RunningAHEAD - Topic: Has anyone made Dramatic Changes to their Running Technique after years of running ?

Desmondp

posted: 5/18/2009 at 12:09 AM

Just wondering if any experienced runners have made any signficant changes to their running technique after having already had years of running under their belt ? I would imagine it would take quite a bit of dedicated technique practice for an experienced runner to change his/her technique I've gotten hold of a few running videos (Chi running and POSE method to name a couple) and am not sure whether it is worth even giving any changes a try I believe my technique is not bad at all, my running efficiency is decent but of course it isnt perfect.

xor

posted: 5/18/2009 at 12:11 AM

Noakes AND Chi/Pose in one evening. That's a quinella. Anyway, I just run. I've only been doing it for about 9 years and my form could use some work. But I have fun with it.

Ed4

Barefoot and happy

posted: 5/18/2009 at 12:55 AM

I think you will find that those of us who have changed our form did so because we were experiencing recurring injuries. For me the difference was dramatic. I used to have achy knees and bouts of ITBS, and I was highly dependent on a fresh pair of perfectly selected shoes every 400 miles. I also had weak ankles that I sprained repeatedly. I was a decent runner, I ran like that for years, finished three marathons. But I was relatively fragile. This past week I ran 40 miles barefoot on pavement in complete comfort. I have put 1200 miles on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. My knees have been 100% pain free since I transitioned. My ankles are rock solid. I realize now that many of the aches I used to experience are not normal at all, they're the result of bad running form. Now that running is so much easier, I run more miles, and I finally BQed last year for the first time. So yes, for some people at least it is completely worth it. As for how, it's quite simple: 1. Be willing to start from scratch. 2. Take off your shoes. 3. Try to run. Maybe walk first, if running is too difficult. Your body will figure out the rest.

Curious about running barefoot? Visit the ~~new~~ barefoot running group.

Mr Inertia

Suspect Zero

posted: 5/18/2009 at 11:08 AM

Does being a heck of a lot faster count?

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 5/18/2009 at 11:21 AM
modified: 5/18/2009 at 11:41 AM

I don't know if this qualifies as dramaitic, but I take shorter strides and have a quicker cadence (stride turnover) than the old days. The main result is that I take a lot less pounding than in the past (which is a really good thing, because I'm heavier than I used to be). Higher turnover also results in less heel-striking and overstriding. If you get your turnover up, you pretty much naturally achieve everything that the Chi/Poser crowd promises without having to buy all of their crap.

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

kpk33x

posted: 5/18/2009 at 11:25 AM

YES! I am 34 now, have been running since 13 with some lengthy breaks, and a history of injury. My friend was a competitive runner and a PT who knew that I wanted to get more into it. We went running one day last winter and he told me my form was terrible, and he had noticed it before. I leaned forward, ran up on my toes too much, used my ankles instead of hamstrings/bigger muscles for momentum. He put two and two together and asked how much problems I've had with ankle tendonitis and knee pain and gave me the technical explanation of why I was getting them. He saw videos of me from high school and said "yup, your form's been terrible for years." He said if I was going to increase my mileage again I was headed for injury unless I changed some things. He made some corrections and gave me some tips that I still follow. I've only had one tendonitis flare up since (due to worn out shoes) and have drastically improved this year, running more and also faster than I have since college. I also had IT band problems in the past (contributing to knee pain) because the outside of my legs were way stronger than the inside and causing imbalances. I corrected that by playing hockey, which works the inside of your legs much more. I didn't have to change anything else form-wise from hockey, but the increased mileage has also helped my skating this spring. But I still have to remember my friend's tips during each run and catch myself when I get distracted because I easily slip back into my old form...gradually getting better with that as I'm getting faster again. Old habits are hard to break.

bap

posted: 5/18/2009 at 1:10 PM
modified: 5/18/2009 at 1:11 PM

I'm continually tweaking mine. I moved from heel to mid-foot strike andincreased my strike rate,. I focused on relaxing my shoulders and arms, started cruising up hills and charging down them (which is the opposite of my instinct), and running along a straight line one foot in front of the other. The latest change was to relax my ankles as I run which allows me to fall forward with each step (Chi Running). The next step will be to concentrate on relaxing my tight hips.

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Has anyone made Dramatic Changes to their Running Technique after years of running ? (Read 544 times)