Some tips on improving running form

Triathlon Forum
1

There were a couple of questions about this recently and a couple of PMs, so I thught I’d paste this one into the forum. I’ve included some pretty good videos as well. Enjoy.

1st off, check out this video. Look at the 3 runners about a minute into it.

Note: This is from Frank Day’s website endorsing Powercranks. At this point I have no opinion about the product, and Frank will likely respond to this post to add his endorsement. I will say, however, that his slow-mo videos ARE very good (even at the expense of making Paulo throw up again).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOG0PaDYJvs

Notice particularly that the runners (even the average one) all stand up straight. In addtion, you want to land with your feet almost directly underneath you. Having a high cadence, standing tall, and focusing on picking up your feet and leading with the knee will help with this.

Now look at this video. I haven’t watched it with the volume on, so I have no idea what they are saying. Just pay attention to what their legs are doing for the whole 6 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFFD1u-sVAU

Okay - Now how can YOU run like them? (You won’t…but you can get closer than wher eyou are today).

Watch the next three videos. I just searched them and they look pretty good…though, again, I don’t have the volume on right now. I’ll have to check them out again this weekend.

High knee, butt kickers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjNAt708Ykc

skips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gE7N_PSjoI

strides

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euN56EFx1XM

I do these a lot of these drills almost every time I run. In fact, I’ve been doing them for over 20 years now (Rome wasn’t built in a day). Here’s what I recommend (you can do them in your back yard or at nightime so the neighbors don’t see you…or, you can do them at the local track where you won’t look quite so wierd).

PHASE 1:

At least three days a week before (after 5 minute warm up) or in the middle of your run:

Note - 3 days a week was a recommendation for someone who wanted to make some significant improvements on their form. 1-2 days a week may be enough for maintenance for many avid runners

  1. 2x10 (each leg, for all of these) skips with rest in between. Make sure you move your arms, raise the knee high, and point the toes UP.

  2. 2x10 high knees. You want these to be quick. The idea is that you are training your neuro-muscular system to tell the leg to spring up as soon as it hits the ground.

  3. 2x10 butt kicks. Again, quickly.

  4. Low hurdles. Get 8-10 15oz soup cans and set them up on the sidewalk, on a track, in your backyard…where ever it is convienient and you won’t be embarassed. Line them up in a row about 3-4 feet apart. Run over them like you are running a 5K or 10K race with your feet landing inbetween each one. Don’t “leap” over them. You want your head to stay relatively level. You’ll find that you have to pick your feet up a bit in order to clear each can. You’ll also find that it helps to lift your leg (like in a butt kicker) and drive the knee (like in high knees and skips). Stand up tall and use your running arms.

Note: You may land on your forefoot, on your midfoot, or on your heels as you do this. IMO it really isn’t that important as long as you lead with your knee, point your toes up as the foot swings through, and land with the foot at plus or minus 15 degrees to the ground (either striking the heel then quickly roll to the forefoot, striking the mdifoot then roll quickly to the forefoot, striking the forefoot then quickly touch the heel to the ground then quickly roll to the forefoot, or land only on the forefoot…over time you will find what works best for you).

Run over one set, make a 180, jog back to the beginning, repeat. Do thi sat least 10 times. You can do this all afternoon if you wish!

Note: Undoubtedly I expect some cheap shots on the soup can hurdles. Feel free to spend $115 a hurdle here: http://www.trackoutlet.com/product_info.php/cPath/42/products_id/2106 or you can stop by a local competetive track facitily and maybe borrow theirs. Trust me, this is no gimick. 100 hurdles a day will do wonders to your form.

  1. Strides. These will be done at a fairly high speed, but not sprinting. The idea is to try to use everything you learned in the previous 4 drills. REALLY focus on good form, the best you can, during these. Do 6 sets of 50 meters.

Keep in mind that the motions used in the above drills are all exagerated motions, much like when a martial artiist paractices his katas. When running 8, 9, or even 12 minutes a mile, you won’t be driving your knees up to your waist or picking your feet up so high that you can step over 15oz soup cans. However, the fundamentals will still be the same. You’ll just be doing it at a lower speed.

PHASE 2:

Once or twice a week find a fairly steep hill. Run up it, jog down it. Do this for 15 minutes.

When you run up it focus on everything you learned in the drills. Pick your feet up over those cans (but don’t leap) and drive your knees as you run up this hill. Focus on form, not speed. Stay on your forefoot as you run up the hill.

Note: Simply running hills regularly and focusing on form as you run up them year round may be all that is needed for avid runners

PHASE 3:

Work on your cadence. You want to get it up to 180+ strides a minute (90+ cycles per minute). There ARE cheap portable metronomes out there smaller than an ipod nano for pretty cheap. I suggest stopping by a local music store. I know my brother had one when he was a marching band drum major. Being at what feels natural and run to the beat. Then, every few minutes speed it up by 1 bpm. Do this until you reach 90 bpm. I’d suggest even ramping it up to 95 bpm for a while so that 90 feels comfortable (maybe even slow).

You can also run with an ipod and download asong that advertises its bpm (again, look for 90 or 180).

You can also periodically check during your runs by looking at your watch. When it hits XX:00, count strides for the next minute. Do this over and over again for several minutes. Try to beat your last count.

Again, keep in mind that these are all drills to help you improve your form. During workouts and races you definitely want to pay attention to your form, and hopefuly your body will begin to naturally gravitate to what is more efficient. However, you won’t actually be kicking your butt and stepping over soup cans…not at 10 minutes a mile!

Hopefully this helps. You may want to read this a couple of times and go back and check out the videos again.

Good luck!

  • runtraining8 *
2

Great post. Whether someone is a PowerCranker or not it points out the need for great Hip flexors and hamstrings to be fast which alone can explain a lot of the running improvement people see when they start training with PowerCranks.

One thing I noted as I tried to pause these videos to look at their form, specifically their foot plant. In the Boulder video it looked like some of them were landing on their forefoot whereas in the last one where he is doing strides, it looked like he was landing on his heel but not overstriding. Clearly, there is room for some individual variation here as I doubt any of these people are slouches when it comes to this stuff.

Anyhow, I thank you for finding these. I noticed this guy had a few more also. I will check them out. I will probably incorporate them into my web page where we deal with running form.

3

Great post … just what I needed.

RE: cadence. Does the cadence change for taller runner? I’m 6’7". My cadence is in the mid-80s. Do I still need to be the 90s? I’m having trouble getting there. Yet, whatever you reply about optimal cadence for taller runners, I’m going to try these videos to increase it.

4

Thanks for the videos and info, they’re really helpful. Quick question though; the videos show that these guys are pretty darn fast, the cadence and stride length are pretty obvious. How would you make changes for someone just starting out? I find it hard to replicate this form unless I’m doing at least an 8-9 min mile. For someone who’s just starting out and trying to get duration in, many would do like a 11-12 min mile, more if they’re JUST beginning.(well that and at that speed it feels more like jogging and not running per se)

So, is it better to make sure you have the form down and run at that form for as long as you can from the beginning even if it’s 1-2 miles? Or just get mileage in regardless of form and do the drills? Or do you have suggestions on how this form can be replicated at slower speeds.

5

I think the data on 6’7" runners is pretty small to draw a solid conclusion. I will say, however, that I am 6’3" but have a 36" inseam and run at 90 rpm pretty comfortably.

If I remember correctly, Henry Kipchirchir has a 40" inseam and I don’t remember his cadence looking exceptionaly low. Mid 80s aren’t terrible. I’d still suggest working on a faster cadence through drills. Ideally what ever cadence is best for you will come out.

6

Thanks for the videos and info, they’re really helpful. Quick question though; the videos show that these guys are pretty darn fast, the cadence and stride length are pretty obvious. How would you make changes for someone just starting out? I find it hard to replicate this form unless I’m doing at least an 8-9 min mile. For someone who’s just starting out and trying to get duration in, many would do like a 11-12 min mile, more if they’re JUST beginning.(well that and at that speed it feels more like jogging and not running per se)

So, is it better to make sure you have the form down and run at that form for as long as you can from the beginning even if it’s 1-2 miles? Or just get mileage in regardless of form and do the drills? Or do you have suggestions on how this form can be replicated at slower speeds.

You can’t even begin to run like this until you have a good base. I would just keep slogging along, getting the miles in under your belt and as you see improvement come just keep thinking about this stuff and work towards this end. You can also get PC’s but whether you do or don’t, I would also start making the drills shown part of your warm up routine, even though you won’t run like that for a very long time.

7

5 minutes into this video you’ll see Alan Webb jogging a victory lap. Notice the circular motion of his feet. His stride doesn’t open up like the Kenayans, but he is still picking his feet up, stepping over a soup can, leading with the knee, and landing on top of his feet…even at relatively low speeds (probably 9 minutes a mile).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKxqeJcUx-A

Don’t concern yourself TOO much with every aspect of your form when you run. Just keep the cadence high and stand up straight. Use the drills and especially the striders to really focus on improving your form. Whatever you do, don’t drop your cadence in an effort to open up your stride the way the Kenyans do. At 12 minutes a mile you’ll simply be stepping over minature soup cans.

8

Two years ago, I made a post saying that Slowtwitch needed a “Doug Stern for Running” - someone who could clearly describe running form as Doug so effectively does with swimming.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=389340;search_string=We%20need%20Doug%20Stern%20running;guest=12068410#389340

I think we have a winner…

Thanks for the post. This is very helpful.

9

Here’s something I (6’5") posted on a previous thread about cadence: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1248482;search_string=;#1248482. I’ve been able to dramatically increase my mileage with no knee pain since I upped my “stride rate” - before doing so, my knees were keeping me from more is MORE (I’m still at something that resembles a little more is a LITTLE MORE, but I’m working on MORE).

10

Barry, thanks for posting - you and doug stern (good thoughts, good thoughts) have to be the most valuable posters of this forum …

question i’ve (always) had is how would you describe proper hip position? i’ve seen the prefontaine movie where the coach describes hip position as rotated forward (as in deepest penetration during sex), in order to reduce strain on the hip flexors … this seemed to make a lot of sense, but i’m loathe to take form advice from a hollywood movie … otherwise i might be riding like kevin costner in american flyers …

thanks

11

I wonder which of these runners Learn is
.

12

Barry - thanks for posting the videos. My opinion is that the pro duathlete guy is a big time heel striker and I think he would run faster but not running on his heels. Also, he needs to lean forward to keep the momentum going forward. If you heel strike, from what I have learned, you are ‘braking’ every time you take a step. Then you have to re-start the momentum all over again. If you ever get sore quads from long runs, you’ll know why (Braking). Keeping the feet quick and light and lessening ground contact time is key, imo. I don’t think ‘running tall’ is important as leaning forward. Leaning forward keeps the momentum going forward and allows the runner to use less quad and more calf.

Lastly, picking the knee up to increase stride length is completely wrong from what I have learned. Learning to push off the back foot is what increases stride length. If you ever get a chance to come to Boulder, set up a time to do a run session with Bobby McGee, it will be well worth your time. Thanks again, interesting videos.

13

Tome Demerly wrote:

“If we had a running Doug Stern and a cycling Doug Stern it would be awesome. I’d pay big $$$ for that.”

Where’s my big $$$?

; ^ )

But seriously, I consider that a great compliment that I’m not worthy of. I am but a young grasshopper to Doug’s Confucious…but I try. I just hope no one gets hurt = (

14

That’s a great video. What interests me most in that is the lack of up and down movement when Webb is in full flight. Just looking at the shots of the guy in second place, there’s a noticable difference between those two. This is what I struggle with-- too much up and down which robs forward momentum. Well, it’s one of main things I struggle with. I’m pretty far from ideal run form although I’m much better than I used to be.

Thanks for the resources. Good stuff.

Alicia

15

question i’ve (always) had is how would you describe proper hip position? i’ve seen the prefontaine movie where the coach describes hip position as rotated forward (as in deepest penetration during sex), in order to reduce strain on the hip flexors … this seemed to make a lot of sense, but i’m loathe to take form advice from a hollywood movie … otherwise i might be riding like kevin costner in american flyers …

Donald Southerland was correct. I remember that exact scene because it was a MAJOR problem that I fixed on my own back in 2000 that drmaticaly improved my form. Before that I looked like “average runner” in Frank’s video…though I might add I was a fast “average runner.”

Your hips want to be in line with your torso. Most runners will want to focus on standing tall and thrusting the hips forward. Think of crossing the finish line with your “you know what” when you run.

Here are the pictures again. Keep in mind that he is running incredibly fast, so he’s leaning a little more forward than you or I would. However, his hips are more or less in line with his upper torso. Picture 3 shows it best with his femur, hips, and torso almost completley in line. Notice that his forward lean is NOT a bend at the waist (which too many heel smashers do).

Remember, it’s not just where the hips are, but what their alignment is. I have to constantly think not only of thrusting them forward, but of ROTATING counter clockwise (in relation to the pictures below)…like you are doing the…“you know what.”

http://i6.tinypic.com/4xoqum1.jpg

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He’s the elite, of course.

; ^ )

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You make some good points Mike. I should make some clarifications.

Re: forward lean - The lean should mimic all the good runners in the videos and in the pictures. However, the lean should be from the ankles, not at the waist. Though “average runner” and “duathlete” are standing TOO erect, many struggling runners slouch and/or lean at the waist allowing their head and chest to hang to far forward over their toes.

So “standing tall with a slight forward lean” may be a better term.

Re: heal strike - There is still a lot of controversy about what is “correct” foot striking. I’ve copied a post from Jack Daniels below, but the gist is that the only people I’ve heard make the hard claim that your heels should never touch the ground are those selling “revolutionary running methods” and stand to make a lot of money off of them. IMO it’s a tradeoff between effeciency and fatigue. As your speed increases, your point of contact with the ground moves from the heel toward the forefoot. While running 12 minutes a mile during the run leg of an ironman, the difference in effeciency (less braking) becomes negligible where the difference in fatigue, for many…if not most runners becomes great. In otherwords, I don’t believe that a majority of peopler can run and entire IM leg keeping their heels off the ground.

That being said, the Duathlete in the video IS a terrble heal striker. However, it has little to do with th efact that his heel hits the ground first and everything to do with the fact that his foot hits the ground well in front of his center line with his foot at a steep angle.

Cousin Elwood and I just discussed this last week and I had to prove to him (though I haven’t recorded the videos yet) that I can land on my heels on a treadmill and make LESS noice than when I do on my forefoot. To understand what I am talking about, simply look at the video of the elite runner and rotate his foot ever so slightly back at the point of impact so that his heel connects with the ground microseconds before his forefoot does. THAT is a properly executed heel strike.

Re: picking up the kee to increase stride length. I don’t disagree with what you said, but lifting the knee and leading with it IS proper form, however it isn’t done “to increase stride length.” It is done to facilitate the lower leg to swing through, to bring the foot up under the knee, and then to begin the “paw back” so that the foot is actually moving backward with respect to the hips just before foot strike. This is what prevents braking. Even forefoot strikers need the motion in order to prevent braking to occur. When I was in high school I ran the 800 entirely on my forefoot and breaked the entire way with each stride (imagine the motion of kicking instead of cycling…the foot is moving forward at the point if contact instead of rearward).

…as promised…

From Jack Daniels:

“Not to solve the original question, but to add some insight. We ran tests on many runners while having them run using their chosen foot-strike, then fore-foot and rear-foot and mid-foot (one of which may also have been their chosen method). Most were most economical using the choen foot-strike (be it for, rear or mid), but we found some fore-foot runners who were more economical switching to rear-foot and visa versa, which seems pretty amazing to me – that a runner who has used a particular foot-strike technique for years could immediately be more economical by changing. However, now the confusinig part – the tests were on a treadmill and of course treadmills are more like a road thana good synthetic track, so th ewhole thing changes. As was pointed out heel-striking on a road is tough, but on a nice springy track it can be most enjoyable. Add grass as in cross country and I think rear-foot striking may offer better traction (the small area of a fore-foot landing on a soft (especially muddy) surface is not too great for running fast). So we have to imagine that the whole conversation is related to a standard track surface, and my guess is that you will find different foot-strike patterns among the good runners. Then there is the issue of whether you mean what foot-strike do elite runners use when running easy pace or are you only interested in what they use at race pace” *** from http://www.letsrun.com/...39&thread=197839

18

Just looking at the shots of the guy in second place, there’s a noticable difference between those two.

I noticed the same thing. What’s amazing is the guy in second place is still way faster than either you or me!

19

Lastly, picking the knee up to increase stride length is completely wrong from what I have learned. Learning to push off the back foot is what increases stride length.

Out of curiosity, do you know how this is achieved? I’ve heard this as well but have not heard anyone specifically refer to how to improve on this. My best intuition tells my that Lydiard style hill repeats are the way to go.

Any more input will be greatly appreciated.

20

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.