I'm changing how I run

So I've learned from Bill that technique is key for me in swimming.  No surprise there.  I realized that the more I learn about swimming, the more I discover I need to change in running.  Bill wrote a book called, Swim Like You Run.  In my case, it's more of "Run Like you Swim."

Besides my education in swimming, I found the race photos from my duathlon on the 15th.  I saw the running shots and realized that I look like a sorry piece of shit as a runner.  I look bad.  Pathetic.  Lol.  So I need a change.  Friday I bought some new shoes and socks.  I bought a pair of Mizuno Inspire 8 and they feel amazing on my feet.  Well now that I have fancy shoes, I need to fix how I run.

Dave and I did some searching on YouTube Saturday morning.  We found a set of videos by Gatorade that featured Dathan Ritzenhein.  That guy has been my favorite distance runner.  I can never be like him, but I can at least emulate I suppose.  There are two videos that I found most interesting.

Dynamic Flexibility:

I love this sequence.  I have tried quite a few of these and I must say they feel good.  I am looking forward to learning the whole sequence.  I'm not a fan of stretching before I run.  However, it has been difficult for me to come up with a good warm-up routine, especially before races.  I plan on learning this sequence hopefully before the Peachtree SuperSprint in May.

Form Drills:

I find this highly informative.  I watched a number of videos on form and the comparison between the elite, professional and average runners.  I definitely fall within the average runner category.  I look pathetic while I'm doing it too.  Dave says that I don't "look athletic;" I am no natural athlete so this was no surprise to me.  However, I'm tired of making that excuse.  I WANT to be athletic.  So I'm making a change.  The above video on form drills is very thorough.  I will need to view this many times to get all the information.

However, I have already started on doing interval runs where I focus heavily on form when running and recovering while walking.  I tried focusing on a few points, like what Bill recommends that I do when I swim.  I push my chest forward, as though it is being pulled at an upward diagonal.  I kick my feet higher towards my butt which causes me to push off more forcefully.  My foot placement upon landing has improved drastically just from focusing on these two things.  I'm landing more towards the ball of my foot now.  Also I noticed that if I move my arms with a purpose instead of letting them sway, my running is more steady and deliberate.  It's hard to explain.  Using my arms to "drive" me forward has a noticeable impact though.

My pace during the run segments of the intervals has increased dramatically.  The only real effort I'm putting in is focusing on a few elements of form.  Better form is automatically more efficient.  It's difficult for me to maintain at the moment, but I can see this getting much easier very quickly.

Running is getting fun again....