I have been working with Coach Jeff of PRS Fit since April. Through his coaching, I was able to run my first half marathon (September 16, 2012), feeling mostly in control the whole time. Even though my time was slower than many half marathoners, I felt steady and enthusiastic to do more distance running events in the future.
However, my primary running goal for the past three years has been to break 30 minutes for a 5K, and the first thing I told Jeff after the half marathon was that it was time for me to get seriously focused on that goal. After five months of coaching, Jeff sent me the request that I had known was going to eventually come: “take a quick video of your running so I can look at your form.”
I could spend the rest of this post sharing my angst about form. How I know my form isn’t classically elegant (and therefore not classically efficient), how an ongoing issue in my marriage is my spouse’s belittling comments about form (the word “waddle” has been used ….. and here’s a piece of advice if you are a non-running spouse who doesn’t get his or her butt off the couch and run ….. don’t use the word “waddle” ….. EVER …… even if it’s true. Coaches can use it. Spouses can’t. That’s the rule there.)
I can’t tell you how many blog posts I have read about form. Podcasts I have listened to (one of the best was the RunRunLive featuring Jessi Stensland of Movement U). How I injured myself doing a drill I read about in a blog. About the best advice given to me by Gary Droze, who runs the weekly Gulf Winds Track Club intervals sessions. Gary isn’t long on words but I think “stay tall” and “light feet” are pretty good pieces of advice if you’re only going to get two.
So that leads to the dreaded video. Since my life is pretty much an open book via my blog and social media presence, I am sharing it with you even though I hate it.
If you are a runner, have you ever tried to change your form? Any thoughts on the subject?
Happy running. Waddling even.
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
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