WFR #14: Run Tall | Wed 18th Mar, 7:30pm | Prospect Park Weekly Form Run

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When: Every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (run leaves at 7:37 abouts).

Where: Find The Big Red Pointer(TM) (center of the map, click here).

Distance: A single figure 8 lap of Prospect Park, ~4.6139 miles.

Optional Distance Sub-group: 3 miles or less if that's helpful (please let Run Leaders know).

Today's Direction: Left as you face the park at startup.

Pace: Welcome to all. Fun.

AQI: We're monitoring Air Quality Index here and have been asked to not run if the local index exceeds 125.

New Stuff:

I dragged this week's bubble ("Run Tall") to the top of the topics hierarchy and gave it a good shake. The result was this diagram. "Run Tall" facilitates "Arm Swing", "Hips", "Forward Tilt", "Breathing" and "Passive Stride Recovery" while "Run Tall", "Head Posture" and "Shoulders Back" mutually support each other.

Just in case you'd like to explore, here's a pretty QR Code for Week #19:

Towards the end of Week #19 Notes (below "The Mantra"TM) there are links to all the WFR weekly topics.

This week's focus: Run Tall (week 14)

TL;DR: Channel Giraffe (WFR's mascot (though we should fix his kneesles))

The phrase "Run Tall" is attributed to Bill Bowerman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bowerman), when he was a coach at the University of Oregon. It sums up the style of many of the great long distance runners.

“Run Tall” is the first lesson many coaches teach their runners. It is an easy catch-all for looking your best when running, because it consistently results in noticeably better looking form - even observers who don't know what good running form actually is say that runners practicing “run tall” look like better runners.

It may be true that a confident posture as you run actually translates into real confidence as a runner. More confidence as a runner does equate to more running, which is what ultimately makes you a better runner.

Some runners claim that if you only "run tall" it will clear up ninety percent of your form issues. Check the bubble diagram and see why! (Hint: Many major topics feed right into "Run Tall").

The differences in runners who "run tall" is seen in the torso which is upright, not hunched, or arched or pivoted forward.

In the vertically aligned position the torso has less of a tendency to twist from side to side as the runner is better able to integrate the motion of the arms with the legs which directs the momentum where it counts.

The "run tall" torso position means not slouching but also not straining to “over posture” yourself, just straightening your torso with your core/abdomen so you are at your full height with your back comfortably straight.

Slouching is Slow
If you notice yourself sagging or slouching during a run, take a moment to straighten up. Start at your feet and work your way up to the back of your head. One of our regulars discovered that the "Run Tall"/"Head Posture" stretch, felt in the back of his head, helped him keep his shoulders back and down (thanks Michael...good observation).

Be aware of how the relaxed upright position of your torso makes the coordination of movement between your legs and arms smoother and more fluid.

Running upright, with your shoulders broad, also opens up your chest for maximum lung capacity allowing you to breathe more easily.

Time yourself with a slouch and compare it your time when you “run tall”. There is a good reason why so many of the quickest distance runners have the straight torso of someone who just walked out of (or running away from) the chiropractor.

Related WFR Topics:

"Arm Swing" #4 (bubbles), "Forward Tilt" #8 (bubbles), "Hips" #9 (bubbles), "Head Posture" #10 (bubbles), "Breathing" #11 (bubbles), "Passive Stride Recovery" #12 (bubbles), "Shoulders Back" #13 (bubbles).

Reading Bubble Diagrams:

Bubbles in the pictures are individually linked to the most recent notes. They are now no longer pictures (hooray), they're auto-generated scalable vector drawings.

Topics are related to each other. Some more or less directly than others. Bubble Diagrams (e.g. this week's topic bubble diagram) illustrate how they are related. Bubbles nearest the top are more directly related to this week's topic. The path to the top illustrates a chain of related topics. Topic bubbles are expanded once in their highest position (most closely related to this week's topic) and are colored blue (or colored black if this is a topic's only appearance). Duplicated bubbles are colored green, which is no less important than a blue colored bubble at the same vertical distance from the root.

Lines that join topic bubbles have been colored. Blue connecting lines illustrate a child topic (lower) supported by its parent topic (upper... think waterfall). Purple connecting lines illustrate the child topic supporting its parent topic. Black connecting lines indicate bi-directional (mutual) topic support. Lightly colored connecting lines indicate topics that are pulled out of the way, as the level they occupy is too crowded. One day 3D (AV) will allow us to walk through bubble diagrams (like tinkling mobiles hanging from your ceilings) and currently lightly-connected bubbles will just be viewable at a different angle (by spinning the view) and not colored differently. One Day... ahhh... One Day.

📢 ANNOUNCEMENTS 📢

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📢 Weekly Daddy Joke 📢

Q: Where do you find a tortoise with no legs?

A: Where you left it.