Yes, obviously bounding and hills are important, but using the 'claw back' works as well trying to flick the toe back at the end of the push off. We have seen some results with this method such that the runners come back with sore calves but faster run times on the same HR as before. So, it works, but it's not easy to concentrate on it for an hour or 90 minutes or more. It takes practice.
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Interesting. I'll have to search around and see if anyone else does this. My guess is that hill work and "skipping for height" will have similar effects, as will some of the plymetrics that Paulo provided us with from some research paper a while back.
A lot of the form training that I've been accustomed to had been in the form of specific drills, rather than a "concentration" on any one particular aspect while "running for 90 minute"....for example. However, short periods of focus during 50 meter striders or hills are done. I believe the theory is that once you give your body the specific "muscle memory" it will naturally gravitate to what works best while running......not always the case, though.
With regard to Paulo's comments about measuring pace vrs heart rate, it can be misleading when utilizing different muscle groups. There are two examples that come to mind in my personal experience in recent history. 1) My heart rate goes up much higher than my effort when I run up hills and 2) my heart rate goes down much lower than my effort when I cut my cycling cadence by 50%. IOW, I can run up a hill for an hour at 95% of my max HR but cannot do that on flat ground and I can cycle for 6 hours at 70% of my max HR @90 rpm but only for 30 minutes or so at the same HR at 60 rpm.
The only reason I think it may be of importance here is that you may be teaching the runners to utilize more of different fibers and *that* may be having the effect on the heart rate. This doesn't mean that they didn't get faster as a result of the form work. Only that HR may not give the full picture.
Frankly, if you do that exercise for 6 weeks and your runner looks more like a Kenyan.....then that's enough evidence for me! ; ^ )
-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485