How important is running form? (Read 1063 times)

So, my husband, normally a very postitive and supportive influence in my life including my running, had a post-1/2 marathon race question for me. "How come there were people who's running form looked like crap beat you? I mean, you always look relaxed and good out there, you should be placing in your age group." Now is when, I have to put the frying pan down and realize, he lacks a filter on what comes out of his mouth sometimes, he is a male, and above all he is a swimmer. In fact, he is doing the Alcatraz Challenge this weekend. He'll jump off of a perfectly good boat parallel to Alcatraz and swim back to San Francisco's Crissy Field, without a wet suit. He claims it is all about maintaining form and knowing how to "work the current." I gave him a vauge answer about, running form not being everything, mostly it is about miles you put in and blah, blah, blah. I thanked him for thinking that I have it in me to place in my age group. I don't think I was very convincing. Quite possibly because I'm not sure how much form really counts, if you have the endurance and speed work to overcome poopoo form, and your form doesn't cause injury, than form doesn't really matter as much. What would you guys have said? Thanks,

So, my husband, normally a very postitive and supportive influence in my life including my running, had a post-1/2 marathon race question for me. "How come there were people who's running form looked like crap beat you? I mean, you always look relaxed and good out there, you should be placing in your age group." Now is when, I have to put the frying pan down and realize, he lacks a filter on what comes out of his mouth sometimes, he is a male, and above all he is a swimmer. In fact, he is doing the Alcatraz Challenge this weekend. He'll jump off of a perfectly good boat parallel to Alcatraz and swim back to San Francisco's Crissy Field, without a wet suit. He claims it is all about maintaining form and knowing how to "work the current." I gave him a vauge answer about, running form not being everything, mostly it is about miles you put in and blah, blah, blah. I thanked him for thinking that I have it in me to place in my age group. I don't think I was very convincing. Quite possibly because I'm not sure how much form really counts, if you have the endurance and speed work to overcome poopoo form, and your form doesn't cause injury, than form doesn't really matter as much. What would you guys have said? Thanks,

I think everyone has their own running form - how your body is best going to move you forward. I remember watching one of the Ironman races on television last year and there was one woman whose running form was utterly ridiculous. She had one leg that swung way out to the side on every step, while the other just went straight forward, but if I remember correctly she was in third when they started the run and ended up winning.

In swimming, quality (form and technique) is generally more important than the quantity of miles in determining speed and efficiency. In running, quantity of miles (at the amateur level) is more important than form in determining speed and efficiency. Impecable technique and 15 miles/week, will not beat out horrible technique and 40 miles/week in a distance event, all other factors being equal. In my humble opinion.

I wouldn't take that question as not 'positive and supportive'! If you've got 'good form', put in more miles and see what happens - the hubby may be right.

At first I didn't want to think of it as positive, but I looking back, I believe he was trying to motivate me.

I have been working on my form. I needed to loosen up a bit and watch to be sure I don't carry my arms too high..learned this the hard way after running a race and felt the stress up around my shoulder blades for the rest of the day. Usually when I run every now and again I try and shake out the tension when I feel like Im doing it again. However, there are times when I run and I could give a damn about my form.

Form is important, but not in the way he's implying. Good form allows you to train more without getting injured. In running, form is all about how much shock you generate and how you distribute it. All else being equal, a runner with poorer form will break at a lower level of training. But there are so many mitigating factors. Some people can just take more punishment, so they can do high mileage with poor form, at least for a while. Some people rely on super cushioned shoes and burn through them ridiculously fast. At the highest levels of competition, there is no room for crappy form. But few of us are at that level.

I hate to disagree with all of you, running form is important to me. It can easy your heart-rate, relax you...and definitely improve your kick at the end of a race. Not to mention decrease the chance of injury.

Ben - I've noted most here think that form is important to an extent that it helps run more efficiently and with less potential for injury and such agree with you. Most great running coaches - Bowerman, Lidyard, Pirie, and so on all had some form items in common.There is a debate about the existence of a perfect running form which is likely not achievable. As for the original question - here is my take. Form can make up for some physical limitations but physical superiority will trump perfect form. Some people will always be faster no matter how they look running - Utta Pippig comes to mind. My form is better than hers but I bet she run me into the ground. Ignore hubby - we guys sometimes disconnect the brain from our tongue at times.

Ignore hubby - we guys sometimes disconnect the brain from our tongue at times.

That's because as guys, our brain is attached to something else. (incidentally, "form" has about 1,000 different parameters ranging from foot strike all the way up to how you hold your head and how relaxed your neck/shoulders are... some of these things are more important than others for a midpack runner in distance events)