Best Run Ever!!!

Though it may sound like a bold claim, that was how I felt today on the Provo River Trail.  Instead of connecting with the PRT by work, I decided to head up the canyon and man was it worth it.  I made it through my run walk without feeling tired at all.  Part of why today was so good was I cross trained on Saturday and took Sunday totally off.  When I slipped into my shoes I had no idea what I was in for.  Thankfully it was so good.

This Week

I did some of my best running this week.  What's more, I figured out how to shorten my stride and make it feel natural.  The key was landing mid-foot as opposed to heal striking.  I noticed a difference immediately.  Instead of the shock of impact going totally to my knees, it was absorbed by my whole leg.  I was far less fatigued when I finished my run and was far less sore the next day.

Making this change to my form forced me to use muscles in ways they are not accustomed to but with subsequent runs and cross training I will be able to sustain good form for the entirety of my runs.

So, does this mean I will be trying barefoot, or minimalist running.  Probably not.  Here's why.  Barefoot, or minimalist running, might work for some people but it is not a panacea.  It won't solve everyone's problems.  Now I am all for natural, and getting the body to do natural things, but what do you do when you are running on unnatural surfaces?  I would consider a minimalist shoe for grass or trails but not for pounding it out on the roads. 

Trails are fun

All of my running has been divided between parks, my neighborhood, and the Timpanogos high school track.  These are all great places but sometimes they can get kind of monotonous.  Thankfully there are trails.

I spent the weekend with my family at Island Park, a reservoir in eastern Idaho.  Island Park is beautiful and is full of great trails.  The beauty of the scenery absorbed me as I made way down the dirt roads and trails.  I didn't go far, probably about the same distance as normal, but the experience made me a convert.  I am going to take advantage of the trails in and around Utah County and beyond.  Trail running is a great way to experience the great outdoors and to change things up.

Good form old boy

Form.  I never would have thought my form was a factor in the injury I sustained about two weeks ago.  My trip to the physical therapist has me convinced that I need to give serious attention to training my body to run right.

Getting my running form evaluated was kind of cool.  The therapist put me on a treadmill and then videotaped me running for about three minutes.  After that, she compared my form with the form of another running and I was amazed at how bad it was.  My two biggest problems are overstriding (taking steps that are too long) and not getting my upper involved as much as it could.  Both of these are easily corrected.  To correct overstride, I am counting how many steps I take a minute.  If they are somewhere around 83-88 steps then I am doing well.  If my steps are down in the 70s then I know my steps are too big and I am placing too much strain on my knees.  Today was my first day counting my steps and I was surprised at how good it felt and how less sore my knees felt after today's run/walk.  Of course loosing weight will be a big factor in improving my form, but doing some things now to fix some problems is definitely a good idea.