How do You Run?

Have you ever watched people run? You will see all different kinds of things. Some people run as if they are being tortured, some run as if their body is just a collection of disintergrated parts, others run like they are being chased by slow bears, and some people run like they are chasing something - they run with purpose.

I am not here to debate foot strike. While I do have my own opinion about how the foot should grace the ground, that is not my focus for this post. I am refering to arm swing. Watch people run as you drive through your neighborhood, or go check out a local 5K event. You will see thousands of arms doing all sorts of things. Most people run as if their arms are just loose attachments that serve no purpose. Maybe you run this way too. But what if you ran as if your arms were just as important as your legs?

What I mean is, what if your arms were just as important for running as they are for crawling?
Crawling is the foundation for our gait pattern. It teaches our shoulders and hips to work together. Running is the ultimate expression of our gait pattern. In running, our shoulders and hips should still work together.

What if instead of letting your arms flop by your sides, or let them shuffle side to side infront of your chest, or even letting them bounce up and down towards your ears, you purposefully drove them foward and back to match and equal the drive of your legs? What if you ran with a tall spine, the crown of your head to the sky, breathing deep into your belly, and your drove your arms forward and back from your shoulders.

Again, I believe running is the ultimate expression of our gait pattern. Running should look graceful and powerful, not like an explosion of body parts. How much more efficient could our running be if we took advantage of the contral-lateral, cross-body, energy sling system that we are designed to travel by? What if we ran intentionally and with purpose? What if you used your arms like they mattered when you ran? Because they do.

Today's Training looked like this:
Crawled in a circle like a lost spider-man for 20 minutes.
Ran like the hunter, not the prey, for 10 minutes.

Have a great weekend!

Tim