Good Form Running

I took a Good Form Running clinic at my local running store: Striders.  This was an awesome class.  They took the time to video tape your current form and then went over ways to fix things.  The first thing the coach asked when he watched the video is if I’m a swimmer.  He’s say the shoulder strength and swim is evident and contributing to my poor form. 

I worked on my form today and took some video.  Upon viewing that video, I’ve improved my form slightly, but still have a tendency to slip back into my bad habits (heel strike). I’ll keep working on my form, but my biggest concern is during races.  The run is always last, thus I’m usually worn out by then.  My focus is on survival not form. I’ll have to work on shifting my focus to my form, which should help me survive. 

On a separate note, I did meet with my doctor for a physical.  Other than the ER, this is my first time to see a doctor in 15 years.  After my friend collapsed during the Fifth Third River Bank Run last year, I’ve been thinking I should go in and make sure everything is working on the inside. 

The doctor, which was my first time with her, was awesome.  The appointment lasted over an hour as she asked questions and checked things out.  Given the intensity of racing, she spent a lot of time checking out my heart, which included hooking me up to a bunch of machines that measured my heart performance.  I also gave them a ton of blood for tests.  The good news is that I am exceptionally healthy and in excellent shape.  No issues with blood, no issues with heart.  I did have to get a tetanus shot due to my last mountain bike fall and the gash it left on my leg. 

She did recommend I meet with a cardiologists to do further testing on my heart, so I am going to do that.  That doctor will take the test to the next level and really test my cardio system.  I’ve heard these treadmill tests can be extremely intensive since they push you to your HR max.  Looking forward to it.