I am now entering my third week of NYC Marathon training and I must say it is off to a highly average start. Aside from the insanely sick new pair of Glycerin 11’s I bought, everything has been just “whatever”. I’ve been hammering the weekly miles, adding speed and hills and managing the expectations of my long runs. Uneventful, but if all 14 weeks are average and blah, I’ll take it.
One thing I have noticed is my form. It has changed, but not on purpose. I owe this change to what I can only say has been an unexpected training tool…..the BOB. Yes, BOB the running stroller. The weeks leading up to the start of marathon training I was setting off for 2-4 miles of easy running with BOB and the baby. Being 6 months old my little guy is now able to come out with me for a run and I found myself, during my daddy duties, opting for a run to help him fall asleep for a mid-morning nap. Up and down hills. Weaving potholes. I started to become comfortable with the pushing, holding back and arm carriage necessary t
o control the BOB.
The benefits I have seen from running with the BOB are pretty amazing. I’ve:
- Learned to control my pace and hold back on declines
- Focused on a consistent effort on hills
- Reset my arm carriage for a more powerful position around mid-stomach
I don’t know if it is all in my head or if all three things above are from running with the BOB. Maybe my form was simply terrible in the past. Maybe the BOB is the best training tool there is out there. Who knows! Perhaps we will start to see a bunch of empty BOB’s being pushed around by single dudes….maybe with a bag of flower or rice in it to mimic a baby- all in an effort to become a more efficient runner and to pick up single chicks on the run.
Who knows if there is any truth to this, but would love to hear other parents weigh in on the BOB as a training tool.
What other strange training tools have you implemented? How much do you pay attention to your form? Do you find your form change over longer distances?
-Scott