Forums >Racing>Is running on a treadmill acceptable for a long run?
Ricky —our ability to perform up to our physiological potential in a race is determined by whether or not we truly psychologically believe that what we are attempting is realistic. Anton Krupicka
Screw U.
Runners run
Why is it sideways?
What do you think?
I think proper elbow angle is a fundamental problem in training that has yet to be fully explored. I account much of my modest running success to the angle at which I hold my elbows. But proper elbow angle is difficult to extrapolate from one runner to another because proper elbow angle varies, of course, from pace to pace and from person to person. So I say basically you oughta angle your elbows by feel. What I do know is that spending more time with my elbows properly angled and really focusing on that during my run is something that has really brought me excellent results. I would recommend most runners to think carefully about the position in which they hold their elbows and also to try out different elbow angles from time to time. Be an experimentalist! Good luck!
The process is the goal.
Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.
That's what bothers me about the man in pink. I don't get his thinking that something is wrong with his arm carriage.
Run a long race without relaxed arms, and you'll quickly learn not to. My arms were incredibly sore after my first half marathon -- more sore than my legs.
I think you are over analyzing this. A good tip is if you run along city streets you should look at your reflection in windows to determine if your posture looks natural. That's all you need.
Good point, Richard. This is also a good reason to run on a treadmill in a gym. I always try to pick one that has a mirror close by so that I can watch my elbow angle and make sure that it's at the proper, well, angle. Another thing that makes this discussion so fascinating is that I believe that your elbow should actually move through a RANGE of angles during the running motion. Many--too many--runners run with their elbows completely locked and they have no idea how much time they are losing by doing this. If you go to about 1:42 in this video, you'll see some great examples of elbow angle. Note that the elbows of the runners tend to move through approximately 4-5 degrees in theri matural running motion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLg4j4gMzqA
Good point, Richard. This is also a good reason to run on a treadmill in a gym. I always try to pick one that has a mirror close by so that I can watch my elbow angle and make sure that it's at the proper, well, angle.
A rule we strictly enforce with our track team is when the sprinters are doing a 20+mile treadmill run to bring a protractor along so that they can correct between their indoor and outdoor arm angle taking into account the incline of the treadmill. My running tips newsletter has more, such as "Don't get run over by a car if you run outside" and "Don't take the medicine ball on a long run".