Trainer's Corner Week 5, Part IIIg: Putting Together Biomechanics & Good Running Form

We're at the home stretch!!!


Putting Together Biomechanics & Good Running Form

1. Have good posture. When you have good posture, everything that your body does will naturally fall into place. It is tempting to slouch when you’re tired. Ironically, when we slouch, we become even more tired. Also, imagine a cord pulling you forward from your belly button (or chest—although the chest visualization makes people slouch even more), and imagine a straight line running from your heels to the top of your head. Even when you’re leaning forward, lean forward from your ankles, not your hips.

2. Take a glance at your feet and see whether your feet are landing on two planes, one plane, or doing a cross-over. Sometimes adjusting speed can temporarily fix your two-plane or cross-over running. Running shoes and custom-made orthotics can provide a more permanent solution.

3. When you want to lift your knees higher, push on the ground harder. As your leg cycles down into the ground, slam your feet down on your toe strike and Einstein’s theory—that everything has an equal and opposite reaction—will take over. This will relieve you of the muscular activity to raise your knees.

4. When your legs are tired, be mindful of your arm swing instead. Your upper body does many things for you. Its movement provides counter balance. Keep proper running form in mind and think more about what your upper body’s doing. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you may need to swing your arms more. There are muscles crisscrossing your back, connecting your shoulders to the opposite hip. When you swing one arm, it feels natural to step forward with the opposite leg. Think about when you walk for example. It’s the same way with running. While running, be mindful of your upper body swing and rotation, and your legs will naturally follow. Please remember that your upper body movement provides balance, which your upper body will come in handy when running downhill.

5. It’s a good idea to have a high running cadence. Instead of trying to glide like a deer, your leg movement should be like Thelma in Scooby-Doo. A running cadence of 180spm (steps per minute) is an efficient cadence. Take a stop watch with you on every run and count 30 steps every 10 seconds in the beginning, middle, and the end of the run. Try to keep a high leg turn-over throughout all the phases of your run, even when you're the most fatigued. Research shows that 180spm is the most efficient cadence for the average runner; it’s not too high or too low. Too low, and you’re legs will tire too quickly. Too high, and your cardiovascular system will work harder than it needs to given your speed of running. This will also keep your center of mass under your hips and can aid in good body angle.

Here's an informative clip that pretty much sums up everything, for those who don't like to read... He's a robot cyborg... hahahha ENJOY!!



Concluding Words

We are slowly starting to fit all the pieces together. Continue to build your running base during the week, perform functional strength training, and cross train in other activities. Practice makes perfect. The best way to become a strong runner is to just keep running. Running is a complex, coordinated, process that involves the entire body. All in all, just keep doing what you are doing when you are walking or running. Swing your arms and your legs naturally. However, with good coaching and smart training, you can make your god-given biomechanics make you a more efficient, faster, and stronger runner.