Parallels Between Running and Public Speaking
This spring, I trained for and ran the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail Half Marathon. It was my first half marathon since the pandemic started. It felt amazing to complete it with several longtime running friends.
On March 26, 2023, Katie Thomson, Christine Clapp, Rachel Fenton, and Kim Platt complete the B&A Trail Half Marathon. Photo credit: Christopher P. Lu
During training, I developed pain in my right hip – probably bursitis, according to a health professional, who recommended a running analysis to see if there might be ways to prevent rather than just treat the pain. I did the running analysis. It was both insightful and overwhelming. Turns out, I drop my left hip each time my left foot strikes the ground, I strike the ground with my right heel, I scissor my right foot over my midline, and I ever-so-slightly drag my left foot with each stride. YIKES!
As the physical therapist was pointing out all these issues in slow-motion video on an iPad, I started to feel overwhelmed. How could I possibly fix all these issues? Would I be able to continue to run long distances without pain?
This reaction is like the experience our clients have when Spoken with Authority coaches review video of them speaking. Our coaches point out multiple behaviors that may not be serving the presenter. The presenter can easily observe them, but doesn’t know how to remedy them and starts to feel overwhelmed and discouraged.
The good news in both running and public speaking is that one behavior change can have a ripple of positive effects. For example, when speakers focus on pausing in silence to reduce “ums” and “ahs,” oftentimes they reduce distracting physical movements (like swaying and fidgeting) too. When speakers use our Sandwich Structure to outline and rehearse their presentation, oftentimes their eye contact increases and nervousness decreases. When speakers add more vocal variations, oftentimes their facial expressions and hand gestures become more animated, authentic, and engaging. When speakers work on breathing more effectively, oftentimes their posture, volume, and speaking rate also improve.
And in the case of my gait, the physical therapist suggested that I start by changing my cadence, or the number of times my feet touch the ground per minute, from 164 beats per minute to 170. She had me try the faster cadence running on a treadmill set at the same comfortable pace she had recorded me initially. To get my cadence up to 170 steps per minute, I felt like I was taking tiny, awkward, and hurried shuffles. But, when we reviewed video, the physical therapist recorded of my gait that time, the problem areas improved significantly – less left-hip drop, less right-heel strike, no more right-foot scissor, and no more left-foot drag. While my gait still wasn’t technically perfect, the physical therapist was confident the increased cadence would be a change that I could reasonably implement, and it would make me a healthier runner overall.
In the weeks since the running analysis, I’ve been focusing on getting comfortable with the 170 beat-per-minute cadence. It still doesn’t feel natural, but it is more comfortable every run. And, more importantly, I haven’t had any pain in my hip.
Similarly, our goal at Spoken with Authority is to help our clients feel less overwhelmed and to demystify what they can do to improve. Our presentation skills and communication experts identify changes they can make in their speaking to give them the greatest boost in effectiveness and confidence that they can reasonably sustain with the least amount of struggle.
Is it easy to change your speaking behaviors or your running gait? No. But having an expert give you concrete, actionable, and achievable advice that produces tangible results in a matter of weeks is absolutely worth it.
If you want to feel less pain and reach your full potential as a presenter, book an initial consultation with us at Spoken with Authority to discuss coaching options. And, if you want to feel less pain and reach your full potential as a runner, I highly recommend Rose Physical Therapy Group for a running analysis.