keep your feet under you

Or, stay above your feet. It sounds like obvious knowledge for runners and walkers and ambulators of all kinds but although it's basic it needs repeated practice. And the more I think about foot placement while I'm running the more I come back to this same beginning. Whether it's running in conventional running shoes, fluorescent minimalist trend-setters, barefoot, or dress shoes… it's all the same starting point. Feet under and equal - if they're way out in front then way out in back but better yet just short and quick turn over without over trying - the feet, the legs the body knows what to do if you just get out of its way. The perfect stride lies somewhere between practice and instinct, effort and glide, one foot and the other, one foot and the other… A decade of running practice and I'm still practicing the first lesson… always practicing the first lesson.