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Bill Bowerman, in his coaching days at the University of
Oregon, has been quoted as saying "Run Tall". This sums up
the style of many of the recent and current greats in long distance
running. You should run standing up fairly straight, not leaning
forward, twisted to one side, or tilting backwards. You should be
looking ahead at where you are going, not staring at your feet or the
ground. Of course on a trail run, you might be checking out the ground
and what is coming up next, if you value your ankles.
"Some say to run on the ball of your foot, others say
contact the ground with the heel. We take a middle of the
road approach."
Foot First: Where should you contact
Some say to run on the ball of your foot, others say
contact the ground with the heel. We take a middle of the
road approach. Studies have shown that good long distance
runners usually contact with the midfoot. Slower
runners contact between the midfoot and the heel,
faster runners a bit further forward. We feel that only
sprinters or short to middle distance runners should
contact the ground with their forefoot or the ball of the
foot.
While there may be exceptions to the rule, this is a good
way for most beginning and intermediate runners to start
out. It allows for better shock absorption, less stress on
the calf muscle and Achilles tendon, and better rolling
forward onto the next stride. Your muscles then end up
being used in a similar manner to how you walk, and this
is the pattern of muscle firing and contact pattern they
are accustomed to.
Hips & Head
This part is hard to think about: Where are your hips when
your foot hits the ground. Some people have suggested that
your foot should be under the center of gravity of your
body when it strikes the ground. A line from your head
through your hips should end up at your foot. Keep the
head fairly straight and look ahead. Turns to the side
should be done carefully and usually mostly from the neck
up to avoid twisting your body and making you unstable in
your forward progression.
Arm Carriage
This is what you use when you haven't yet obtained a
jogging baby stroller. Actually, it is where you allow
your arms to swing. First, and most importantly, don't
tense up and carry them stiffly with your hands balled up
into a fist and your elbows completely bent.
Relax.
Carry your arms at your side somewhere between your waist
and your chest. Make sure they are not too high or too
low. One arm swings forward while the other one goes
backwards. This occurs opposite to the foot and leg
motion. Sprinters on the track move their arms in a
straight forward-backward motion. Most longer distance
runners use a slight arc as they swing their arms, but the
better ones don't waste motion by moving too much from
side-to-side. In other words, they don't swing their arms
excessively in front of their body.
Knees
The knees do not have to come up very high for long
distance runners. Only sprinters or those of us chugging
up a hill have to left our legs high.
Stride Length
One of the biggest problems of form in long distance
running is over striding. Make sure that you don't do
this, it can lead to a host of problems including Achilles
tendonitis, ITB pain, and iliopsoas muscle pain.
Breathing
While some like to tell you how to count your
breathing in seconds both in and out, we will just tell
you to keep breathing, deep and regular. In most cases
your breathing will take care of itself, as you run
faster, you'll breathe faster. And yes, most runners are
mouth breathers or at least nose and mouth breathers. It
would be impossible to take in adequate oxygen just
breathing through your nose.
Uphills and Downhills
Slow up a bit on the uphills. In general it is a bad
idea to try going faster. Move your arms a bit more to
help you imagine that you are cranking your way or pulling
yourself up hill. Shorten your stride and chug on up. You
can think of the little train that could and repeat
"I think I can" on the way up a big hill.
On the downhill, be careful. Go slow. The biggest risk, is
to your knees. Your quadriceps do the bulk of the braking
and be overworked without you being aware of it. If you
are racing, then you may lean forward a bit and fly down
the hill in a short race, but certainly be more careful in
training.
In fact many runners who use hills as part of their
training will walk down the hill while recovering to run
up the hill once more. This is a good way to rest and
recover while avoiding the excessive knee stress that
downhill running can cause..
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