Changing My Stride

Running has been pretty good lately. My pace is a solid improvement over last year, and my mileage is right on target. I have my tired days and my good days. All in all, I can’t complain. Except. Except my knee often hurts going up and down stairs, I think I have tendonitis in my toe, and the area around my hip has never felt quite right despite all of my stretching.

I started to wonder if pretty good is good enough?

Today I went to my favorite running shoe store to check out some new shoes. This time I wanted something different. The helpful employee introduced himself as Paul, and asked if I was open to learning more about the shoes I came to see. “Tell me everything you know,” I replied.

I spent an hour listening, talking, trying on shoes and running outside testing them out. I learned about mid-foot strikes, cadence, and heel to toe drop. The most valuable few minutes were running out in the cold. Paul watched me run. After a couple of back and forth trips I learned from him how to move my feet more efficiently. With a couple of drills (one of which included me flailing my arms in circles while running—can’t wait to do that one in public places) I discovered a way of running that felt so much more comfortable. I had run 11 miles that morning and with this new stride, I felt like I could go another 11. For the first time in my life, I was light on my feet.

No one ever watched me run and corrected my form. I just started running and kept going trying to get faster. We can only improve ourselves so much without bringing in outside help. Sometimes we need others to see what we cannot, and offer us a new way.

This new stride is going to take a lot of practice, and a lot of me looking silly, waving my arms around while I run those drills. If I can get it though, the payoff could be huge. Reduced injuries, faster times, and a more comfortable run. I am willing to be patient and keep working at it for that reward.

Driving home, new shoes at my side, I couldn’t help but think about how hard it is to change. It’s going to take me weeks of concentration and practice working on this running form. I’m not used to thinking about how I run. But sometimes it’s good to be challenged. We don’t realize how we’ve always done things until someone else sees what we do and questions it. Perhaps the most difficult thing about this process is accepting the questions. Recognizing that maybe our way isn’t so great after all. Maybe this outsider has a valuable point that we should consider. Maybe that means doing something we are uncomfortable with to change.

If only we can have the humility to realize that we aren’t perfect. That what has been working for us may not have been working well. There is education and wisdom out there if only we’re willing to open ourselves to it.

I hope this makes a big difference in my running. I will be sure to post my progress. I know it’s going to take a lot of practice; anything worth learning does. But if we can embrace openness and humility, patience and practice, there’s no limit to what we can do and who we can become. With such exciting possibilities ahead, accepting “pretty good” no longer seems good enough.