The Most Neglected Appendage in Running

Oh, boy! This is a good one today. Are you ready?

🤔 What Everyone Should Learn From Trail Runners

I was 8 miles in to my first ultramarathon after a 7 year hiatus, and things were going exactly to plan. I ran. I ate. I paced myself. Beautiful day.

And then I met a new friend.

For context, when you're running an ultramarathon, you should keep your pacing to the point where you can have a conversation. The best way to make sure you're doing this is to... well... have a conversation.

This new friend told me she was training for a 100 mile race. She was a much more experienced runner. So, I began asking her questions to learn.

Here's the thing about trail runners: they tend to turn around and give a metaphorical hand up.

What I see most in the world is this weird phenomenon: Someone will learn something new or develop in some way. Then, they turn around and scoff at those who are behind them as if they're somehow below them. Even though last week they themselves were in that same boat.

Rather than throw stones at those behind us, what if we remember that we were once in that position? And then we give a hand up instead of a stone throw backward.

🏃🏻‍♂️ Arms: The Most Neglected Appendage In Running

Once you see it, you'll never be able to unsee it.

Arms are a critical part of running. And it's easy to develop bad habits early because you're so focused on the legs part of running. The next time you're around some runners, watch their arms and see how wildly different each runner is. Some of this is personal variation. Others of this is bad habit.

Here are a few things to know when it comes to arms and running:

• Move Forward and Back, Not Side to Side - Conceptually, this makes sense. When you move your arms forward and back, you are propelling yourself forward. Your hands should never cross the center point of your body. Many runners have side-to-side motion that wastes energy.
• Stay Loose - Tensing your muscles takes energy. Keep loose. This is harder to do the longer you're out there and yet all the more important.
• Move A Moderate Amount - Some runners don't move their arms much at all. Some movement is good. Keep your upper body moving to keep your lower body moving.

I'm going to attempt something next weekend: a DIY ultramarathon. I'm going to run a 50k. But I'm going to run it at my favorite hometown park and see what a home-field advantage is really like.

What's the worst that could happen?

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Just run one mile... because one mile inevitably turns to two... Then, to three... And before you know it, you're running further than you ever dreamed. See you on the trails! 🤙🏻