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Like most people, I try to come up with some form of self-improvement in January. Most of the time, it’s running related. One of the many things I love about running is that it’s ever-evolving and never finished. Much like speed-work, you’re only limited by your imagination. There is always something to learn and tweak. I love the journey of trying new things and tinkering around with my plans to determine what is working and what’s not. Last year I made a commitment to getting to the trails more, and I really enjoyed it, and now I make it a part of my typical plan. Even shoes I ran in last year now don’t feel the same because my training and body are different, so that requires me to evaluate and figure out how to make my runs better.

Whatever your motivation is for running, there’s always a new piece of training or knowledge you can add to your repertoire. What I have noticed is running is a cumulative endeavor. Your body is continuously developing if you are running consistently, even just 2 days a week. All kinds of changes are taking place in your body and your psyche the more you run. It’s only logical that you need to evolve with your body’s changes.

One of my favorite things about running is there is no perfect formula or even form for everyone. I like watching big marathons on TV because you see athletes from around the world and they all have their own unique style. If there were a perfect posture, frame or form, then those runners would be using it. Instead, you see tall runners, short runners, crossing arms, low arms, short strides, long strides and everything in between. One of my college teammates had this ability to mimic everyone’s form perfectly. He would sprint ahead on easy days and transition into another teammate running form. We knew wordlessly who he was pretending to be by the way he tucked an elbow or kicked up too high. It always made us laugh but also illustrates how different we all ran despite all running the same distance and at a collegiate level.

If you are in a running rut or don’t know where to start in working toward changing your routine, then come by and chat with us. We’re here to help with not just a new pair of shoes but to hopefully help you along the way with your own evolving running. Perhaps this is the year you change your frequency, get off the road or change your inner monologue when the running becomes tough.

Whatever your path is, we are appreciative of your support to us, and we are here to support you.

Steve