How silly do you look when you run?

According to this article, no matter how economical a persons running style is, it doesn't make much of a difference in respect to how fast that person runs. My favorite quote in this article is "there is no way to tell by looking at a runner whether he will win, place or come in last." This means studying someones running style will not allow there speed to be predicted. In my opinion the greater test would to talk to the person and find out their mental fortitude. If they are a strong-willed, Type A personality they will probably do better than someone who is not. I have even noticed this while running with friends. Recently, one friend was getting ahead of me while we were doing hill work. I knew he was capable, but I just wasn't feeling it. Later in the run, we ran into a friend I knew on a bike. This small conversation and interaction gave a boost to my run.

There is one particular instance that sticks out in my mind when I was contemplating my running style and how I could make it better. I talked with an experienced member of my running community about how one member ran on the ball of their foot and inquired as to if it was better than running heal to toe. He told, and convinced, me not to worry about it. He told me that training was the path to gain speed not a change in running style. A friend once told me "if you want to run faster, you have to run faster." I suppose it is also true for distance. If you want to run farther, you have to run farther. And, as with most things, training/practice makes you better.

As a last point to ponder from the article. It doesn't even matter if your "arms tied behind [your] back;" there is still not much of a difference in running economy.

Off Topic...Jury Duty Day Two...

This is a continuation of the post from yesterday.

On the second day of jury duty, everything went exactly the same, except we did not get the pleasure of watching the bad 80s film. This time though, I was seated as a member of the jury. It was clearly stated that the members of the jury were there to determine the facts of the case from what was presented. I am not going to go into detail regarding the particular trial I was on, but suffice to say one or both sides was/were probably lying. There was a possibility that different perspectives created different stories, but somewhere in the middle was the truth and without certainties we could not convict. It was a criminal case, which means the jury must find "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant was guilty as charged. The Attorneys for both sides presented their cases and as this is the part that is usually seen in shows like Law and Order , I will exclude a description. Likewise is the giving of the verdict in court. In between is the jury deliberation. I work with Attorneys who are very curious about this part of the trail because they rarely, if ever, get to see what happens behind the closed doors of the jury's chambers. A foreperson is chosen or, basically, whoever is willing to volunteer. Our foreperson, went through all of the jury instructions and pulled out the statements of law and we deliberated as to whether the incidents were against the law as stated. Most laws have more than one criteria that must be met to be considered breaking the law. In our case one criterion was met, but another was not, thusly, the defendant did not break the law, as written.

My overall thought for the day was that if I ever had to go through the process I feel my rights would be protected because there are so many procedures to ensure things are done fairly and justly. Although I feel this way about how things might go as participant of trial, I don't have the same optimistic thoughts as part of a jury. Being in the jury pool and as part of a jury my biggest complaint would have to be how long things took to complete. I would prefer a streamlined process that was more efficient. It was a very informative day that gave me confidence in the system, except to know that by lying/or remembering a different series of events anyone can get off.

Off Topic...Jury Duty Day One...

Per a comment from an earlier post, I am expanding upon my experience of jury duty and the process. My experience comes from one day of waiting for 2.5 hours and not being picked for a jury, and another day of waiting for a little bit less time and be selected for a jury. In the end, it was very interesting to understand how our judicial system works with a hands-on experience.

The first day of jury duty I was a little bit apprehensive because it was something I had never done before. Trying to find where to park downtown, entering the courthouse through the correct door, finding the correct room after entering, and what was expected of me upon entering said room. Figuring out where to go was easier than expected. Upon entering the jury waiting room, as expected, I checked in and grabbed a seat to await further instruction. Then, the County Clerk introduced herself, welcomed, thanked everyone for coming, and started an instructional movie about the Judicial system. This movie, as you might expect, was taped in the 80s and very informative, but will not be winning an award. Then, those who had not had jury duty earlier in the week were "sworn in." Afterward, we were left to our own devices to fill time until the judges were ready for us. Luckily, I had talked with someone that had been on jury duty before and they told me to take something to keep me busy, consequently, I took a book.

When the judges were finally ready for us the County Clerk called our names and the court Bailiffs took us downstairs to the proper court room. Once in the courtroom the Judge called our names and had us sit in a certain order starting in the jury gallery and leading into the back public seating area. Once in this arrangement the Judge began asking questions, about our personal experiences, that might determine if we had a conflict of interest. Examples would include: Do you know any of the parties involved? Do you know a member of any police force? Do you have any prior cases? et cetera. After the Judge's questions, the representing Attorneys had a chance to ask further questions they thought pertinent to the case. Once the questioning was over they sent everyone out to the hallway so the judge and attorneys could pick the jury. After about 10 minutes they called everyone back in and sat the jury. As I was not called, I was free to go.

Day two to come...