Last Sunday Ted and I headed out from the Westin, south on 14th, around the Tidal Basin, back north along Constitution to the Lincoln Memorial, across Memorial Bridge to the Mt. Vernon bike trail, south to the 14th Street bridge, past the T. Roosevelt Memorial, and back up 14th Street to the Westin.
Temperatures were comfortable and the sun was rising while we ran. Conversation was as runningprofs conversations generally are -- part running, part professing, part panting -- and the running was superb. Both of us felt good -- recovered -- and it was easy to daydream about coming races.
We talked run form. We see it the same way but Ted sees it better: the foot strike is not a forefoot encounter but a slide across the ground from front to back. The midfoot can hit without crashing on the arch. I tried it. It felt good. It even felt as if I was stretching out my Achilles tendon and heel each time I encountered the ground.
Ted got a few pix. Maybe we'll see them here at RP blog soon.
That's RP blog run #2 for me for 2014. Chicago Marathon is out there for a third, unless we get together before then.
UPDATE: Should have checked the blog before posting! Ted beat me to it. Now you have both perspectives.
The odd thing about this mid-foot strike approach is that it does not come naturally. When you lean forward you want to go up on your toes. When your foot strikes you want to catch yourself with a solid foot plant and a longer stride. You also want to bend at the waist. All of these instinct are wrong . . .
ReplyDeleteGreat run Max!! Becky, you were missed!!
I missed you guys! Darn it. Congrats on 4 runs in a row. I have had a few more strings of decent days (less foot pain) but it's inexplicably bothering me again today.
ReplyDeleteRest it. Any progress on bike cleat fit?
ReplyDelete