RunWaterloo, Any tips for how to look attractive while running? This year I did a 10K, half and this 5K. No good photos from any!!!
Dear Unphotogenic,
You have landed on the greatest runner’s dilemma to date. What is the point of a shiny, new PR if all of your race photos look like you are grimacing in pain?
The truth is, taking a good race photo is difficult but not impossible.
The first thing to do is smile. If you see a photographer ahead of you, smiling will help to relax you and will also ensure that you look like you are having a good time on the course, even though it is kilometre 16 of your half marathon and you would rather be on the post-race massage table.
Finish lines can be tricky too.
The good news is, you have the entire race to plan your grand finale. If you have the strength, lifting both arms over your head is a great victory pose as you cross the line. Other ideas are a fist pump or offering a high-five. Just make sure that you have enough energy to execute all of the above – nothing is worse than a half-hearted fist pump to make you cringe at your race photos.
If you want a number of angles, hand a camera to a family member or friend to capture images of your race. Increasing the photos increases the odds of capturing a photo you are happy with, right?
Now go forth and own those race photos in the 2014 season!
Recently, I was told that one should breathe through the nose rather than the mouth as much as possible while running. Is that correct?
Dear Breather,
It is both correct and incorrect. And good for you for asking. So often runners focus on training their legs and increasing their VO2 max that they skip the fact that you can train to breath properly.
To break it down, better breathing is more oxygen throughout the body, which translates into increased endurance.
You should breath through both your nose and mouth while running because your body has an increased need for oxygen and your mouth provides more air than your nostrils alone. Exhaling through your mouth also releasing more carbon dioxide. Also, make sure you are taking deep breaths from your diaphragm, not your chest.
If you are setting breathing patterns, make sure that you are inhaling longer than you are exhaling, for instance, breathing in for three counts and out for two counts.
Happy running!
Have a question for us? Email it to Jessica, the editor of the RunWaterloo blog at [email protected].
