…and Bingo was his name-o.
As a runner, I have to constantly be aware of my economy of movement. In my opinion, the five most important areas in my economy of movement are as follows: my running form, my breathing, having the right shoes, my running surface and my mental state. I have to be aware of these things at all times, or else I waste energy, I waste time, I become a lackluster runner. Since I am not someone would enjoy being called “lackluster” I will do what I must in order to optimize my time on the roads. Therefore, before, during and after each run I evaluate my performance. I don’t mean that I scrutinize every mistake I made, or harp on myself that I ran a 9:46 minute mile rather than a 9:45; I just mean that each time I run, I think about those five major categories and how I can make the most out of each one or how I failed to do so.
Good Form
Unless you are running up hills or doing speed work, your running form should always be as follows: head up, ears over your shoulders, shoulders back, chest out, strong core, hips forward, arms held at sides with thumbs lightly brushing your hips, hands held loosely (like you’re holding a fragile egg), and always maintaining forward motion, none of this up-and-down bouncy crap. Also, it’s extremely important to always use your center of gravity to your advantage. If you try to extend your stride so far in front that you feel off balance or out of control, you are working against your center of gravity. There is an imaginary string that enters through the top of your melon (I guess “head” is the medical term) and travels vertically down through your neck, into your chest and hips, straight into the ground—this my friends, is your center of gravity. If your foot lands directly beneath this “string”, you are practicing good economy of movement; you expend more energy (remember, energy = time) if your foot lands ahead of your center of gravity, so be aware of where you land. Finally…RELAX! Drop those shoulders, relax those arms, no need to run with fists that are ready for a bar fight…just relax. If you keep your upper body relaxed yet in control and in line with your center of gravity, you are conserving energy; hence, practicing good economy of movement. Let your legs do the work, your arms, shoulders and head are just along for the scenic ride.
Breathing
Deeeeeep breaths. Use that diaphragm, that’s what it’s there for: deep breathing. If you’re going to participate in any kind of endurance activity, taking short, quick, shallow breaths will wear you out before the starting guns sounds. Efficient breathing means efficient muscle contraction and efficient muscles contraction means more time spent running, less time spent dry heaving on the side of the road. Dry heaving, and the subsequent puking, is a direct result of a deficiency of oxygen to your body. If you practice slow, deep breathing, your muscles will stay fully engorged with oxygen and you will get to keep that $6 lunch in your tum-tum (hey, money’s tight in this economy, right?). Going back to good running form, remember to keep your upper body relaxed but in control—NO SLOUCHING! If you slouch, you can’t really use your diaphragm to breath. If you can’t use your diaphragm to breath, you can only take shallow breaths and you WILL tire quickly. So stand up straight, keep those shoulders back, push your belly out when you breathe in (that’s using your diaphragm to suck air into your lungs), and bring your belly in when you exhale. It takes some getting used to if you have never practiced deep breathing before, but you will appreciate the results once you master it! Try taking 1 breath every 3 steps, then every 4 steps, then 5, and so on; the more steps you can take in one breath, the more efficiently you’re using your lungs, therefore, better economy of movement.
Shoes
Duh. Get the right ones. Don’t go to a big box store where the high-school-aged-shoe-department-manager-kid wants to sell you some Nike Shox because they’re so cool, man. Go to a running store, have them watch you walk and run, get your gait analyzed and get fitted with the proper shoe for your foot and running style. Flat feet? You probably need some stability. Arches that you could park a car beneath? Well, perhaps a cushion shoe is right for you. If you have foot pain, ankle or Achilles pain, knee pain, hip pain or back pain—look to your shoes, you probably need something different. Get the right tool for the job—in a kitchen, you would never find someone carving a roast turkey with a paring knife (hopefully). It’s possible to carve a turkey with a paring knife, but it might be next Tuesday before you finish and, if you’re lucky, you might be left with something that used to resemble a turkey. With that principle in mind, why would you run in shoes that weren’t right for your feet? Shoes are a runner’s most valuable tool, it’s all we need; when you run in shoes that are wrong for your feet, you’re going to end up looking, and feeling, like something that used to resemble a runner.
Running Surface
I know what you’re thinking, what does it matter what I run on, just that I run well, right? Meh….you could argue that. But I’ll argue right back. Let’s revisit our good friend the turkey. If I wanted to cook a whole turkey, I’m not going to fire up my flat top, flop the bird down and try to cook it that way. Why not? Because it’s stupid; you most certainly would never be able to achieve your desired outcome. Now, if you took that same turkey and stuck it in the oven, perhaps then you would be able to effectively and efficiently cook the bird. It’s the same principle with running surfaces; don’t run on something that’s going to hinder your ability to achieve your desired outcome. For instance, concrete. Nasty, nasty stuff for runners; it’s too hard and is usually uneven with cracks and crevasses that are beckoning to those of us who are less than coordinated. Concrete as a running surface is almost as silly as cooking a turkey on a flat top; it may take longer to realize you’ve messed up by using the wrong surface but you will realize it, and when you do, you will not enjoy the results. So, run on the road, or a trail, or a track, or (dare I say it) a treadmill. (Or, as I fondly refer to it, the DREADmill. Slap on a tail and call me a hamster.) These surfaces are going to be kind to your body whereas concrete says, “Screw you Runner Girl! I don’t want to take any of your impact, I’m gonna throw it right back up your legs, into your knees and hips where it will come to rest in your back! Bwahahaha!” See, I told you, concrete isn’t very nice. You people should listen to me more often…
Mental State
Perhaps the most important tool for runners, aside from shoes, is their mental state. The life of a runner is one of balance and harmony, sacrifice and indulgence, passion and obsession. A runner must be focused on the task at hand, but not so focused that he or she forgets to enjoy the ride. Here are a few words of wisdom from someone who tends to sweat the small stuff a little too often: Take it seriously, but have fun. Running hurts, deal with it; but be smart and listen when your body screams “STOP!”. Internalize your running form, breathing habits, and importance of both but don’t let it blind you from the fact that all you’re doing is putting one foot in front of the other over and over and over and…… Mental economy of movement is probably the most difficult skill to hone, but it’s one that runners must master in order to be their best. Here is a perfect quote to explain the theory: “A person has the ability to train his thoughts in any direction he wants … It is like a horse that turns off its path and begins to go on another. The rider can seize the horse by its reins and redirect it onto the proper path. It is exactly the same with thoughts; as soon as a person sees his thoughts deviating from the proper path, he must seize and redirect them.” Redirect them and master efficiency. Master the run.
Run long, my friends.
I’ll see you out there,
Sarah
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