During the last half of my run, I experimented with arm-movement. I read the other day that arm movement is very important, because it influences movement of the legs. I've never had good arm movement, although I've noticed that sprinters really pump their arms.
I began to move my arms back and forth in sync with my legs. However, I noticed I was also twisting my body in sync with my arms. I concentrated on pumping my arms while keeping my body from twisting, and it felt like I was running faster. My GPS showed that I was, in fact, running about a minute faster. I need to experiment with this some more before I conclude that my increase in pace was due to my arm-movement.
Allen, I tend to agree that coordinating the arms and "pumping" them makes your speed increase, because I tried this method just yesterday. I think it's natural to alternate arms to legs but I thought I'd try coordinating them (I think I read about this in Runners World) so I was surprised to find that I really did speed up. I also noticed that there didn't seem to be as much stress on my knees!! Always a plus when one is a Mature Runner.
ReplyDeletePeggy Stewart,
Vancouver, Canada.
Thanks, Peggy, for sharing your experience. I'm finding that coordinating my arm and leg movement helps me maintain my pace when I'm getting tired. I pretend that I'm grabbing the road and pulling myself forward with my arms.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know about lower stress on your knees! I'll focus on my knees and see if I get that benefit, too.