This is my first entry for sleep time, but I don't know how to add how many times I was interrupted during the night - which was 3 times last night! ;o) I'm finally home!!! We stayed a day in NM with my parents yesterday. We have to split up the drive from AZ to CO because my kids (and I) can't handle long travel days. So, we always stop at my parents house which is about half way to my in-laws. As we drove into town at 5:00, the thermostat in our car said it was 55 degrees!!! I couldn't believe it! So, as soon as we unpacked the car and listened to our phone messages, my husband let me go running while he got dinner on for the kids. (I know, I am the luckiest woman!) He also did most of the bathing as I was running around putting things away and trying to locate clean pajamas. The run was great. It was nice to be home and back to familiar streets; even though it was dusk by the time I headed out and stars were shining bright by the time I got home. So, I have a question ... Lybi said that I should use quick steps instead of long strides for my race because they are more efficient. Is that true for running in general or just for races when you are running more anaerobic? Since I've never had a running coach, I have running technique questions that I've always felt too silly to ask, like: should my arms be down by my waist when I run or just relaxed and high where they feel comfortable? And should they swing in front of me or at my sides? Is it bad to look down at the ground 5 feet ahead of me - should I always look far ahead? How do you know if your shoulders are too tense when you're running? When should I start adding tempo runs and is there any technique I should be aware of? What about Chi running or the Lydiard techniques? Does anyone have any input for a newbie? | 