Sigh. I was disappointed when I looked at the photos from the half a week ago and saw my form:
I noticed how badly I was slouching forward at the Wisconsin Half in May and swore I would work on it over the summer.
Oops! Someone did NOT do their summer homework!
It’s not the vest. The weight of the vest actually tends to keep me more upright! It’s just sloppy end-of-race form (and middle of race/run form, too).
During most of my long run on Sunday I focused on having good form – pelvis forward, shoulders back, and core engaged. And I felt fantastic during the run. I wasn’t tired when I finished. It didn’t bother me as much to pick up and go (after waiting for lights, etc.). And hopefully I looked less goofy (ha ha, just kidding – I was still wearing the vest). I can’t tell if it was better form or the lower heat/humidity that made me feel so fantastic, but I am going to REALLY try to focus on my form now. REALLY. I swear, guys.
Do you focus on form when you run (an associative runner)? Or do you daydream and lose track of it (dis-associative runner)? (Ha ha, yeah, I talked about this three years ago).
I am a completely dis-associative runner. I don’t think about m y form until my shoulders ache, or I am falling down, or I see a picture like this, later. And I definitely have a hard time talking to someone else and thinking about my form (no surprise there – I am not a good multi-tasker).
DEfinitely dis-associative runner. Running is a mental break! Although lately, I usually think about future runs during my run, hah. Running metacognition?
Totally associative. I’m constantly worried about my form. I think it keeps me in the “now” and actually makes the run go faster. 😉
I start out thinking about my form and trying to concentrate on it but I always lose that thread as the run goes along.
I think about my form a lot. If I feel any tweaks or twinges, I readjust. But as I get tired, I know I start to lose it…
I think about my form only when I’m tired and I tell myself to get my shoulders down out of my ears and to let the stress run down my back. Then and when I see a course photog. Haha!
Definitely an associative runner. I think about form more than speed because I know the latter will come. I finally bought compressive shorts to help with my hips/pelvis so I could focus on my shoulders. I’m always amazed to see pictures when i thought I had been doing a good job of not slouching – NOT!
Ha ha, right? You think you’ve made improvement but NOPE! 🙂 I hope we both get better, soon! 🙂
Oh man do I relate to this. One of my goals for running this year was to look good in race photos, by which I basically meant “don’t slouch.” I had hoped all my strength training would make a difference with that, but I was pretty bummed out when I saw my photos from the final stretch on Columbus from the Mag Mile Half. So slouchy! Pull your shoulders back, Bethany! I have such a hard time keeping form, though, particularly when I can’t see myself…so like 99.999% of the time I’m running haha.
I think about anything BUT form while running. I’m totally in la-la land. 🙂
hahah I love that you don’t think about form till you’re falling down. hahahha.
Kev was at the finish of the 5k Saturday and he said (not as an insult but as an observation) that everyone finishing around me was striding it out and then here I come, plodding along. hahaha. That’s totally my ‘form’.
Do you think you will try to think about it? It’s a lot harder than I thought. Thinking is hard for me… in general 🙂
LOL! Kevin! 😛 Hey, you still were 4th woman overall. Take that! 🙂
I only think about my form when I’m running alone. If I’m in a race or running with someone else, forget about it.
I try to focus on form but a lot of the time I forget until something hurts 🙁
I’m the latter, though I’ve heard that associative runners are faster (because they’re actually focusing on their running the whole time). At my level though, I’m sure it doesn’t matter!
Do you care about fixing your form because of how you look? Or do you notice a definite improvement (in speed, feeling, fatigue?) when you run upright?
I bet what you’ve heard is true!
I care because I feel better during the run and after when I run with good form 🙂 Ha ha. I am not one to care about how I look! Ha ha!
Oh I am scared to see mine
It helps me to focus on my form and my footfalls a lot of the time. I’m also lucky since my form is pretty naturally good. I blame it on years and years of basketball sprints. Hard to have bad form with that!
I am really bad about rounding my shoulders, both during running and all day. So much so that my massage therapist says I have some front-to-back muscle imbalances. Oops. Ever since I went through my running coach training, I think about my form a lot more. I think (hope?) it’s helping!