Mid-run check-ups

It's a cruel trick really...  proper form helps you run efficiently, run easier, get tired less, breathe better, etc.  And when we get tired, what's the first thing to go?  Our good form.  So when we get tired, we lose our form, which then makes us run with less efficiency and breathe with reduced efficiency, which then compounds that "oh my goodness is this run ever going to end" feeling that we already had that made us lose the form in the first place.  ....  got it?

So remember to perform mid-run check-ups as you go:

When you first start feeling tired, start at your feet and make your way up, running through a list of items to check off to make sure you're not killing yourself, all by yourself.

1. Are my feet landing flat (forefoot - ie, Not heel)
2. Is my cadence quick enough or am I leaving my feet on the ground too long (quick step)
3. Are my knees bent (Really bent)
4. Am I Lifting/Pulling my foot off the ground (with my quads & hamstrings) or am I pushing off (with my calves)
5. Am I clinching my fists (or locking my elbows or holding tension in my shoulders)
6. Is my back straight, my shoulders back, and my head tall
7. Am I breathing.

Check through the list ever-so-often and use it to "reset" yourself and your efficiency - you'll be amazed at how doing this simple 30 second check-up can completely obliterate feelings of early fatigue