Where are my Fast Running Legs …was: Paradigm Shift in my Running

I started writing this post a year ago, saving it as a draft.   I never finished it because I was never quite sure about what I wanted to say, and how it was that I was running so well last season, leading up to my Ironman.  I think alot of it had to do that I was putting in alot of miles, and I was leaner.    This year I am not so fast, and I want my running legs back!     I dug up this old post to re-read it.   So, here it is, for what it’s worth…in a still unfinished form.

I believe I have had a paradigm shift in my running, thanks to my meeting with USAT Coach, Stacey Richardson.   I’ve spent the last two years making tiny improvements in my running by focusing on form, cadence, posture.   These worked to an extent, yes.    But I think in some ways I was stuck in the land of Chi/Pose running.  Pose says to lean to get gravity working for you.  I really never got that, even tho I still think it’s good stuff.   Pose also says to land on the balls of your feet,  lift your feet off the ground using your hamstrings.  I did get that, and still think that is good stuff, too.     Chi says to think about fast cadence, moving your feet, while keeping your core body stable.    Chi likens your core body to the car of a train, and your feet to the wheels – spinning fast as if in a circular motion.   This kind of works too.  But I was keeping my upper body TOO still.   Like a robot.  For the past year, I have been trying to run like a robot!

Stacey told me to let my hips move naturally, working in balance with my arms.   She also said to play with it.   And she said to skip the music and listen to my feet.

Some thoughts:

chi talks about body being like the car of a train.   I took this to mean upper body should be as still as possible and legs move independently.  but really, your legs and uppper body are one fluid entity.  There is a lift in the hip, or maybe it’s a circular motion in the hip joints.  And the glutes are engaged in this motion.   Hard to explain.  Need to do a video blog or something.

More notes:

On Tuesday, I went on the IOS ride, and did my usual brick run afterwards.    I did not bring my music.  I listened to my feet and thought about “light, light, light”.     It’s only 1.6 miles, but I made a PR on that run.   I was running pretty fast in Zone 2 at a pace of 8:46.   I was even chatting with another girl while running that pace!!!    I usually get close to a pace of 10 on that run.

Today, I ran my usual 6 miles to the lake and back, rolling hills.   I again tried to listen to my feet.   I also tried to let my hips move naturally. Not a lot, just a little hip movement, as opposed to my former stiff hipped robot style of running.      I usually have to bust my ass to get a sub 10 pace on that run.   I got to the half way point in 28 minutes.   Heart rate was in Zone 2.  I felt like a cheetah!    The way back was a struggle, tho, as my hips and core were fatigued.   And it was getting very hot and humid.   The second half, my heart rate was mostly Zone 3.   I still finished the run in 59 minutes, sub 10 pace.

I think it will take my body some time to build endurance in my hips and glutes.  I think these muscles must have been just taking it easy up until now.  I guess you could call me a lazy ass.  Hahaha!     My hips are sore and tired now.     I expect this will take me six weeks to adjust, just like it did when I changed my biking.    Should be plenty of time for Duke 1/2 and B2B.

All I need now is a paradigm shift in my swimming 🙂

Aug 1st: did do a nice solid brick run, flat, at pace of 9m/m. Hips and adductors super sore before, so it was a good pace on sore legs. Right knee hurt that night.

Aug 2nd: Right knee okay in the am, after icing it and advil. Got pace of 10:14 on my 6mile lake run, 142 avg hr. Not too bad, but not monumental either. Still real sore.

Need to rewrite this completely, because I’m not so sure it’s a paradigm shift. maybe more of a kaizen. also, use this…

Great quote from Matt’s blog: “Of course, I could not really swim all day at that pace. My new pull is so novel and unnatural for me that it is mentally if not physically exhausting to recreate it stroke after stroke. Indeed, I cannot yet recreate it with exactitude every time. There’s always a little variation as I fumble to follow the pressure of the water against my hand and forearm and to coordinate the pull with my body rotation, the movement of my recovery arm, and my kick. I have a lot of work ahead of me to groove and perfect these new patterns.”

I’m finding this to be true with the changes I have made in my running. I think the changes are right. However, I have a hard time maintaining the new running form, and the faster pace that is coming along with it. Stay tuned, I will be writing alot more about my running progress!