🏃‍♀️The "Mirror Check"

Today’s newsletter is written by Letty from Marathon Media. Letty hosts both, the Marathon Running Podcast and LettyRuns YouTube Channel.

This week, let’s use an everyday part of our environment as a powerful tool for self-improvement. This is the "Mirror Check", a practice of intentionally using storefront windows, car reflections, or any reflective surface you encounter on your run to get real-time, non-judgmental feedback on your running form. It’s a simple, free, and incredibly effective way to become a student of your own body and to make small adjustments that lead to big improvements in your running.

On a typical run, we often rely on feel to tell us if our form is good. But our perception of our form can be different from reality. The Mirror Check is designed to bridge that gap. By taking a quick glance at your reflection, you get a visual cue of your posture, your arm swing, and your stride. You can ask yourself, "Are my shoulders hunched forward?" or "Is my head looking down?" This simple practice gives you an objective snapshot of your form, allowing you to identify habits—good and bad—that you can then work on throughout the rest of your run. It’s a powerful act of self-awareness that turns your environment into a personal coaching tool.

Think about how much a coach's feedback can help you improve. The Mirror Check gives you a version of that, but without the judgment. It’s a neutral piece of information that you can use to make a small, intentional adjustment. You might see that your arms are crossing your midline, and you can then consciously work on keeping them swinging forward and backward. Or you might notice that you're leaning too far back, and you can make the subtle change to lean forward slightly from your ankles. These small, deliberate adjustments can lead to a more efficient, powerful, and injury-resistant running stride over time.

Why Practice the Mirror Check?

• Instant Form Feedback: This practice gives you a quick, objective snapshot of your form, which is a great way to identify bad habits.

• Enhances Self-Awareness: By intentionally looking at your reflection, you become more in tune with your body and how it moves.

• Improves Posture: It’s a simple and effective way to remind yourself to stand tall, keep your shoulders back, and look forward.

• A Free Coaching Tool: It requires no special equipment and can be done on any run, at any time, making it an incredibly accessible way to work on your form.

How to Intentionally Incorporate a Mirror Check into Your Next Run:

• Choose Your Reflective Surfaces: Identify a few storefront windows or shiny cars on your running route that you can use for your check.

• Take a Quick Glance: As you approach a reflective surface, take a quick, non-judgmental glance at your form. Don’t slow down or change your form drastically.

• Focus on One Thing: Instead of trying to fix everything at once, focus on one aspect of your form, like your posture, arm swing, or head position.

• Make a Small Adjustment: Based on what you see, make a small, intentional adjustment to your form for the next few minutes of your run.

This week, I encourage you to see your environment not just as a backdrop, but as a tool for improvement. By embracing the Mirror Check, you can become your own coach, making small adjustments with big payoffs that will lead to a more graceful, efficient, and confident running stride.

Happy (and self-aware) running!