HomeRunning Styles
I love running with other people. I'm not knocking solo running, but there is something special about running in a group.
Conversation. Banter. Silence when the going gets tough.
Catching up with runners who haven't attended in a while.
Checking in on those who are struggling with an injury.
Hearing how preparations are going for an upcoming event.
"What do you think of your new shoes?"
"Is that headlamp any good?"
"What was the XXX run like?"
"Good on ya mate, you're doing well!"
"How's the knee?"
My girlfriend says it is rude to make personal remarks. I'm scared of her, so I try to avoid it.
But part of group running is observing those around you. It seems only natural to pay attention to the different running styles. My tendency is then to categorize and critique. I hope this is not rude. If it is, I'll have to rely on the forgiving nature of my fellow runners...
The Rag Doll
This runner has a very "loosey-goosey" style. There is something rubbery in their movements, almost flappy. The limbs seem to flail a little. I like to watch this type of runner as they seem both effortless, and immune to any sort of impact damage. There is so much elasticity in their movements. It is like they dance along.
The Hired Muscle
This runner smashes their way to the finish line. Like a boxer in the ring, they beat the run into submission. There is nothing streamlined or subtle about their style. There doesn't have to be. They grab the run by the neck, informing it of how things are going to proceed. Every muscle seems tensed, although it might just be the nature of the angular definition. If you could convince them to do so, you're certain they could carry you to the finish line effortlessly.
The Windup Toy
This is the technical runner. Short stride. Fast cadence. Broomstick spine. Head up. Forearms at exactly 90 degrees to upper arms, pumping busily back and forwards with no cross-body motion. Lacking apparent vertical oscillation. There is a textbook-derived precision to their action.
The Loper
This is the "I run my way" runner. No need to conform to best practices or the notions of others. They run the way that feels good to them. Long strides. A relaxed and easy motion that borders on slow motion.
The Bounder
This runner is an interesting one. They have energy and elasticity. They seem to get an unnatural amount of vertical air in each stride. Aspects of both the Loper and the Rag Doll. Just as fast as anyone else but they look like they should be going slower because it seems like too much effort is going in to getting height on each step.
The Struggler
A furrowed brow. Eyes doggedly focused ahead and down. Slightly stooped and shoulders rounded forwards. Often hard breathing, but not always. Determination on two legs. Short steps bordering on a shuffle. Listening more than talking.
??
So, which of these am I?
I can't be 100% sure because I've never seen myself running. Not the Hired Muscle, I don't have the body. And not the Bounder, I have neither the energy or the elasticity. Same goes for the Rag Doll. I am not flexible enough. I'd venture "shuffler", however I've never actually observed that style. If pressed, maybe I am a Loper, who aspires to be a Windup Toy, but whom most would identify as a Struggler.
No doubt there are more styles to discover. Most runners will exhibit traits from several of the above classes, either continuously, or at different stages in a run. The classes are descriptive, and don't necessarily carry a qualitative connotation. In the small sphere of runners I interact with (on club runs, and at parkrun) I have not observed the "best" runners to be exclusively in one class or another. Maybe the Windup Toy has an edge here, but this is far from definitive.
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