LAUGH ONLY AFTER YOU CATCH UP

A few years ago I watched a man run at a park where I did some of my training. The first time I saw him I thought he held his arms and hands the funniest of anyone I had ever seen. His gait would not have impressed you. His form would have embarrassed a duck. If you know how much I joy life, it would not surprise you to know that I snickered to myself every time I saw him at what a funny looking runner he was.

After a few weeks of seeing him on the park trails I happened one day to start my run close behind him. Then came the surprise: I COULDN'T CATCH HIM: In fact, as the miles went by he steadily increased the distance between us. That changed my whole perception about his running. I began to think his form was not so bad after all. I also learned an important lesson that day. I don't believe I have ever again laughed at the running form of a person I couldn't catch.

The message is that your running style is your own. No one else's will be exactly like it. This is just the way you run. The truth of the matter is that you couldn't change it much if you wanted to. You would probably only invite serious injury by trying. I have found that even the best of coaches try to avoid radical changes. 0h, they tinker with a lot of small things, and sometimes with great success; but they accept a runner's basic form as being just what it is.

So run the way you feel best. Relax as much as possible. Do what you can about the little things that will help to relieve stress and tension; but accept yourself as you are. Don't try to imitate others. Don't let anyone (with the exception of a real coach) tell you how you ought to be running. We all can improve our running; but accept the fact that most of the changes are going to be minor. Recognize also that the longer you have been running (maybe with bad habits) or the older you are, the harder it is to make even the minor changes during a race.

My own running style is about as odd as you will find. My arm movement remind some of an old fashion locomotive trying to chug its way up a steep hill. My breathing sometimes sounds like a cardiac patient in desperate need of a respirator. I may even have won some races just because my competitors backed off rather than witness my demise, which they felt sure was imminent! But at my age you have to accept, with gratitude, all the sympathy you can get... and your victories in any honorable way you can achieve them.

I still envy the long flowing strides of others, together with the seemingly effortless manner of their running. I would like to be like them. I would like to change my own running style in so many ways. In fact, I CAN for short periods when I can stay focused;  but the changes are limited and short lived. So, like you, I have to accept myself as I  am. This is the way I run and I can't change it much. When you accept that fact about  yourself you will probably be more at peace with yourself; and run better because of it.

I still get some satisfaction in overhearing runners half my age talking about how hard it is for them to catch that old man with the odd running style. So laugh if you must; but only AFTER you catch up! And do keep having fun with your running.