ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Culture
NOWHERE TO RUN
A 26-year-old Christchurch woman has become increasingly concerned that she has developed a “weird running style” despite general indifference from everyone around her.
Sophie Hopkins, who recently decided to get into fitness, says she actually enjoys running but has become distracted by what she describes as “whatever the hell my arms are doing.”
“I like running, I genuinely do,” Sophie said. “But every time I see myself running past a reflection of a car or window, I think, ‘Fuck, that looks weird.’”
Sophie said she has spent the past three weeks attempting to correct her running technique, despite having no formal knowledge of running technique.
“I’ve tried keeping my arms lower, then higher, then not moving them as much,” she explained. “At one point I was consciously thinking about every single step, which somehow made me run even more strangely.”
Her boyfriend reportedly told her she looked completely normal.
“I don’t believe him,” Sophie said. “I think everyone looks weird when they run. I just wish I could stop thinking about what my legs are doing.”
She is now considering taking up cycling, believing that sitting down and pedalling would be harder to get wrong.
More to come.
