Running efficiently

There is much talk, especially on running forums, about running efficiently.
I have witnessed a huge variety of running styles over time. And for the brief period I was working in the Retail side of the running phenomenon, I got to see even more, in great detail and in super-slow-motion.

The biomechanics of running has always been a fascination for me, and it was a series of running related injuries that made me think about HOW I ran, and whether I was perhaps responsible for at least some of the things that were happening to me.

Intellectually, I knew many of the principles that constitute a running style that reduces the dynamic impact forces of running. But like many people, I also thought that they needn't apply to me!

After a 3 month lay-off with a running related injury nearly 4 years ago - and part way through a Half marathon that I had no business running due to the absolute lack of training I had done - the injury which had kept me away from running started to flare up again. And the only way I was able to run without pain, involved putting into practise those principle that I knew.

And it worked.

The thing that REALLY surprised me that was for less effort, I was running 30 seconds per mile faster.
It was a real Eureka moment for me.
And the somewhat agricultural start to a process which has me running the way I do now.

It was simple really!
Shorten my stride
Increase my cadence
And relax!

The advantage to me is that I can run in really light shoes - over long distances.

Shoes for the hills have virtually no cushioning, and mean that the feedback from the feet to the brain is instant. It has transformed my experience of long days in mountainous terrain covering significant distances and Ascent and Descent, and has opened up possibilities to me that would have never been possible previously.
And my road shoes have become progressively more lightweight as I have refined and improved the way that I run.

It is slightly ironic then, that my shoe of choice for running on the road, is a trail racing flat.
It's not my racing shoe - it's my everything shoe.
It is SO comfortable that it could be a slipper
And it remains so even after 26.2 miles.
And at 230 grammes, it's pretty light.

The Inov-8 f-lite™ 230 may not seem to be the obvious choice for running lots of road mileage. And for someone with a long stride and a Heel-striking running action, they would be inappropriate.
But for this midfoot-striker, they are amazing!

I believe that I have benefited hugely from the changes I have made over the last few years. And 10 marathons will certainly be a stern test!