Running Form (Read 999 times)

I didn't mean to imply that I think it's not important, just that it's not something that dominates (or really enters) my thinking during a run. Unless something is chirping at me, or I find myself mysteriously injured, I just run (a lot less than the OP).

I think of strides, short fast stuff like 200's run "near all out," and even short hill charges being aimed at turnover.

Mikey: I think I probably agree with almost 99% of what you say but 1% migh be on techniqu??? I just posted my comment on Sushigirl's thread so I won't dupe here but I don't believe in "most efficient and effective running form will come naturally" rubbish. You are correct about even 2-year-old (or maybe perhaps 5-year-old...) knows how to run correctly. Unfortnuately, most of us, or most people who hadn't continuously running like some competitive runners but someone who hadn't been engaged in any sort of running activities for years and now trying to "start up" had forgotten how to run properly and correct technique would have to be re-learnt. Main cause of it is probably weak muscles. Some definite cause is wearing boots-like bulky inflexible shoes in the name of "stability" and "cushion". I would also agree that some of the drills would help but personally I would not suggest what you had suggested for the reasons that you had suggested for. Drills should be drills--not anaerobic speed workouts like 200s. If you throw some C25K type of runners into repeat 200s "near-all-out", they would clinch their fists and get their shoulders way up and grit their teeth... No way to work on speed...or form. If you want to work on form, you should work on form. Drills like High Knees...to work on high knee lift; or what we call "Striding" to work on "circular movement" of legs; or Quick Feet (like some footballers might do) to overcome muscular viscosity, etc... Now, as for short hill charge... I know Canova and Hudson popularized this but I see many high school kids or some footballers do this by the track. Once again, their attention is so much on "trying to get up as fast as they can" and they clinch theif fists, grit their teeth... And, because it's uphill, their feet are sprayed outward and... Man, their form is absolutely terrible! This is what happens when their muscular strength is not quit developed and they try to run as fast as they can. This is WHY we do some drills to develop this strength. Uphill running should be done with slow forward momentum, not "charge". You lift your knees good and keep your posture straight, etc... You cannot do that if your are "charging" it with the emphasis on "turn-over". The emphasis on turn-over should be during the downhill running when you can free-wheel down. Not all the workouts have to be "tough". It's not "practice makes perfect" but "perfect practice makes perfect." Each and every workout, or drill, should have a clear purpose and you need to stick with it. If you just simply want to go after pain or struggle, you can do it many other ways like banging your head against the brick wall. By the way, great job at Boston. You didn't stop by at Cross Road on Saturday, did you? It was quite noisy but a lot of fun...

Mr. Inertia: Hill training: http://www.lydiardfoundation.org/training/hilltrainingdvd.aspx (first exercise--by the way, that's me!). However, depending on the event you're training for and the background of your training, we usually use relatively longer hill for this exercise (unlike other two exercises) like 200m or so. And, unless you're VERY flexible, we really don't lift our knees beyond horizontal to the ground. Quick steps: sometimes football players do this by putting some rope ladder or net-type of things and trying to step in and out of it as quickly as they can. Same idea--the idea is to move your feet/legs as quickly as possible. We actually don't necessarily do this because actual "High Knee" exercise is to bring your knees high and move your legs quickly so it's sort of covered. Some other exercises are very briefly covered here: http://www.lydiardfoundation.org/training/drilltraining.aspx I just realized your first question was not about hill high knee exercise but real High Knee exercise. Oh, well, I'll leave the first paragraph for our promotion anyways! ;o) With hill high knee, we don't necessarily move too quickly because it's the resistance that you'll need to feel. But as a sprint drill, you'll move your legs quite quickly, up and down, and cover about 30m to start with. You may even get up to 50m but you rarely go beyond that--if you start going that far, you either moving forward too fast or your form would start to go out the window! Relaxation is the key to this whole technique work--you just don't push to the point where you start to struggle and the form goes bad. Even doing these exercises (high knee or quick feet), you don't "struggle"--you don't tense up in your shoulders or grit your teeth. In fact, you should feel your cheek flopping.

Nobby, I agree on all points. I almost parsed my answer into a question of a.) form, and b.) turnover. Since Mr. Inertial only asked about turnover I stuck with the things I thought most applied there. For pure running form, yes indeed the drills you describe are invaluable. I also like high knee skips and but kicks.