I won the argument and your weekly running homework.

The only way to survive in Arizona in the summer is to live in the pool.   Add a huge big toy with buckets of water that dump down on you, slides and a lazy river (Brooke and I got a tube and went around the lazy river at least 70 times) and you’ve got yourself a pretty awesome afternoon.

She prefers a ponytail when we go swimming so that her hair stays out of her face.  She is definitely teething.. that hand is always in her mouth.  

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Brooke’s favorite thing is to splash and splash but then sometimes the water gets in her face and she acts so shocked that someone would splash water on her.  

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We had to stop for froyo on the way home.  I try and try to convince Billy that I eat it so much for the health benefits and finally I have scientific proof to back up my argument.   

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Forget the fact that I top mine with chocolate covered marshmallows, butterfingers, carmel cups and cookie dough.  That information is completely irrelevant.

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How is this for a great lunch after you eat a lot of froyo.  Ravioli (from Costco) and a homemade sauce that the SIL got from the back of the ravioli bag. 

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 And then we got to work making the No Bake Eclair Dessert and eating graham crackers.

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Am I the only human being in the world that didn’t know about the easiest way ever to cut a watermelon?  The way I usually cut it ends up wasting a lot of the watermelon but this way was so fast and allowed for maximum watermelon eatage.

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Time for your weekly running homework (aka the reading assignments that my coach gives me and I share with you so that we can learn together).  This week’s homework had a lot to do with running form… I wonder if that means he watched my running videos and I have a few things to change;)

Cadence: Put a new spin on your running.

Running tips for the PERFECT FORM.

10 Components of Good Running Form

Posture, Position and Cadence:

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How to Boost Your Cadence.

An entire website about running form!!!  Complete with awesome videos on good form which definitely helps you to prevent injuries and to get faster!

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Do you have common running form or good running form?

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Heal striker or do you land mid-foot?  Have you ever figured out your cadence?

What is going to be the best part about your weekend?

What foods remind you of summer?

-Watermelon, popscicles, hamburgers and ice cream.

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87 comments

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I have a very good running form and I’m a mid-heal striker, I was fortunate enough to get my dad’s good running genes!

So much will be great about my weekend, where to start? Today is my birthday!

Barbecues and everything included remind me of summer!

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Happy birthday!! :)

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I am a midfoot striker. My form is decent but could always use more work. Smoothies and popsicles are my favorite summer foods and I am so excited that it is finally ok to eat both every single day :)

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I try to live in the pool no matter where I am!!

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Wait a second… they have chocolate covered marshmallows at your froyo place? I need to move I think. We don’t have those here! I’m a heel striker big time. My coach is really working on getting my knees up so that I run on my toes but it’s tough to change that. Summer foods: corn and s’mores. I would say ice cream, but I eat that every day.

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Lol, I thought the same thing….covered chocolate marshmallows would be awesome.

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That pool looks amazing! I want to know who was arguing he fact that fro yo is good for you?!?!

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I’m a mid striker. One of your chocolate pieces looks like a turtle, I’m just saying…

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The best thing about my weekend is going to be on Sunday. I am running my first marathon! I really want it to be warm enough to go swimming here soon. One of the families I work for added me to their pool pass. Perfection.

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Good luck!! I’m running my first half on Sunday! :) Cellcom. Where’s yours?

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Thanks! Good luck to you as well. I’m running Cellcom as well! Small world. I keep calling it Green Bay but it sounds like more people refer to it as Cellcom. How do you feel? Ready for the race?

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It is a small world!! I think I’m ready. I’m hoping to break 2 hours. I did 12 two weeks ago in 1:45 so I think I can do it! It feels weird to taper! Are you ready?

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Brooke is so cute in the pool!
Thanks for the running forward tips! I am trying to work hard on my form. I notice that when I get tired, I start to lean sideways. It’s weird!
Watermelon, cooking on the grill, and corn on the cob remind me of summer!

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I don’t know how to tell if I’m a heel striker or not… I love Brooks bathing suit btw! :) Any kind of BBQ reminds me of summer! and Ice cream!

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I used to run barefoot on the wet sand a lot in Virginia to help me understand how I was striking the ground and also to work on my lean. To help with lean, I’d also stand a foot (or so) back from the bathroom sink and lean. Seeing myself in the mirror and having a safe-stable environment helped me grow more comfortable in how I felt leaning. Plus, I had the visual.

Corn on the cob always reminds me of summer.

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The best part of my weekend is helping my running partner and her kids throw a fundraiser for the Martin family (from Boston). They organized a fun run for kids and all the money goes to the family!

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Watermelon always makes me think of summer and I plan on running in a Color Me Rad race. Yippee!

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All that food looks so good!! This weekend I’m supposed to run a 10K but I’ve got a muscle sprain in my foot so it’s probably not the best idea. Bleh.

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I heel strike really bad, hence current injury. I went to a good form running clinic where we discussed these things and I found out my cadence is really low and it’s something that I need to work on when I start running again.

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I’m totally a heel striker! I’ve been trying really hard to move to a mid-foot strike or at least to keep my strike underneath me and have to be very conscious while running. The best part of my weekend will be a date night with my husband since we haven’t had one in months!

Can we just talk about how stinkin cute Brooke is?! And my absolute favorite summer food is ice cream or froyo. I could have either everyday!

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I’m a mid foot strike. My five finger shoes makes me to be one.

Brooke is so dang cute with that ponytail and little swimsuit!!

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My oldest daughter loves the lazy river too! She likes to be held, legs out, and then we ‘run’ really fast with the current. A new aquatic center is opening nearby this weekend, and I am so excited. For me – lap swimming any time. For the girls – slides, splash pad and a lazy river. AWESOME! Have a great weekend!

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If I’m thinking about it, I’m a mid-foot striker, but when I get lost in my thoughts and stop thinking about form (which is most of the time), I’m a heal striker – gotta work on that!

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Yogurtland in the western United States is SO different from here in Atlanta- it’s not fair! Chocolate covered marshmallows? So jealous.

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Hmm the best part of my weekend will be either girl’s night (karaoke!!!) or visiting my cousin and her sweet little kids.

Summer foods= corn on the cob, smores, and nectarines!!

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That water park looks awesome!!! Can’t wait for summer to come! I have horrible running form. At the beginning of my run it isn’t so bad, but come end when I am tired I know its bad. Something I am really trying to work on, thanks for the reminder!

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I am a mid foot striker…def closer to the toes than to the heel.

I love fro yo and ice cream…I pretty much need it everyday!

Summer foods…burgers, corn on the cob, peaches, and if you are from Maryland, you can’t go a summer without crabs :).

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We just took my daughter to a water park yesterday and she did NOT like touching the water. As long as she stayed in her float out of the water, or in my arms, she was fine. (she turned 8 months old yesterday)
That’s so funny about Brooke though. She’s so adorable.

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Splashing babies = soundly sleeping babies, which is a win for everyone!

Great info on form for running. I like to think I’m using good form until I see a picture of myself running and then it’s no way, that’s what I look like?! I’m scared to see a video of myself in action based on my still shots. Ha!

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That waterpark looks like so much fun!! Brooke’s ponytail is just too cute!

The best part of my weekend is going to be graduating college!!!!!!!!!! With my best friends and boyfriend :) 4 years went by TOO fast!

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Wow!!!!! Huge congrats!!!!

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I am kind of a mixed heel/mid foot striker. Working on becoming less of a heel striker.
Best part of my weekend will be my nephew’s high school graduation! ( and running a random half marathon while visiting ;)
Summer foods….grilled burgers,potato salad,tuna macaroni salad and baked beans!!! Mmmmmmmm………
Thx for sharing your “reading assignment!” So much great info.
Stay cool!!!!

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The water park looks like such a blast! Brooke is too cute in the water!!

Best part about this weekend is my boyfriend and i are trying a restaurant we had to make reservations for a month in advance. To say im excited is an understatement :)

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Potato salad always reminds me of summer. I need to check the form websites out. I “slightly” heel strike: foot under my body, not out front, quick roll to the forefoot. It’s weird. I can land midfoot if I think about it, though.

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I don’t think I ever was too bad of a heel striker. I try to pay attention to my stride when running to make sure I am keeping a good form.
Best part of my weekend will be the first farmer’s market of the year!
BBQ, mini donuts, s’mores and watermelon!

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I’m with you on watermelon being the perfect summer food! I also love a good hot dog and grilled veggies. YUM! I’m going to a running clinic next week to learn about my form and hopefully I learn that I’m doing most things the right way :-)

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I’m the common running form! I am definitely a heel striker, but I am working on it with every run. I keep trying to pull myself up and lean forward, next is generating energy with moving my arms and not heel striking.

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When I first started running I was a heel-striker, which helped me to develop shin splints (BOOOOO), but then I did some research, really focused on my stride and form and finally I’ve switched (naturally, with minimal effort) to a more midfoot strike. I’m interested to find out out my cadence though. Just to see where I am and how much I need to speed up haha

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I have good running form but it has taken practice and if I get tired I have to think about it. I feel like I’m a mid foot striker but watching other people at races leads me to believe that most people land on their heel unless they run on their toes. I even slow down running commercials to see how the runners lands. Yes, I know it’s weird but I have a fascination with the bio mechanics of running.

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I’m trying to work on the mid-foot strike. I still heel strike most of the time. I find it easier to concentrate on my form if I am on the treadmill in front of the mirror. This weekend is Chris and my 1 year anniversary!! So the kids are gone with my parents camping and we are going to have lots of alone time :) Fruit salads and grilled chicken are my summertime go to foods!

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I just started paying attention to my foot strike and am conciously working for a midfoot strike! (It feels like I land flat on my foot….is that still wrong? probably? I have no idea what I’m doing!)

The best part of my weekend is that I am getting together with my two best girls from grad school (they both left after getting their masters – I’m finishing up my PhD) for an overnight! I’m so excited that I don’t want to do any work today! :)

I’m totally fascinated with this way of slicing watermelon – now I need to get a watermelon to try it!

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What splash place is this? I’m taking my daughter to Phoenix in a few weeks and trying to plan out a fun itinerary for this hot weather. Coming from the east coast I’m scared of the heat!

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Froyo would actually be a healthy snack if you get no sugar added ones with just fruit and nut toppings… but who does that?!?! Haha

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I used to be a heel-striker, but when I started trail running, I became a forefoot striker. Now I could hardly land on my heel if I tried! And I have to say, I am SUPER jealous of your froyo consumption! I don’t even know if we have a single froyo establishment in the entire state of NH, but if we do, I’m sure it’s at least an hour away! :(

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I start out with a mid-foot stride and then once my body becomes tired I end up heal striking! Best part about the weekend is that we are not traveling!! Summer foods include popsicles, hamburgers and smoothies!

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Your day looks amazing. I want to go to that water park!

I’m a heel striker!

The best part about my weekend will be going out to dinner tonight with my family and then the movies!

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Oh gosh-my heart just melts at pictures of Brooke. With her little swimsuit and ponytail. Too cute for words! I TRY to run midfoot, I guess I should video myself to see, and I have no idea what my cadence it. I’m sure not what it should be. The exact same things remind me of summer-all food related of course! Best thing about the weekend is Friday, knowing I don’t have to work for 2 whole days!

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Berries remind me of summer and I can’t wait for them to come into season! I think I land mid foot most of the time but I’m not entirely sure.

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Brookie’s such a doll. Love her hair up! And froyo will always be the most nutritious food, in my book. ;)

I don’t actually know if I’m a heel-striker or a midfoot-striker or my cadence or if my form actually looks decent and not like a fish. I try to keep good form while I’m running, but I’ve never videotaped me or had someone watch me to actually see if I succeed or not.

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I have NO idea about my form but am curious to learn more about it. I think it definitely effects how I run and any injuries I get. Something I need to pay attention to for sure!

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My running form needs so much help. One of these years I will actually take the time to try and correct my form. I love that your coach sends you those articles too. Kinda jealous!

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Midfoot striker! WAtermelon, burgers, hot dogs, chips and salsa, and smoothies galore :) Best part of my weekend will be today when I get to meet up with my girlfriend!

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Jealous that its warm enough for the water park where you are! Summer definitely hasn’t arrived in Texas.

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Love the watermelon cutting technique! I will be buying one of those soon since we finally have summer like temperatures here in Chicago. Had an amazing hamburger off the grill last night, oh how I love summer :)

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I’m going shopping in Park City tomorrow :) That will be fun!
Watermelon is definitely a top summer food! Also otter pops.

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When I got injured I literally did everything I could to figure out why I was getting injured and staying injured. I explored lots of different things and finally decided to read Chi Running and realized that my form was a huge problem. I really concentrated on leaning forward and trying to make sure that I had a mid foot strike and it helped me so much! In fact, it was a life saver and I’ve been injury free (knock on wood) ever since!

Foods that remind me of summer are hot dogs, popsicles, strawberries, tomatoes, and avocados :)

I’m excited for this weekend because we are throwing an engagement party for our friends tomorrow night and the weather is going to be hot and nice and I cannot wait to lay out and finally get a tan!!!

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Watermelon and snow cones are my summer foods. I guess ice cream would be, but I eat that all year round :)

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This is excellent! I am a striker and it causes me a lot of pain. I blame years of marching and being told to pull my toes up. Thank you for the helpful tips and guides. I am getting ready to train for my first full marathon and I need to work on these mechanics. I recently started using ismoothrun and it has given me my cadence on recent runs at about 84 so I am not too far off. What is great about that app is it has a built in metronome I can set.

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I bought this amazing melon slicer from Sam’s Club that cuts up to a 15 lb melon and it’s awesome. It’s like a giant apple slicer. I love it! It cuts your fruit into wedges. Foods that remind me of summer are watermelon, veggie kabobs, ice cream, and s’mores, even though I don’t really eat them anymore!

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I think if I was in Arizona in the summer, I would try to stay submerged in water at all times. Water parks must be *very* popular there. I’ll admit that my running form is probably awful, but I haven’t ever had it analyzed. Should probably do that. I think the most exciting part of my weekend will be running a half marathon on Sunday. I’m planning to run it at an easy pace, but I think it will be fun. Thanks for teaching me a great way to cut a watermelon! I normally just cut it into slices and then cut the rind off the slices, which I’m sure takes up way more time.

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Love the pictures of the running form and foot-striking. I used to be a heavy heel-striker, but I have become more cognizant and try to be a mid-foot striker now. I think it has helped me be less prone to injuries.
OMG. That way DOES look easier to cut watermelon! I’m going to do that next time and impress everyone :D

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I am a midfoot striker–most of the time—sometimes when I’m really really tired my technique dies :)

Also, my arms tend to want to do there own thing :/

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You know I used to be a heel striker until I took up barefoot running. My cadence is anywhere from 185-200 steps per min now.

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Aw what a fun day at the water park, Brooke looks so cute in her bathing suit!

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I am one of those lucky ppl that run on their toes! Awful for form, but I’m trying to correct it :) The most exciting thing about my weekend is a race I’m doing Sunday. I originally wanted to do the 10 mile race, but due to my IT band, I unfortunatly have to do the 5K…I’m aiming for 24 min. Did you get you IT band issues from overuse, form, or a combo of both? I’m hoping mine feels better ASAP bc I have 4 races (so far) this summer!!

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Maybe because I do a lot of sprints and shorter distances, I tend to forefoot strike. It’s kind of a problem since sprinting form =/= running form; I’ve gotten some calf and achilles injuries. Working on midfoot for distance races.

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I’ve never cut a watermelon like that! You just opened up a whole new world to me. :)

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I am now changing the way I cut watermelon from here on out. I always miss out, too! And I cut a loooooot of watermelon come summertime!

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Cool info! I am a mid-foot striker mostly, and I actually have pretty good form, simply because I have a strong core & good posture. Thanks to years of ballet & now teaching a core class ;)

LOVE fro yo. So so much.

And that water place looks amaze!

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I had no idea to cut a watermelon like that! That is just fantastic.

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I don’t really ever pay attention to my form so it’s probs pretty bad. I think I’m a heel striker! I can’t believe I’ve never had froyo still. It needs to happen. The best part of my weekend is my first half marathon on Sunday!!

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Hamburgers remind me of summer! and anything else you can cook on the grill!

I have always been a forefoot striker. My soccer team nick named me “prancer”…the I read Born to Run and realized I was ahead of the game, ha. I’m sure there’s something wrong with my form, though, because I get shoulder cramps when I run a lot.

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i am so excited for the return of watermelon season! it’s my favorite =)

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I try to practice Chi running. I have tried to learn from the book but really want to take a workshop. I trued to sign up for one close by but was wait listed.

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I’m definitely sharing the form tips and I didn’t know how to cut a watermelon like that either! :-)

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I’m a mid-foot striker and like to think I have pretty good running form. There is always room for improvement though.

Even though I eat it all year round – FroYo reminds me of summer. I bought my first watermelon of the season this week. I’ll have to try out your technique!

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Yummm I want watermelon and a pool asap!

xo

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My biggest problem with form is that I lean forward from the waist instead of my ankles. I’ve been trying to work on it, but it feels so awkward!

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I’m more of a heel striker but will try to change that; I’ve never counted cadence but that is due to change too

I am playing in a soccer tournament tomorrow and Sunday

Frozen yogurt (who am I kidding; that is an every season thing!) popsicles, and slushies

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I’m a heel striker when I first start running but as soon as I run up a hill (I run on a pretty hilly street) I become a mid-foot striker. And I think I’ve just had a light bulb moment…the beginning of my run (when I’m heel striking) seems all over the place and much harder than the end of my run (when I’m mid-foot striking)…hmmm
Anything cooked on the grill, watermelon, snow cones, and popsicles remind me of summer.
The most exciting thing I’m doing this weekend is running at a park by a little league field so afterwards I can buy a blue coconut snow cone from their concession stand!!

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Heal striker or do you land mid-foot?
I used to run heel, until I read about ChiRunning. Now I’m a mid-foot.

What is going to be the best part about your weekend?
-Running 15 miles…hopefully the rain will hold off.

What foods remind you of summer?
Anything grilled and corn on the cob!

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I’m still a bit low, cadence-wise. Trying to bump my 170s up to 180, but the moment my mind wanders….I drop back to my old, slower-turnover habits!

Summer, to me = watermelon, BBQ chicken, and roasted marshmallows!!!

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Foods that remind me of summer – hamburgers, ice cream, and pasta salad!!!

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What splash pad is that? I live in Phoenix and that one looks awesome I want to go to it!

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Thanks for the running form tips. I will try to remember it on my run tomorrow morning!!

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double stuffed frosting is the ONLY way to live your life

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I recently found out I have Exertional Compartment Syndrome. I thought the only way I’d be able to run again was to have surgery. :( What a coincidence that you wrote about posture and running form! My physical therapist said with learning how to run with a forefoot strike, working on my form, and stretching I may be able to run again! :) Maybe if I heal, I’ll have to run a marathon with you sometime! haha

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