It was so windy tonight, I almost turned chicken and walked back to the truck. I could not hold onto the board in the strong wind. It almost knocked me flat on the beach.
But, I did go for it. Catching runners was easy.
I'm beginning to figure out the best way to catch runners is to wait until you get that "feeling" you're about to catch one, without doing anything, then add some paddle power and you're in. Trying to force yourself into a runner is a waste of time. You can't force it. The "feel" is something you only develop with time doing downwinders.