So here is a typical picture of me running (#61; finishing a 10K). As usual, my feet are only inches off the ground.
My first question–why don’t I pick my feet up more?
My second question–does it matter?
My third question–what do I need to change?
FWIW, I am running 5Ks at about a 6:50 pace, 10Ks at about 7:20, longer runs about 7:30 to 8 minutes, but feel I have the capability to do better.
In my experience, I used to have a great kick, with high knees and a really fluid stride at high speed. that was back in the day when I was a miler/5000 guy. After several years of focusing on marathons, my run has really turned into a shuffle as I have neglected truly “top end” speed work. I find that now, even in a 5 or 10k, I still shuffle, only with a faster turn over. Dont know exactly why. I know lots of <2:30 marathoners who have sort of a shuffle, just with a fast turnover. So, I wouldnt think it would matter too much as long as you have some turnover, afterall, you probably cant do a 15 min 5k with a shuffle…but how many Sters have ever run a 15 min 5k.
If you do want more of a “stride” I would say do some drills and some 400s and focus on really bringing your heels up, If you really bring your heel towards your butt, your knee should naturally come farther forward which -should- put your foot out farther when you release the knee. that would give you more of a stride. just dont lock your elboes up when you work on it.
Your foot looks like it’s pretty far in front of you (a side view shot would be more illustrative), so that “putting on the brakes” with each foot strike would lead to what you describe as slower times than what you feel like you are capable of.
Lifting your heels straight up toward your butt upon impact with the ground would require engaging your hamstrings, and this would enable you to “lean” and leverage gravity to help pull you forward.
Experiment with that – it should help a bit.
-Mike
Yeah, I forgot that part, if you can lean off you ankles, this will help by not only by working with a bit og gravity (maybe less muscle needed) but also to keep the foot under you, The above poster is absolutely right, if you overstride, not only are you putting yourself at a higher risk of injury (like shin pain) but you are also basically putting on the brakes with every stride and a large amount of energy will be used to overcome that. In a side profile you should have a basically strait line from the ankle, up through the hip, through the spine and the head. However: In my experience, Leaning off the ankles takes quite a bit of adaptation as this puts lots of stress on the calves. so that being said, break your “new form” into parts and work on them individually sort of like working on your swim stroke.
Try to run more hills and exaggerate the knee lift. Stair running also may help…
Don’t think about picking your feet up, think about leading the stride by driving forward with your knees.
Thank you, thats what I was trying to explain and was having trouble putting it into words, high heels drive the knees forward.
.
Thanks all for the suggestions. I’ll try those out.
At the end of every run (except long runs):
2x10 high knees (run in place pumping your knees as high and fast as you can).
2x10 skips (skip and drive the forward knee as high as possible).
2x10 butt kickers (run in place and bring the heel up to the butt).
4x50 meter strides concentrating on lifting the feet off the ground without bobbing your head up and down.
Two years of that should help ; ^ )
This is a GREAT point. Leading with the knees, not the feet.
Eric
Go find a 15%+ degree hill and practice running up it. The steeper the better. You can’t run uphill without picking your feet up. Run uphill…a lot. You’ll get the hang of it.
Those are the most skinny-assed thighs I have seen in a long time. I have no idea if that is related to anything regarding your stride.
Lift your knees, your feet will follow.
Can you get the race number of the woman behind you and to your left? And her stride looks pretty good as well.
I knew someone was going to comment on my skinny legs. I inherited those from my father, whose nickname is “Spiderlegs.” Only mine are about twice as big around as his.
On my run today I focused on “leading with the knees” as several suggested. That seemed to work. I also did the drills after I ran, and when I can find some hills here in NW Florida, I’ll do some hill work.
Thanks again, everyone.
Here’s what you do. You let that gal in the white jog bra come up on your shoulder and that’s fer sure gonna make you pick up your heels.
IN all seriousness, most runners have the opposite problem…to much lift in their stride. Your goal in running is to move parallel to the ground in as efficient and quick a manner as possible. Most runners spend too much time and energy moving at 90 degrees to the ground…i.e. up and down, which slows them down.
The most likely cause of your shuffle is your stride length. Try lengthening it a little and see if that works.
Try lengthening it a little and see if that works.
No!..not unless his cadence is above 200.
Try lengthening it a little and see if that works.
No!..not unless his cadence is above 200.
What if it works?
Sorry for the short response. I was in a hurry yesterday.
The reality is that we REALLY need to see video…or at a minimum a side view. Nevertheless, his problem sounds like a stiff legged shuffling kind of action. Lengthening the stride isn’t the correct fix. Even if it got him to pick his feet up, he’d correct one problem and replace it with another…over striding. My guess is, however, that he’ll just be shuffling along with a longer, stiff legged kind of stride.
The fix isn’t something that’ll happen overnight. It will require months of regular drills, hills, and striders with a focus on “picking the feet up.”
Low hurdles are also something that will be of great benefit. My college coach had them set up on the indoor track and we did ~50 or so a day. Perhaps because of MY long spidery legs, I ran into the same problems that the OP has.
Here’s a simple way to practice this at home. Grab some soup cans and some tape…maybe something stiffer than tape is needed, like a coat hanger wire, a yard stick, some poster board, etc. Fashion some low hurdles like below. Begin with them just 4" tall and set them ~1meter apart (may need to adjust). Try to make at least 6 (ideally 10). Standing tall and upright, run over them making sure that your form is smooth and your head is not bobbing up and down. The idea is to pick the feet up, not to leap over them. You will probably need to pick up the pace a bit to do this smoothly.
Do a set, circle around and repeat. As you get better, raise the height up to 8".
Do this for 10 minutes at the end of a run, 3 times a week in addtion to the drills I have listed above. You shoukd see some results in a few months, but the real results will take years.
See last post.