Smile, Darn Ya, Smile

Al Truscott

Smiling while running (or cycling) has long been suggested anecdotally as a performance enhancer, and indeed there have been studies which reflect a lower RPE when smiling while running. Anyone who ever watched Natascha Badmann race should also be a believer. Some of our WSMs swear by it.

Here's a recent study which documents actual improvement in running economy ("...smiling reduced the oxygen cost of running at a vigorous intensity by 0.94 ml/min/kg (2.78%) in comparison with frowning and by 0.76 ml/min/kg (2.23%) compared with control.")

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029217303461

I'm not by nature a smiler. I've been trying recently to use running up a hill to remind me to (a) keep the cadence up (b) shorten my stride and (c) Put On a Happy Face.

https://youtu.be/I_CE7GqqrvY

Paul Hough

Maybe that was Chrissie's secret weapon because she was always smiling. 

Peter Greagg

Back in my 30s when I briefly took up cross country runing, a friend of mine couldn't believe I had taken up something that was (to him) such hard work. He even exclaimed that it must be so hard because he never saw a runner smiling.

With that in mind, and the fact that I never know when a photographer (either my wife or an official one) will take a picture of me during a race, I always keep a smile on my face.

So it's official, I have a secret weapon and I never knew it.

Thanks, @Al Truscott.

Leslie Knight

I’ve tried when I feel like crap and I think it kind of works. 

Dave Tallo

Gold.   As @Al Truscott and I have discussed over the years, if you think this is rubbish ... try it around 
Hour 4 Of an IM ride (or Mile 16 of an IM run) , and you’ll see its worth!

Laura Becker

THIS IS SO TRUE!!!! Here is my example....2016 IMLP vs 2017 IMMT.....guess which race was better???