runner's World quote of the day in my car before stepping out into the cold morning air. 

"Play not only keeps us young but also maintains our perspective about the relative seriousness of things.  Running is play, for even if we try hard to do well at it, it is a relief from everyday cares."  -- Jim Fixx, the author of The Complete Book of Running.   

I don't usually liken my running to "play," bit if ever there were a day for me to do so, today was the day.  This morning I ran my first chase run, which is a four mile (with a 4.75 option), out and back workout during which runners run the same course, but begin according to speed.  The goal is for every runner to finish at the same time.  When I contemplated my conservative, expected pace, I had a sense of dread.  What if I will be passed or left behind?   

The course was a familiar greenway near Umstead State Park.  I  ran alone down the winding path through the woods toward the lake.  When I emerged from the woods, the sunlight was bright, and mist hovered over the water.  I noted the smell of fresh baked bread coming from the condos near the water's edge.  A little farther I detected the familiar fish smell and began the short, zig-zag, uphill climb before asking an on-coming chaser if I had reached the two-mile mark.  I had passed it, but not by much.  I had not been concerned about the turn around point.  I was told that I couldn't miss it and to watch for the landmarks: the gazebo, the fence, the two- mile marker on the pavement.  I've missed a turn before in a relay race.  I should have known.  My Garmin sounded at two miles, but I hadn't identified any landmarks, and I was perplexed, so I kept going.  

On my return trip, I was caught by a man I had met for the first time at the start.  He placed third in his age group at the Boston Marathon a week ago in 80 degree heat with a time of 2:46.   I was doing my tempo run while he did a recovery run. He talked easily while I was self- conscious that my breathing was heavy, and I constantly glanced at my wrist for my pace.  We talked about Boston and its heat and how he handled it by slowing his pace.   When we passed another man, not with our chase, he called out my companion's name and congratulated him.  It seemed my companion was a running celebrity.  I have never run with someone so accomplished in this realm.  Later, I learned he holds the chase time record.   We ascended the final hill where fellow chasers awaited our return.   "That was the longest four miler," our leader called out while clicking the stop watch.  He had heard I went too far.  I was indeed the last chaser.   It was still fun, and I'll be back.  And, I will reframe future runs as play even if I'm not part of a chase through the woods.  

Elementary School Running Club

On my solo ten-miler this morning, I reflected on the parental support at my daughters' elementary school.   It is outstanding!   Of my oldest daughter's class of 24 students, 16 parents chaperoned a fourth-grade field trip to the coast yesterday.  My thoughts turned to the school's running club for third through fifth graders.   The club could be a model for other schools.  If more elementary schools had a running club like ours that promotes running for fun and fitness for girls and boys, I think it could play a part in helping to combat obesity.  Kids love to run; it's natural.  Just watch them darting around at recess.  There are no rules to learn or skills to develop to be a successful participant.  

Part of my daughters' school culture is an expectation of a healthy lifestyle.  Three other examples of programs are Walk to School Wednesdays, the Family Marathon (which means participating students walk 25 miles over a few weeks and finish the last mile at school), and new this year, the Boosterthon fun run.  While I believe that more schools offering a running club could help keep kids fit, I know that many other factors play a role in the obesity epidemic.  It's a complex problem.  I counted the students in my daughter's class who have parents that run:  I know of five parents from this class who run full or half marathons.  That's 20 percent of the students who have a distance runner parent.   Other parents run shorter distances, exercise in other ways of which I am not aware, and are active in ways that I do know about; like the mom who lifts weights at least four days per week.  It helps to have active parents.  The school, running club, and parents are working in conjunction to position these kids to enjoy spending time being active for the rest of their lives.  

Last year when I volunteered with the club, one of the girls told me that when she grows up, she wants to run marathons just like her mom.   I remember how enthusiastic the girl was and how strikingly ambitious I found her to be.   My mind wandered a little more as I closed in on the last mile,  and I smiled as I imagined the track and cross-country powerhouse the new high school might be with the class of 2020.  

Fragility

My five-year-old had a bad morning, which meant I had a bad morning.  I dealt with complaining, crying, stalling and crawling just to get her out the door to school.   After I dropped her off, later than ever, I drove to the YMCA.  As I approached the door, I saw an instructor limping across the parking lot.  I struck up a conversation and learned that she hasn't been around for a while after having a routine, sports-related medical procedure that resulted in life threatening complications.  Our paths were meant to cross this morning.  

Next, I walked to the weight room, and as I picked up a towel, I noticed a member lying on the floor being attended to by staff.  The mood in the weight room was sobering.  I thought I'd had a bad morning.  The paramedics arrived, and no one left with them, so I'm guessing the person came around and did not need further care.   I reflected on the fragility of us all.  Anything could happen at any time.  When a wellness facility has thousands of members, each with different medical histories, and different fitness levels and hydration and fuel levels in their bodies, people are going to faint and/or get hurt.   I've felt faint at the Y.  That's why the staff is well trained for such emergencies.  A dear friend of mine's husband experienced sudden cardiac death at the Y in October of 2010, and two staff members revived him.  If I have a medical emergency, and am not already at a hospital, there is no place that I would rather be than at the Y.  

My mood shifted on the group run when once again we talked about gourmet cupcakes among a host of topics.   I enjoyed the fellowship and conversation while I recognized how hard I was working to keep up.   It was a great day for a run.