Facing up to duck feet!

Arrival : Early morning sun pushing through the chill as runners make
their way to the start of the Massey Ferguson Easter 5 in Coventry.

I LEARNED something startling at the weekend – I run like a duck!

No, I don’t have flippers at the end of my legs. But I might just as well have.

My feet point outwards, giving my running stride a waddling, tippy-toe sort of action.

My baggy running trousers didn’t help. They made my legs appear even bendier.  I looked like something out of a Disney cartoon.

While this dented my fantasy that I was running quad-to-quad with the elites in my virtual ‘Team Farah,’ it has proved useful.

My ‘style’ was captured on a snippet of video taken by my wife on her mobile phone.

Line-up: Participants - and dog! - wait to register for 
the Easter 5 Race at Coventry's War Memorial Park.

I was taking part in Massey Ferguson’s 5-Mile Easter Race in the War Memorial Park, Coventry.

The buckets of rain the previous evening thankfully held off. Although it was blustery, with a chill in the air, the sun was pushing through and it proved to be a great morning. You soon warm up once you get going!

The course had to be revised at the last minute because travellers had settled on the car park which had originally been part of the course.

With no fuss, the organisers re-routed - it ended up slightly over the 5 miles - and all 272 runners were soon on their way. Response to the event, and the way it was organised, has been fantastic.

KEEPING A STEADY PACE

Ready: Waiting for the off!

This was my first event of its kind and while I may have a ‘duck’ running style, I’m no spring chicken (sorry, couldn’t help it). I wasn’t even sure I’d complete the course. I set out with a ‘survival not speed’ mindset.

Sharing the experience with my good friend, Jill, and other club colleagues, was helpful. Running with others gives you a real boost.

But setting off too quickly can be a costly strategy, paid for by suffering fatigue later in a run. It’s easy to get swept along in the excitement, and try to keep up with those who can sustain the effort.  I resisted the urge to go faster, and kept to my own steady pace.

In the event, I was happy with the result, and thankful simply to have crossed the finishing line!

I especially liked the lovely medal, complete with its two little running Easter eggs in the design.

My technique, however, is a different matter.

The duck approach needs attention!

DEVELOPING GOOD FORM

Keeping warm: Preparing to move!

There is some comfort in the fact that, as Bob Glover points out in The Runner’s Handbook, ‘every runner has his or her own form.’ You only have to watch a parkrun to realise there are as many different ways of running as there are runners. There’s even a wide range of styles among the elite.

But form is important because, among other things, it can make better use of energy, improve performance and alleviate or prevent injury.

In my case, even just making it look a bit more elegant would be an improvement. I've found inspiration in this short video analysing Kenyan Moses Mosop’s running technique and video clips of top women’s running technique in the Boston Marathon 2013. 

I had cause to visit a physio last year, and he said to ensure my feet were pointing forward, so that my body was ‘aligned.’

But here’s the rub. I thought my running form was better. I know in the past my left foot has tended to point outwards. But despite what I believed, I didn’t realise how much both feet twisted out when I ran.

My wife’s video has provided a more objective look at my running.

PLANNING NEXT STEPS

So - next steps? 

Final words. A quick review of 
details before the start.

Three key ones:

      STEP ONE:

      Try to run with feet pointing forwards!

      I've already put this into action. Last night I went on a delightful Easter Monday run (followed by Easter egg hunt) with RaceFit organisers Angela and David McKay and members of Massey Ferguson Runners. Big thanks, Angela and David!

I consciously thought about where to place my feet, and used road markings etc to help.

It felt awkward, but I need to persevere.

STEP TWO:

     To continue – and improve – overall strength training.

Weakness in one part of the body can have a detrimental effect on another, so general strength training to ensure all parts are working together benefits overall performance

Apart from my usual ‘regime,’ I’ve started taking part in The Running Bug’s challenges. I recently completed a 30-day Squat Challenge and am currently part-way through a 30-day Abs Challenge. I don’t know exactly what it’s doing at the moment, but it doesn’t half hurt – so must be good!

I’m also considering Jordan Metzl’s Ironstrength Exercises, which can be found in his book Running Strong. But that’s something that needs to be scheduled in.

Much as I dislike being in front of the lens (I prefer to be behind it!), I’m planning to make more use of video as well.

STEP THREE:

Made it! Me with my friend Jill
sporting our finishing medals!

Running a marathon is not on the horizon yet, but I’ve signed up for the Cannock Chase 10k (August 8) and am looking at the Lichfield 10k (September 11).

I’ll never be as fleet-footed as the stars who whooshed past to complete the Easter 5 in under 30 minutes. In the case of the first two finishers, Alistair Smith and Oliver Paulin, both from Coventry Godiva Harriers, this was with times of 27:36 and 28:40 respectively. Takes your breath away just thinking about it.

But hopefully, especially for the undulating and apparently ‘challenging’ off-road terrain of Cannock Chase, I’ll be more gazelle than duck! Or perhaps mountain goat would be appropriate!

Whatever the animal, I can’t wait to experience Staffordshire's scenic Chase, where I can try out more 'forward surge' than lop-sided waddle!

How 'resting' opened my eyes

Thin Coloured Line: Runners putting their best foot forward on a 

parkrun - observed by a few feathered onlookers!

THINGS work in mysterious ways.

Although this blog’s called Can Run Will Run, when I originally drafted this post I was not active because of injury. A touch frustrating, given the blog's title. Yet the ‘resting’ opened new perspectives on the amazing world of running.

It became even more interesting and exciting!

First, I volunteered at my local parkrun, and continue to do so.

parkrun is a weekly event across the UK (and other countries) where people of all ages, shapes, sizes and skill levels gather at 9.0am on a Saturday morning to run a 5-kilometer course.

I'd intended marshalling at some point, but completed more - and sooner - than I might otherwise have done. This even included volunteering on Christmas Day and Boxing Day! What festive delight!

So far I’ve been Marshal, Tail Runner, Funnel Manager, Number Checker and Finish Tokens Support.

These roles have meant:

Waiting to run: From the
Tail Runner's point of view

 Marshal - standing at points around the 5K course to cheer runners on, help them to follow the route and make sure they’re ok.

Tail Runner – following the last runner around the course, to both give support and to let themarshals know when everyone has completed the run.

Funnel Manager – helping at the end, when runners cross the finishing line and move down the cordoned-off ‘funnel’ to have their time recorded.

Number checker - recording any discrepencies that may arise between the timer and the numbers given out.

Finish Token Support - the Finish Token person hands out tokens to all finishers in the correct sequence. The role can be assisted by Finish Token Support. As the parkrun website explains: 'This role calls for nimble fingers and grace under pressure.' Not so easy on a cold morning with fingers like icicles!

There are several other roles as well.

Everyone has their assigned task, yet all work together to ensure the event runs smoothly. The parkrun team are extremely helpful and supportive. It’s a great atmosphere.

Standard bearers: Members of the Massey 
Ferguson Runners Club at Coventry parkrun.

parkrun, which celebrated its 10^th anniversary in 2004, is one of the most positive community events going. You can keep fit at your own pace in a friendly and encouraging environment. But if you want to compete – with yourself, if nobody else – you can do that as well.

If you want to find out more, and how you can be involved in your own event, see the parkrun website at http://www.parkrun.org.uk/

My second new experience was booking in to see a physio.

This is something I never dreamed I’d be doing.

Yet it highlighted the wonderful complexity of the body, and the amazing process of running, where numerous factors –  fitness, breathing  stride length, posture etc – all come together, hopefully, in fine balance to achieve the desired result.

My 'encounters' meant enduring some prodding, poking, pommelling, twisting, turning, stretching, balancing etc, not to mention the rigorous exercise regime between sessions.

But the prospect of my body, and crucially, my running form, being in better shape than it was before (though, admittedly, this wouldn’t take much!!) made the effort and any ‘discomfort’ well worth it.

Warm up: Runners stretch and chat before the parkrun.

The visits brought home some messages:

• You have to take things more carefully (slowly!) than you might realise. In the longer term, that’s more satisfying – and less painful!

• As a relative newbie, I think I’ve possibly been one of those ‘too much too soon’ runners. Or perhaps my form has not been good. Or maybe it's a mix of both.  You have to 'listen to your body' and understand your limits. But you don’t necessarily know what your limits are until you reach them. At least, I didn’t!  You don’t feel too bad at all – until that little devilish pain decides to strike when you least expect it. And then, of course, it can be too late. The damage is done.
• With the help of my physio, I undertook the slow and steady - and more sensible? - road back to running. It's certainly made me more appreciative of what's involved.

• I’ve developed even greater respect for runners generally, and those who take part in parkrun in particular. And this is not to forget the organisers and volunteers, many of them runners themselves, who make it all happen.

Now I'm back on track and aiming to improve my PB - though this time, hopefully, with a little more wisdom and restraint!

Overcast fun: Even a wet, grey morning
 fails to dampen the spirits of parkrunners.