Looking for feedback

You can do excellent self monitoring and adjustment in the meantime, too.

Throughout your run be asking yourself

"How do I feel? Alert? Smiling? Relaxed?"

"How's my posture? Running tall and open?

"How's my footfall? Quiet? Gentle? Quick?

"How's my breathing? Can I run with my mouth closed? Can I converse comfortably? (If not, slow down a bit.)

I know how much one appreciates getting constructive feedback live and in person, but it's not so easy, even for those of us who don't live 2000K from the Territorial Capital.

Run well and Happy New Year!

Did you take a look at the member map yet?

Chrizzz said:

Hi Joseph,

Thanks for your respond. When I run barefoot I notice I think a lot about my posture, footfall and the rest and i feel I run too tensed. So I try not to think it a lot and try to run relaxed. (hope this makes sense)
The breathing.... well, I find it hard to talk and run at the same time even when I slow down. And I love running solo. Although sometimes I think if I would have a good running partner, someone I can talk to, it would be better for me. But, oh well if you travel a lot it's harder. All good.

Cheers

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I agree with JT's points, especially posture and footfall. If you adopt a good athletic posture and your feet are landing just slightly ahead of your COG/COM, then you should be OK--everything else is just tweaking. I like to look at the elites running and then run with those mental images floating about my head.

I disagree a bit with the common advice of running at a pace at which you can hold a conversation. While this is a good cue that you're running at a good, sustainable aerobic pace, and saves you the trouble of using a heart monitor and calculating numbers, I find my form feels smoother, and I'm able to avoid ITB strain, when I'm running at a pace which is still a bit beyond my aerobic capabilities. I feel like my form really starts to come together between 8 and 9 mm pace, but I'm not yet able to sustain a 9 mm pace for more than a mile or two (1.5 - 3 kms). So I'm doing fartleks until I get in good enough shape to run that pace comfortably over longer distances.

So maybe try running a bit faster than you normally do and see how your form feels. If it feels better, then try to translate that feeling to slower paces.

Is there something that is making you question your form? Are you having pain or blisters? You may have better luck with having a friend on a bike video you from the side and then swing in behind you at about mile 2 when you're in a rhythm, while you run how you normally do. Then post it on Youtube and post the link here. It's an option, anyway...if you don't have any luck meeting up with someone.

-Jonny