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Proper
Running Form
By Rich Strauss
Many people believe that you are born with
either good or bad running form, and that there is little
that you can do to change it. We have all seen "natural
runners," and envy their fluidity and grace. But by knowing
a little bit about the physics of running and trying to
adopt some of the common traits of all "good" runners, it
is possible to improve on what you're stuck with.
Physics: Your body's center of gravity is in
your midsection. Any force that is applied to the ground
in front of this center gravity acts as a braking force
to your forward movement. Picture a runner with an exagerated
running stride. Every time he plants his heel forward of
his body, he applies a braking force, slowing himself down.
In addition, before he is able to apply force to the ground
and move his body forward for the next stride, he must wait
until his body has moved directly over his foot. If you
look at the form of most good runners, you will see that
their feet strike the ground directly beneath their body.
Running with this shortened stride is also characterized
by a "mid-foot" strike (not on the heel, not on the toes,
but at about the ball of the foot) and a high cadence, or
"quick feet."
System
Checklist
Now, having said
all of this, don't watch me run. My wife Sue says that
rather than run, I "lumber." But she also says I've gotten
much better. This is my "System Checklist" that I use to
critique my running form as I run. I start with my head and
work down my body.
Head:
Neutral position, don't look or down. Try to think of
centering your head on your shoulders. Face muscles are
relaxed and loose. Try to feel your facing bouncing with
each stride. Sunglasses and a hat always help.
Shoulders:
Relaxed, loose, but not "hunched forward." Think of "running
proud" with your shoulders back, but don't try to actually
pull them back. This creates muscle tension and is a waste
of energy. Any forward lean must be supported by your lower
back, changes your center of gravity, and results in wasted
energy.
Arms: Any
excessive side to side motion, or swinging across your body
is a waste of energy. Try to think of everything moving in a
straight line and in one direction: forward. Keep your
elbows in and bring your arms up in a straight motion. Hands
should be relaxed and loosely cupped.
Hips: Very
important. This is the home of your center of gravity. Try
to run with your hips forward. Pretend as if you have a rope
tied around your waist and someone is pulling you forward
with it.
Feet: I
changed from a heel striker to a mid-foot striker and I'm
convinced that this has kept me injury free. Try it if you
want, but just beware. But regardless of how you plant your
foot, you can try to plant it directly under your body and
your center of gravity. Try running with a quick cadence of
88-90+. Simply count the number of times that your left foot
strikes the ground in one minute. It will feel strange at
first, but if you practice enough it will become second
nature. Also, think "quick feet." Try to make as short as
possible the time that your foot is on the ground. I've gone
from 82 rpm at my IM pace to 90+. One of the most
satisfactory compliments I've ever gotten in a race is when
a spectator said "good cadence" to me at mile 25.5 at IM
California. I spent a lot of time working on this and its
nice to see it paid off.
Conclusion
Miscellaneous: Limit your vertical oscillation:
run forward, not up and down. Try this trick: run with a
hat and pull the brim down to just over you eyes, so that
it takes up half of your vision. Run, look forward, and
try to keep the brim of your hat steady on the horizon.
Count your cadence: just like counting
your strokes in the pool, I have found that the act of counting
my cadence on the run focuses my mind on my running form.
Every 5 minutes or so I'll do my little system check above,
and then count my cadence. It keeps me in the game and prevents
my mind from wandering.
Not good runner, but I'm trying.
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