Posted by Amy | Posted in Mind Games, Running | Posted on 10-09-2010
Tags: 3 miles, FitBloggin, Running
My new found speed was not a fluke. I ran 2.81 miles in 35:18 at a pace of 12’34″ burning 400 calories. 40 seconds or so faster than yesterday.
I noticed something. At the start of my run, my body posture was on the stiff side. My core and upper body were holding really good posture however. Shoulders down and back, arms out a bit from the body, leaning forward into my run. My pace, which was on the fast side (well, faster than my normal la la la I’m running thru the grass oh look squirrel pace), felt very easy. I need to read ChiRunning again to get this straight, but the book talks about using your core to power your legs. Muscles are like rubber bands, when one set stretches, another set contracts, so to move your legs efficiently, you have to get your upper body and your arms going to push and pull your legs. I felt that my posture, while stiff, was really driving my legs today.
Until I started Mile 3.
At Mile 3 I felt my upper body start to get really tight and tired from this stiff posture. My legs felt great but my upper body was starting to ache, like when you white-knuckle your way thru something and your hands cramp up. I walked for about 50 paces, shaking out my body, cracking my neck. When I started running again, I made a deliberate and conscious effort to focus on relaxing my shoulders WHILE keeping that same posture. I felt great! Light on my feet, almost like my body couldn’t keep up with my legs.
BUT I could only keep that concentration for about a half block or so. I had to keep reminding myself and keep coming back to it. It was a struggle. This is exactly what frustrates me about meditation. When I’m made aware that I lack concentration, I get really crazed about it and that just drives more distraction. Oh hey look, shiny….
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ahhh the concentration.
) I have MONKEY MIND and I struggle to stay focused.
I find some days.
MANY DAYS (hello this morning
so just keep trying….again and again.
Oh yea, I gotta get that Chi Running book…
I love reading your blog because I’m all “look! someone who runs like me!!!!”
It’s funny, some days I feel like the running just comes naturally (like today) and other days I feel like I’m forcing it and I could do better if only I knew…. (insert any of the following: the right posture, the right way to move my arms, the right way to breathe, the right stride etc).
Sounds like you’re doing awesome!
Oh the dreaded Monkey Mind! Sometimes the distraction works to keep your mind off the run, but other times the ping pong thoughts just drop me out of the running mindset
Loved this post. I’ll have to check out the book.
Awesome! I just found this blog through Steve Kamb’s (Nerd Fitness) twitter feed. Keep it up! A little further, a little faster… it’ll all happen as long as you keep at it. I like that you’re into ChiRunning. Another great book is the Pose Technique. I’m into running barefoot. My wife has just started running barefoot, a few minutes each day. It’s all about saying “I can!”
cheers,
Asatar
Barefoot running kind of intimidates me. Just the idea of being out on asphalt with very little between you and the pavement is just well, scary.
Great! Another thing I’ve heard for good running form is to swing your arms forward instead of to the side.. The swinging motion forward helps with speed.
Ah arm swinging! I discovered something about arm swinging! But that is another post!