Embarrassing Race Photo

[rickwhitelaw]

Always worried when the race photos come out. Not sure what they are going to show. This one was at the finish line of my last half marathon. Don't know what happened. Looks like a straight leg - heel strike. I am sure I didn't run the whole race like this or I would have had knee and heel pain. Caught in a moment of weakness, bad habits hard to break? Camera angle? My knee looks slightly bent, but not enough. A lot of work still to do.

Here is the next shot. A little better.

Pictures don't lie. Guess it's time to get a video on here for a little help.

 

[paraganek]

Don't worry Rick. I have had a couple of shots like yours and I do not believe I am heel striking. What you do not see in the photo is your body is moving forward (and probably fast) so by the time your foot touches the ground it is already directly under your body and you end up with a nice midfoot strike.

 

[NickW]

Gosh Dan, did you have to use that pic...? I look so stupid there... Looks like my lower half just took off so fast that my upper half is falling backwards. We all know I'm not that fast... I know that I am not the most photogenic person in the world but man that's bad...

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Hot! No really, maybe the ground was hot?! Hee. Those are great racing pictures actually, but look at the girl taking another picture of you in the background. And the looks on the faces of your new fan club! Funny!

 

[The Ramzev]

My race pics show the same thing, looks like a heel strike sometimes. I think it's just the camera angle some times.

I always like to see reactions from people in the background!

 

[The Ramzev]

Gosh Dan, did you have to use that pic...? I look so stupid there... Looks like my lower half just took off so fast that my upper half is falling backwards. We all know I'm not that fast... I know that I am not the most photogenic person in the world but man that's bad...

You know, you kinda look like that guy in that show on TV. Can't remember the guy's name or the show, but you look like him.

 

[Longboard]

I have shots that look like that too when I KNOW I wasn't heel striking. I believe that the landing gear makes a very quick rotation just before touchdown. You obviously would feel a barefoot heel strike as such, and can't be doing it without feeling it.

 

[ThomDavid]

I'd never think of criticizing someone's form, so I say, if ya finished happy, ya finished right.

But I'm with TJ: I think we ought to have a photo caption contest featuring these folks:

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That's an excellent idea! Can you set up the thread in the Race Photos forum, please Thom?

 

[ThomDavid]

TJ, I'll be happy to (and assuming that Rick is cool with that)!


...and, DONE!

 

[Last Place Jason]

I believe that the landing gear makes a very quick rotation just before touchdown.

+1.

 

[migangelo]

running behind paraganek all the time i can testify that he doesn't heel strike even though that photo makes it look like it. you still want to be conscious of it. i've seen people heel strike while bf and not know it. i do it from time to time but i'm aware when it happens.

 

[JosephTree]

You know, I think focusing on something so transient as a heel strike in a standard sort of still photo is probably a waste of time. What's much more worthwhile is looking at the excellent posture, the happy expression, the bright energetic aura, and the lack of obvious bleeding. At the end of 13.1 miles, those things speak much more convincingly, to me at least.

 

[jldeleon]

Lack of bleeding...lol.

 

[JosephTree]

You're rare and my kind of woman, Jen! (The kind that gets my jokes!)

 

[happysongbird]

After our last race photos came out, I told my husband the photographers were going to have to try harder than that if they were interested in me buying anything! Yikes! Let me know you are there so I can do something about my end of the race face!

 

[jldeleon]

After our last race photos came out, I told my husband the photographers were going to have to try harder than that if they were interested in me buying anything! Yikes! Let me know you are there so I can do something about my end of the race face!

Lol! I know the photo at the end of my first race I look like I died about a mile back AND the expression on my face made me look EXACTLY like my mom! Ack! Lol.

 

[theshortwhiteguy]

I thought the same thing about my form.

 

[RunningPirate]

Naw - the pic is fine...whenever I get race pics, they seem to always replace me with someone that looks like me, only about 15 lbs heavier...I keep telling them to stop, but they don't listen...

 

[scedastic]

IMHO you look hot. And your form looks super. Great posture, happy face.
There are some pics i've seen of bf runners who look like they know what they are doing, but they look to be landing in the same stance as you; i go with the ones who say it's the camera angle.
And I do love the background looks!
Got some great ones from my half on labor day weekend. The ones watching me only appear vaguely irritated. The ones in yours look positively enthralled.