I’ve been on a quest for about 10 years to improve my running posture, and the most bedevilling part has been to minimize a prominent bending at the waist. A few people pointed this flaw out based on their observations from race pictures alone, but I see it persists whenever I catch a view of myself running by a shop window, or see my shadow, or look at a mirror or video from treadmill running.
Can anyone suggest tips to correct this? I guess I’m looking for (1) sensory or proprioceptive cues that I might exercise, and / or (2) drills or skill sessions that I might adopt to address this.
(aside: maybe the most resonant thing I’ve heard to date - a bit crass - was in one of the Pre movies where Donald Sutherland as Bowerman tells Prefontaine to eliminate the waist bend by envisioning the “deepest part of the pelvic thrust” in sex … )
Woh, I had a coach just last night show me video of me doing this exact same thing. Wigged me out as I’d long thought I was avoiding that. He suggested I puff out my chest and that would line things up better. I’m giving it a try though I’m curious about what others on here suggest.
I’ve been on a quest for about 10 years to improve my running posture, and the most bedevilling part has been to minimize a prominent bending at the waist. A few people pointed this flaw out based on their observations from race pictures alone, but I see it persists whenever I catch a view of myself running by a shop window, or see my shadow, or look at a mirror or video from treadmill running.
Can anyone suggest tips to correct this? I guess I’m looking for (1) sensory or proprioceptive cues that I might exercise, and / or (2) drills or skill sessions that I might adopt to address this.
(aside: maybe the most resonant thing I’ve heard to date - a bit crass - was in one of the Pre movies where Donald Sutherland as Bowerman tells Prefontaine to eliminate the waist bend by envisioning the “deepest part of the pelvic thrust” in sex … )
edit: “bowerman”
Have the changes in run posture helped your run performance?
thinking about running form while running has been shown in many studies to not make you faster.
hmm.
I’ve been on a quest for about 10 years to improve my running posture, and the most bedevilling part has been to minimize a prominent bending at the waist. A few people pointed this flaw out based on their observations from race pictures alone, but I see it persists whenever I catch a view of myself running by a shop window, or see my shadow, or look at a mirror or video from treadmill running.
Can anyone suggest tips to correct this? I guess I’m looking for (1) sensory or proprioceptive cues that I might exercise, and / or (2) drills or skill sessions that I might adopt to address this.
(aside: maybe the most resonant thing I’ve heard to date - a bit crass - was in one of the Pre movies where Donald Sutherland as Bowerman tells Prefontaine to eliminate the waist bend by envisioning the “deepest part of the pelvic thrust” in sex … )
The best thing you can do about running form (in theory) is a regular does of striders.
A strider is to run 50-100 meters at a very brisk (but not sprinting) pace. As you do this, work on good form. 3-6 of these 2-3 days a week, forever.
The “focus on good form” part is the hard part because one may not know exactly what that is. Either way, the idea is that when you focus on running fast, your body naturally wants to eliminate the inefficiencies.
Complete off the wall question - do you run with a hat?
I found that my posture improved significantly when I stopped wearing a hat. For whatever reason, looking out under a brim seemed to make me run with my head down and back curved.
Now, I have no idea what I am gonna do for my HIM and IM races next year since I am bald and don’t want to expose my dome that long…but I’ll cross that bridge later.
Have the changes in run posture helped your run performance?
I believe the changes in my posture - and other form changes - have not improved my performance, but they have forestalled the expected decline in my run speed that ought to be occurring as I move throughmy early/mid 40s.
thinking about running form while running has been shown in many studies to not make you faster.
hmm.
I’ve never heard of these studies … interesting. I think I’ve used the heisenberg principle as my fallback understanding of the connection between thinking about form (or being mindful of form when running/swimming/whatever), and changing it. And een assuming that that change is for the better.
Also, I acknowledge the “faster runners run that way, but” part. See my other post today about Frodo’s cadence. it’s an interesting observation I’m trying to make, but that’s about it … what works for him works because he’s, well, Frodo. I might adopt a turnover of 88 rpm, but that will just make me a balding middle-aged dude with a turnover of 88rpm.
The “focus on good form” part is the hard part because one may not know exactly what that is. Either way, the idea is that when you focus on running fast, your body naturally wants to eliminate the inefficiencies.
just like passage in the SC decision regarding pornography … "I don’t know exactly what it is, but I know it when I see it … "
Complete off the wall question - do you run with a hat?
I found that my posture improved significantly when I stopped wearing a hat. For whatever reason, looking out under a brim seemed to make me run with my head down and back curved.
Now, I have no idea what I am gonna do for my HIM and IM races next year since I am bald and don’t want to expose my dome that long…but I’ll cross that bridge later.
It’s not off the wall at all … in fact, I run with a specific one that I choose over the standard-issue headsweat models (this one - in my belief - has the has the perfect visor pitch and peripheral coverage to force me to look at the ground about 6m ahead when running.) So you might be onto something.
thinking about running form while running has been shown in many studies to not make you faster.
hmm.
I’ve never heard of these studies … interesting. I think I’ve used the heisenberg principle as my fallback understanding of the connection between thinking about form (or being mindful of form when running/swimming/whatever), and changing it. And een assuming that that change is for the better.
Also, I acknowledge the “faster runners run that way, but” part. See my other post today about Frodo’s cadence. it’s an interesting observation I’m trying to make, but that’s about it … what works for him works because he’s, well, Frodo. I might adopt a turnover of 88 rpm, but that will just make me a balding middle-aged dude with a turnover of 88rpm.
I’m afraid I’m not - can you help me understand what you’ve getting at? Sorry if I’m missing the obvious here.
He’s implying that trying to improve running form is a waste of time, or even counter-productive. On the other hand…
The best thing you can do about running form (in theory) is a regular does of striders.
A strider is to run 50-100 meters at a very brisk (but not sprinting) pace. As you do this, work on good form. 3-6 of these 2-3 days a week, forever.
The “focus on good form” part is the hard part because one may not know exactly what that is. Either way, the idea is that when you focus on running fast, your body naturally wants to eliminate the inefficiencies.
I hear you on the proprioceptive cues thing - I have found, both as a runner and in a former life as a rowing coach, that finding the right imagery for the specific person can make all the difference in the world in getting their brain to put their body in the desired configuration in space.
I long struggled with the same problem you describe. I had tried “tucking my tail”, “rotating my pelvis”, “driving from my hips”, the aforementioned “moment of deepest penetration” from Without Limits, and every other way I had heard that idea described. No help. I still felt awkward and that I was being hampered by trying to make the changes rather than helped.
Then one night I went out for a run very late at night in the neighborhood around the apartment where I lived at the time. I found myself running behind a truck that was doing about 10 mph in the neighborhoods, and stopping every other block at stop signs. As I came back up on this truck once again at a stop sign, for some strange and completely unprompted reason I envisioned myself putting on my rock climbing harness, tying into a climbing rope, and looping that rope around the trailer hitch ball on that truck. It was very random and very vivid. As the truck started to accelerate away from the stop sign, my pelvis came forward and I accelerated along with the truck. It felt completely effortless and natural - I finally found the feeling I was looking for. It was probably the best run of my life, and I have tried to recreate that feeling on every run since. I know it sounds kind of mystical and fluffy, but it changed the way I run for the better (in a big way).
I do think that finding the right proprioceptive cue for you is incredibly helpful. I would just advise you not to try to force yourself to feel someone else’s cue - keep playing around with different ideas and images until you find the one that makes it all shift for you.
I’m afraid I’m not - can you help me understand what you’ve getting at? Sorry if I’m missing the obvious here.
He’s implying that trying to improve running form is a waste of time, or even counter-productive. On the other hand…
The best thing you can do about running form (in theory) is a regular does of striders.
A strider is to run 50-100 meters at a very brisk (but not sprinting) pace. As you do this, work on good form. 3-6 of these 2-3 days a week, forever.
The “focus on good form” part is the hard part because one may not know exactly what that is. Either way, the idea is that when you focus on running fast, your body naturally wants to eliminate the inefficiencies.
Lol, I am just imagining a bunch of bad runners running in circles with their pelvises being the furthest extended part of their body trying to replicate
.