So, if correct technique is not the “something special” about a runner’s movements that constitutes the essence of skillful running, then what is? Arthur Lydiard hinted at an alternative in his celebrated 1962 article in Sports Illustrated. That article contained exactly one paragraph on the topic of form. In four short sentences, Lydiard said everything he felt a runner needed to know about the matter. “Forget about form,” he wrote. “If a joker throws his arms around, that’s fine, so long as he is fit and relaxed. Then he runs smoother and easier, and form takes care of itself. We want the
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