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Running Mechanics Evaluation
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Hi everyone. I did a search but didn't find what I was looking for.

This off season I really want to work on two things:

1. Running Mechanics
2. Cadence

I've found a lot of info on improving cadence but not much on running mechanics. I think my issues are just related to having stiff hips or legs in general. When I land, I usually land on the right side of my foot(I tried to attach a pic). I even have issues where my left foot sometimes even hits my right ankle when running.

I'd like to get my form evaluated but not sure what is the best way to get it evaluated and get some tips on improving.

I've put a lot of work into my running in the past year but I'm afraid that I'll have a lot of injuries in my future if I don't get this addressed.
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [gnat1001] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [gnat1001] [ In reply to ]
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Don't work on running mechanics per se. As Hardly ported out... Just run. However, you might consider working on strengthening your hip stabilizers, which may improved your leg crossover, and pronation. See my posts in this thread for exercises that I have used to improved exactly the same problem:

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...xercises%20#p6957106
Last edited by: Tom_hampton: Nov 25, 19 13:14
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [gnat1001] [ In reply to ]
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I think you are saying that you want someone knowledgeable to look at your running mechanics and form?
Physical Therapist with treadmill and video camera. Identify muscle weaknesses, leg length, hip/ pelvis rotation, foot strike, hamstring and psoas affecting stride etc (haha i have all of the above).
then a program to fix...

In my area (Scottsdale AZ) that would be endurance rehab and next door is cyclologic for the same with bike fit. Nate and Pariac (and their staff) are among the best on the planet.


don't just do something..... sit there
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [gnat1001] [ In reply to ]
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Check out virtual gait analysis by Pursuit Athletic Performance. Al Lyman is extremely knowledgeable, and expect to have him point out a million things wrong with you and a ton of exercises to fix all the weaknesses in your stabilizers.

___________________________________
MS: Exercise Science
Your speed matters a lot, sometimes you need to be very fast, where sometimes you need to breakdown your speed.
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [HardlyTrying] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting article but I could have told them the results before they even started. Of course you can't change someone's cadence and expect them to instantly improve. You're trying to correct something that has become routine. They needed to change the runner's cadence and then test them again once it had become routine.
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]
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Tom_hampton wrote:
Don't work on running mechanics per se. As Hardly ported out... Just run. However, you might consider working on strengthening your hip stabilizers, which may improved your leg crossover, and pronation. See my posts in this thread for exercises that I have used to improved exactly the same problem:

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...xercises%20#p6957106

Thanks Tom. What you described sounds very similar to what I have. I'll work on those strengthening exercises and see if that helps. I can always do a gait analysis if that doesn't work.
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [gnat1001] [ In reply to ]
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I was about to post the same thing. I don't buy the "just run" thing. I've been reading a lot on this since I have a hip injury that has lasted more than enough, and I think I will have to rebuild my whole running after it heals.
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [MarioTB] [ In reply to ]
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MarioTB wrote:
I was about to post the same thing. I don't buy the "just run" thing. I've been reading a lot on this since I have a hip injury that has lasted more than enough, and I think I will have to rebuild my whole running after it heals.

Belive it - for most. Scientists have actually studied this, and found humans are uniquely built to run and have both mental and motor adaptations that make us specifically good at optimizing walk/run for our ability/body habitus. You change this only at real risk, even if you have a 'weird' looking run gait as has been seen in some pro runners or top collegiate runners with weird aspects to their run form.

If you are severly injured and building up, it's different as you can't just tap into your body's normal run adaptation right away due to risk of injury, and you may have to specifically rehab/strengthen weak spots before getting to full running. But if you're already at full running capability, then it's definitely risky to actively change your form from your natural stride.

Note this is totally different from something like swimming, where our brains are NOT naturally inclined to learn just by throwing us into the water, so you have to do a lot of technical work. Running is totally NOT like that, because we have natural adaptations that make it possible for us.

I do still think there's some value in doing some running type drills, but this would be only the small frosting on top of the big changes you get with just becoming a stronger runner with more training.
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Re: Running Mechanics Evaluation [gnat1001] [ In reply to ]
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[quote gnat1001

This off season I really want to work on two things:

1. Running Mechanics
2. Cadence[/quote]
I'm going to address #2 first. as you speed up/slow down your run cadence slows down but not as much as your stride length decreases. When you speed up cadence increases and stride length increases at a greater rate. Unless you have a really long ground contact time or have an abnormally low turnover I'd probably not worry too much about this.

Why do you want to change your running mechanics? What mechanics do you want to develop? You need to figure out what you want to change, what you want to change to and how you're going to do that.

If you look at all the research out there you can expect it to take about a year to make lasting changes and during that year you'll most likely not get any faster and in fact may even run slower when racing.

My question to you would be have you had a lot of injuries in the past few years? Have they been the same injury? Different injuries? Are they a result of you making mistakes in your training? too much volume too soon? adding in a lot of intensity? layering that on top of a volume increase?

I'll close with this thought:
unintended consequences.

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
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