After many, many miles of running I decided to completely change how I was doing it. I couldn't quite pull it off until I observed how my dog does it, and then carried that image in my head.
In late 2009 I read Christoper McDougall's book "Born to Run," a first-class yarn whether one runs or not. He argues convincingly that homo sapiens became dominant because they could run, but not on their heels as most of us do these days.
It was almost a year later before I began to explore it for myself with any diligence, and I'm still into my 6th month of learning how to run all over again. The ah-ha came when I watched my dog one morning - dogs get it. The photo here (Kevin Moloney for The New York Times) shows the contrast perfectly: you can see the dog is on his forefoot, but the "advanced" species behind him is on its heels.
Progress is made anytime I can "see" the dog's feet in my mind and simultaneously feel what's happening on the ground. It becomes more stroke than stride, more pull than push, more caress than impact. I can't think of a better example of positive image leading to positive action.
