Anytime the issue of proper run form comes up, some vocal members of the ST mafia shout, "Just run more! Your body will figure out what's right! There are no shortcuts!"

In this front page article, Slowman writes:

...we have known for a long, long time – coaching it for a century, writing about it for more than a half-century – how to run properly. It's just not been anything many people have been interested in hearing. What we've heard instead for a generation is that everybody will naturally adapt to his own best running style. Fine. You'll also naturally adapt to your best cooking style, given enough time. But you'll get there much more quickly with a cookbook and a home ec class.

I agree with Dan.

While simply prescribing ever-increasing volume may work for a team because it weeds out those with such crappy form (or other problems) that they can't adjust to the high mileage. The team is better off because it quickly selects for those who can run high mileage.

But this approach often fails miserably for many individual runners, especially adult on-set runners. Try telling a 40-year old beginner triathlete who's sat at a desk for the past 2 decades to simply "run more" than the 10-15 mpw he's currently doing. He probably runs like he walks--shuffling along, throwing his foot far in front of his knee when it lands. There's a good chance running that way hurts, and there's a good chance that trying to run more than 20 mpw that way will end up with him injured.

But if taught some basics about good running form, he can likely increase his mileage safely. Because the point isn't to weed him out of triathlon--the point is to help him run comfortably for the rest of his life.

And besides, maybe he doesn't want to run more than 15 mpw. Should he be sentenced to forever run with crappy form?

Flame away.