Where the magic happens...

... is only a (albeit lycra clad) leap of faith away!

Catching sight of myself if a full length mirror recently I was quite horrified by how bad my posture is, in particular around my core. I stand with my pelvis tilted forward and stomach hanging out, not a good look on anyone, and certainly not on a wannabe marathon runner!

Actually I've known this about myself for a long time and way before it was encapsulated on video by the Running Man I consulted back in July. However when I heard "feet turned out, possibly collapsed in, pelvis dumped, head pushed forward" on the podcast* I've been listening to, I realised it could have been me they were talking about!  On the plus side it means I'm not alone, on the downside it was in reference to why so many runners end up with injuries.

Taking this posture as the starting point, before you add speed or distance into the equation, it is not difficult to see why problems arise, but what came next was a bit of a wake up call.... one step with my body this far out of alignment is going to put stresses on bits that are compensating for the bits which aren't working properly (he was a bit more technical about it), at fifteen hundred steps per kilometre (on average) and forty kilometres in a marathon, that's sixty thousand repetitions out of kilter - I don't even want to contemplate the maths for the five hundred or so miles of training that I've still got to do before I even get there! It is almost enough to make me hang up my running shoes altogether to save further injury!

Add force into the equation and it's no wonder I keep getting injured! There was some sums and terms that all sounded a bit too much like gym terminology for my liking but I think the premise was that a five kilometre run is like doing a million one kilo calf raises in one session! I'm hoping that the Biomechanics Man is going to go easier on me tomorrow!

I am apprehensive about my début in the gym. It is way out of my comfort zone, but as I saw recently on Facebook (so it must be true) that is where the magic happens...

M - 471

Brighton Half - 28
Liverpool Half - 140

Glasgow Half - 252

Total Distance covered   456.9 miles

* picture courtesy of my friend's friend - hope he doesn't mind me sharing!
* podcast for those of you who may be interested...
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/stop-chasing-pain/id381697894?mt=2&i=326163458