Form

Yesterday's run was 3.5 miles. We are building to our 5 mile long run on Saturday (which I will do tomorrow due to scheduling issues). I was tired from Tuesday's Group Power (weightlifting) class and x-training (xt) on the stair stepper (the one that is actually stairs...a much harder workout than the traditional Stair Master). I was contemplating switching up my training because I'm moving this week's long run up a day (or is it back a day? I don't know....closer, anyway). I considered using yesterday as a rest day, skipping the 3.5 all together but that didn't seem right because I will have two rest days in a row this weekend. I considered doing an xt day at the gym....especially because the rain was coming down hard. After all the contemplating I decided to JUST DO IT and figure out the rest of the week later. I headed out as soon as the rain let up. Being fatiqued from the Power class I noticed my form was sloppy. I was running about the same pace but it just felt sloppy. My shoulders where hunched, my arms were swinging all around(think the nerd from Ghostbusters). I felt like I was lumbering down the street, heavy and unfocused. Knowing that I had to finish this run, whether I wanted to or not, I had to reclaim my form. So, I lifted my chest and pulled my shoulders back. With my chin up and my arms swinging steadily- rythmically, I pulled my belly button towards my spinal cord and thats when it happened. My body shot forward like a race car down the final stretch. My legs powered by the foundation of my core. I ran the last mile at top pace. By focusing on the strength of my body--strength I've been building over the last year -- instead of the fatique and mental block is what I needed to relcaim my run and to turn it from stress to success!