How to School Someone with Good Running Form

During my 10 mile run today I was surprised to have a guy pacing off of me for nearly two miles. I was simultaneously flattered and a little annoyed. He was clearly a pretty experienced competitor and I do not presume to say that I am faster; he definitely would have beaten me in a race. It could be that he was trying to be conservative with his pace on the way out.

Although, it was annoying because he tended to stay on the edge of my peripheral vision. I would have preferred it if he stayed behind so I wouldn't have been conscious of him. Every once in awhile he would pull forward. That was worse because watching his form just tired me out. It was like he was muscling himself forward with his upper body strength. Maybe he was a triathlete? His stride was long, slow and loping. As soon as he pushed ahead it was a matter of moments before I would easily pass him again. Eventually he left me behind when I took my GU break.

I felt comfortably quick while he looked like he was really working hard. His gait was so laborious, I couldn't help but think how much of a happier time he would have if he tweaked his form. Judging by his knee brace his body likely felt the same way.

Somewhere along the road I became completely obsessed with form. Perhaps it was the dance training when I was a youngster or time I spent as a personal trainer, but the importance of form is always paramount in my mind for good performance. I can't help but constantly check in with it.

This is what I tend to think about when I'm running; it's taken from so many sources I can't site them all but if you've read ChiRunning you'll recognize some things:

First, the upper body should be relatively relaxed like it's sitting on a conveyor belt enjoying the ride. The head is lightly balanced on top, no tension in the neck. Eyes straight ahead, focusing on the horizon. The swing of the arms can be largely propelled by natural momentum. They can define your tempo because what your arms do your legs will follow. So I think of light quick taps with my elbows behind me like there is a boxing instructor back there with pads. Arms at 90 degrees with the hands lightly clasped.

I imagine my core is hard like a classic marble statue with a six pack. It has to be strong because that's where the fire is that is propelling me forward. Everything is alignment from my ears to my shoulders to my hips to my knees to my ankles.

The legs are like shock absorbers on cars. They take in the movement of the road, but with control so it's a smooth ride. In fact the impact of the feet against the road should be soft, quick and light. I try to imagine leaving flat foot prints in the sand so that there isn't more pressure on either the heels or the toes. Also, the feet should land directly below the center of gravity.

Of course, I don't succeed in the perfect form all of the time. I have many race photos clearly showing me landing on my heals. I can feel definite improvement the more I practice.

Still, with all of that in mind, my real secret weapon is 180 beats per minute. When I am training I make sure all of my running music mixes are at that tempo. It forces you to keep a short quick stride. The short stride makes it easier to stay in alignment and not bouncing up and down too much. Then as you get stronger you can open up that stride with a bigger kick back that doesn't disrupt your upper body. I really wanted to lean over and tell that to the guy pacing with me today. With the beat to hold onto, I knew I could stay consistent what seemed like way too easily.

Running Rock Resource

I recently came across the article, "The Nike Experiment: How the Shoe Giant Unleashed the Power of Personal Metrics" in Wired Magazine. The article describes the phenomenon of "Living by the Numbers--the ability to gather and analyze data about yourself setting up a feedback loop that we can use to upgrade our lives, from better health to better habits to better performance." The concept that feedback can elevate your performance is one of the core principles of the "Flow," a theory by happiness psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Basically, the theory is that people who are happy tend to get that way because they do things they enjoy and feel in control of. A key way to get there is by earning positive feedback. This is similar to "being in the zone" in sports because that happens when you are performing at the peak of your ability. In this case it is the the numbers (pace, distance, running frequency) that are telling you when you are improving.

The article explains that as people upload data into the Nike+ network they become hooked. There are many effective elements, watching the data, the online community, the challenges and the goals. The Nike+ Apple union is a great gateway drug for running. They are tapping into something that goes deep. There is a whole other element to its success that the article barely even touches on. In order to use Nike+ you have to also be using an iPod. Those 1.2 million runners had to spend 130 million miles listening to something. There is also a hunger for a good soundtrack. So, I take over where Wired left off and present some useful resources I have found for running music, including a tried and tested playlist.

The Nike+ store has started including a section for the "SportMusic" blog. Conversely on iTunes you can now make "Sport iMixes." Runner's World uses Sport iMixes for a series called Music is Motivation with playlists of elite athletes such as Deena Kastor, Andrew Wheating, and Kara Goucher.

When you are in sync with a song while running it is a very similar feeling to the ecstasy of nailing a song as a musician because you are synchronizing movement to something bigger and you can feel it. It's the same reason why Guitar Hero can be gratifying. If you become one with the beat the fact that you can stay on top of it is the positive internal feedback.

The problem with so many of the songs being pushed forward in "running mixes" is that they are all over the map in terms of pace. Even when you are not trying to run directly to the beat, a powerful rhythm can still have an effect so it is important to be conscious of it. Popular songs are frequently around 120 or 130 b.p.m., which is terrible for running.

If you are running strictly to the rhythm of a song it is your steps and relative arm swing that are syncing. Since your legs tend to match what your arms are doing I suggest that you use your arms to find the beat. This will keep them engaged and hopefully avoid your feet stomping it out. Light quick steps are best. If you count the steps of one foot for one minute you will get a number that could range from 70 to 100. If you double that you can get a good idea of what b.p.m. (beat per minute) will naturally match your stride.

There are podcasts that are especially geared to running with music. Jog Tunes Indie usually goes through a set of songs that range of tempos with Dr. Bob Marcus explaining them as you go. Podrunner DJ Steve Boyett takes one tempo and goes with it electronica style. Then the Indie Soup Runner's Edition with Cecil Smith tackles all things Indie. There are also sites with extended mixes that do a good job of helping you choose a tempo like Hellasound and run2rhythm.

It turns out that most elite and experienced runners have the same average stride rate: 180 steps per minute. If you do any reading on this subject you will see this number come up a lot. One renowned coach and exercise physiologist who did a comprehensive study is Jack T. Daniels, PhD, who said, "I try to save runners a lot of grief by encouraging them to convert to a stride rate associated with less landing shock and more efficient use of energy."

I have been doing a lot of experimenting with this idea and have found that you can still run really slowly at 180 b.p.m. It becomes more about nailing down your form with a short quick stride, then when you want to speed up you put on the gas. It is the force you are pushing off with that will speed you up (and lengthen your stride.) However, your cadence and basic form should stay smooth and consistent. I have found the quick stride makes it easier to go faster when you want to. I explain this more here.

Music has the potential to be effective tool in your training. If you can tap into the tempo and maintain it you can develop a more efficient stride. That efficient use of energy will help you feel on top of your running for longer periods. It a form of internal positive feedback to help you achieve your running high. Let music can be your guide in that. It certainly beats running with a metronome as suggested by ChiRunner, Danny Dreyer.

I put together a Sport iMix incorporating some Lady Southpaw songs. I was so disappointed not to be able to include some of my favorite artists because they didn't have the right tempo, but it furthers my point that there is a need for more music with the running experience in mind! There are several programs out there for analyzing tempos but I used the very unscientific method of tapping it out on my amp. Therefore this is not a perfect 180 bpm mix, but all of these songs are in the neighborhood and when I tested it they all worked pretty well. Enjoy!

Running with Music: My Philosophy

I have been doing very unscientific counts of runners with head phones at the gym and in my neighborhood parks and I would say just over half to two thirds are sporting headphones. Some may be listening to podcasts and books on tape but the majority are pumping their favorite running tunes. Recently I've become a fan of the Nike + sensor for the ipod. It's a great way to track pace and distance with your ipod (I'm including the image of my "Mini"). There is a revolution of the personal soundtrack going on with so much independent music flooding the culture and so many accessible ways to listen to it. Running is part of this phenomenon.

Listening to music is a great way to add a little extra pleasure to your run. Running is meditative and invigorating. It is a time to be out and actively communing with your body, mental fortitude and imagination. Your blood is pumping, your breath is deep and the sweat is exhilarating. You are alive. The music is your soundscape. You are the hero of your own story. So it is inspiring when the music intertwines artfully with the experience. There is the beat of your feet of course, but there is also your breathing, your heart beat, your arms and a million other tiny muscles and bones keeping you balanced and moving you forward with their own rhythms.

I believe that music that coordinates all of these things could help lead a runner to a smoother, more efficient performance and enlightening experience. Of course the speed and the endurance of the athlete is up to that runner's experience, conditioning, genetics and a million other factors. Still, focus, patience, and discipline will aid any runner in attaining a higher level of his or her individual potential. That is what the music I write is intended for.

• Each song follows the last without dropping the beat.
• There is a basic beat to give the runner something easy to hold onto but there are other complementing rhythms to keep things loose and interesting.
• Along with the rhythmic element there are flowing melodies and harmonies to remind the runner to keep things light and smooth.
• There are easy choruses that can be repeated like a chant in your mind when you're running without the headphones.
  

By the way, I do not recommend wearing noise-canceling head phones while running unless you are on the treadmill. If you are running outside with cars, cyclists and other runners competing for space please keep these in mind:

• Keep the music low enough that you can still hear what is going on around you!
• Check in with the sound of your feet against the ground to make sure you are not stomping to the beat.
• Instead of sounding the beat with your feet imagine you are tapping it with your elbows behind you that will create the same effect of running to the rhythm.
  

If you can not stay with the exact rhythm don't worry, just run to the spirit of the music. Some songs are about pushing the speed but others are more about finding ease in the exertion and enjoying the ride. Still others are about wrestling with the difficulty and getting over a difficult hill. All are a metaphor for life. I hope to keep writing more.

Please write to ladysouthpawmusic@gmail.com to receive a free song and give me some feedback.

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