Posture

As part of my motivational efforts (if I can be forgiven a touch of management speak) I've been trying to read running articles and forums most day - both sites like runner's world and goodrunguide and other advice that a quick google throws up.

Given that the biggest issue with me taking up running has been how to deal with my stupid achilles tendons, which are slightly too short forcing me to spend most of my life in heels or in pain, part of my searches have been dedicated to exercises for calf muscles etc. However, after noticing yesterday that I ran much better watching another runner in front of me, I decided to look into running posture to see if I was making any major mistakes. The answer of course was yes!

After various articles and videos, I found a useful article on About.com called '10 most common running mistakes' ... including tips on shoes (which I had been very careful in choosing) and other things. But the posture ideas were something I'd never really thought about, as well as being careful with my gait.

From being a natural toe striker, I was trying to give my calves a proper stretch by doing what I thought was normal for people in flat shoes (shows what I know). In doing so I'd managed to turn myself into a heel striker - which can't be good for my poor tendons at all!

So my two main aims for my run tomorrow are:

1) To keep my eyes on the horizon rather than falling into the habit of looking at my feet or the pavement

2) To concentrate on the pattern of my gait, making sure I hit the road with the ball of my feet rather than my heel (although without looking down all the time).

Will just have to wait and see if either of these relieves the aches I've been having!