Result!

So after a pre run stretch and torture from the foam roller, equipped with sunnies, iPod shuffle, jelly babies and liquid off I went. In hindsight I should have realsied that it wasn’t the best time of day to go (about midday @ 25 degrees C), but somehow the sun fuels me, I think it must be all the Vitamin D it helps to produce!

I was trying really hard to correct/improve my ‘form’. Recently running with a friend and colleague (fellow physio), she commented on my style……my bum sticks out, my hips roll in, and my knees ‘kiss’-that can’t be good and undoubtedly has something to do with my injuries. Then it was as if the editors of runner world heard my cry. The September mag landed on my doormat this week there was a whole article on running form. ‘Pimp my stride’-so I went straight to it and realised that I really do need to work on my form, as the author stated ‘running is relatively simple, but it isn’t easy’…..your telling me!

So trying to change my style from and combination of ‘the twister, and the bouncer’ was hard work, I was tucking my bum under buy working my abs and pelvic floor, which made my pelvis feel less mobile (but apparently this is what it should be like) and I was trying to keep my arms from crossing the centre of my body. Straight away I felt awkward, my stride was smaller and I was feeling tension in my shoulders and upper back…..however, the leg was fine-RESULT!!!

Further reading informed me that it is a myth that long strides are more efficient as you spend more time travelling vertically than horizontally causing an overstride and the knees to collapse inwards-it all makes sense now!

So I managed my 8 miles without a grumble from the old thigh….and a bonus abs workout, its going to take some getting used to but fingers crossed this is going to work for me.

I think I might look into trying some Pilates classes to work on my core and muscle imbalances too, I may be a physio but I am PANTS at practicing what I preach, so a half years resolution-listen to myself!!!