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Running Form

By: Jamie T. Raymond, D.C., C.C.S.P.

Runners quite often don't put much focus into the technique of running. This is unfortunate, because good running form, coupled with good biomechanics, enhance performance and together are the keys to injury prevention.

Running form can be a little like politics. People often are either not inclined to think about it, or on the other hand may have a very strong opinion about what is right. I would submit that there is more than one "right" way to run. We all have different body types, athletic backgrounds, injury histories, and goals. The key is finding is what works for you.

I would say the biggest flaw in running form is a lack of one altogether. Unless you are a naturally gifted runner, not putting time into technique is a sure way of doing it wrong. It is not enough to simply put one foot in front of the other. While you will get from point A to point B, poor form results in inefficiency, a slower pace, increased stress on the body, and a greater likelihood of injury.

So what exactly constitutes good running form? If you talked to five different elite runners or coaches about technique, you would likely get five different versions. They each may indeed have had success running or teaching it their way, even though they are all different. With that being said, there are some fundamental, generally accepted upon principles that comprise good form:

CORE ENGAGEMENT:

Many runners don't associate the core muscles with their running. It is imperative however to maintain some level of tone in the lower half of your torso to facilitate an upright running posture. Good form starts here; the rest of the technical elements to be discussed hinge on maintaining an engaged core.

If you ask most people to define their "core" they would point to their abdominals. A better definition of core would be the entire torso and hips minus the legs, arms, and head. In the context of running, it is the abdominals, hip flexors, gluteals, and lower back extensors that are the most important. They should work synergistically to maintain an erect posture, "locking in" (without rigidity) your spine while most of the motion happens in your hips, legs, and arms.

A good way to practice core engagement is the following drill. Lie on your back with one knee bent and your hands under the small of your back. Brace the abdomen (as if you were preparing to receive a punch in the stomach,) using around 25% of a maximum contraction. Slide the bent leg straight, keeping the foot on the floor, and at the same time bend the other knee. Continue to alternate the legs, focusing on not allowing any motion in your spine (as felt along the backs of your hands) by maintaining your core brace. You should not feel your spine lift off or press into your hands as you move the legs. Practice speeding up the legs a bit while still keeping the spine locked in place and keeping everything else fluid. Once you have this step down, start to focus on your breathing. Take moderate breaths, in through your nose and down deep into your lungs, while still maintaining the core brace and rigid spine. The goal here is to disengage the core from the diaphragm, so that you don't lose core engagement as your breathing becomes labored as during running.

After you get a good feel for the drill, try incorporating these concepts into your running. Use less of a contraction than you did during the drill, closer to around 10%. Continue to focus on keeping the brace engaged even as you breathe freely. (You don't have to breathe in through your nose while running, although it's not a bad idea at slower paces.) The visualization I use is to simply think about holding the rib cage firmly above the pelvis, using enough muscle energy to maintain this posture but not so much that you are interfering with your breathing.

RELAXED UPPER BODY

The upper body should be kept relaxed during distance running. If your core is properly engaged then you should be able to let your shoulders and neck stay loose. There are only two areas where you should perceive active muscular contraction happening in the upper body. During the arm swing think about very lightly emphasizing the return swing, pulling your arm backwards with the back of your shoulder (as opposed to pushing it forward.) This will help to keep your shoulders from hunching forward, which with time is an energy drain. The second area of emphasis is on maintaining just enough contraction in the hands to keep them closed. The hand position isn't critical so long as they are closed enough not to flop around while keeping the forearms relaxed.

AVOIDING HEEL STRIKING

Heel striking is by far the most common, and in some ways the most problematic, technical flaw for the average runner. When you land on your heel, almost by definition your foot is in front of your center of gravity. Consequently every step brings a moment of deceleration, where the mass of your body has to come up and over your foot. This obviously creates a lot more force and jarring up into the leg and pelvis, and is not the most efficient way to run. If you've ever tried running barefoot, you may have noticed that heel striking is painful and you will automatically shift to more of a mid or fore-foot strike. This is how our bodies were designed to run. If you look at most elite runners, hardly any of them are heel-strikers. It is simply too slow and too injurious.

Understand that landing mid or fore-foot involves getting your center of gravity over your foot when you land. This has more to do with how you position your body and stride length rather than just deciding not to land on your heel. Maintaining your same heel-striking body position and then trying to get off your heels will lead to over-loading the calf muscles, which can cause injury.

Most commonly heel strikers over-stride and land with their foot too far in front of their center of gravity. There are some differences of opinions as to how to avoid this and whether you should be landing on you mid foot or the balls of the feet. Most sources discuss getting off your heels via two methods. First, incorporate a little bit of a forward lean to get your body weight going forward and your weight off your heels. The key here however is not to bend at the waist, but more from the ankle. You should maintain a straight line up through the pelvis to the head via an engaged core. Secondly, shorten up your stride length so that you are not reaching too far in front of your center of gravity. Maintaining the recommended cadence of 80-90 steps per minute (count every other step for one minute) will help to prevent over-striding.

Another concept that I find helpful is to think about having your stride opening up behind you, as opposed to reaching too far forward with the leg. Emphasize pulling the leg through with your gluts and hamstrings, propelling your body forward. Then as your foot leaves the ground behind you, and right after pushing off with the calf, allow the knee to continue to bend such that it is quite bent as you swing the leg to the front. Keeping the knee bent shortens the lever, allowing you to recover it more quickly to the front, and is the key to a quick cadence. As the leg is coming back forward, think about using your hip flexor to simply lift the knee, rather than having the quads drive the leg forward. The net effect should be that you land with the foot just slightly in front or directly underneath you, and off of your heel.

While heel striking is the most common technical flaw, it is also the most difficult to solve. Transitioning away from heel striking is not a matter of simply landing on your foot differently. It takes a level of commitment and a willingness to completely over-haul your style of running. In some ways you have to start all over. It took me about three running seasons of experimentation and trial and error to fully feel comfortable with a new style of running.

For these reasons I recommend that you don't make the decision to transition away from heel-striking lightly. If you run races, the best time to think about changing your form is probably in the off-season. Trying to change in mid-season can lead to injury. I gave myself good cases of Achilles tendinitis and plantar fascitis doing POSE running incorrectly during my transition years. If you are a recreational jogger who doesn't aspire to much more than the occasional 5K, it may not be worth bothering trying to change. So long as your weekly mileage is low, you wear good shoes, and don't always run on asphalt, you'll probably do OK. On the other hand, if you are half-way serious about your running, or prone to running injuries, it is worth putting in the time and energy to do it correctly.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Here is a summary of the key principles of good form:

  1. Engage your core to maintain a straight line.
  2. Incorporate a little bit of a forward lean without bending at the waist.
  3. Avoid over-striding; keep your cadence up around 80-90 steps per min.
  4. Bend the knee during the recovery swing.
  5. Keep your upper body relaxed.

Two good resources I found when trying to learn good form are the books POSE Running (www.posetech.com) and Chi Running (www.chirunning.com). POSE was developed by Dr. Nicholas Romanov, a Russian sports scientist and coach who has studied running form extensively with the idea that distance running has been deficient in its emphasis on technique compared to other sports. Chi Running was written by Danny Dreyer, an ultra-marathoner and Tai Chi devotee. Both books offer detailed explanations on running form, and lay out in a step by step fashion how to go about learning good form with drills, etc.

In my opinion the running styles they advocate reflect their authors' backgrounds. POSE is running with the training wheels taken off. To truly do this technique correctly, Romanov recommends you run in light-weight, non-supportive shoes similar to racing flats. For these and other reasons, I would only recommend POSE to serious runners.

I find Chi Running geared more to the everyday runner who isn't looking to necessarily break any records but just wants to make running a healthy experience. I think it is a bit more accessible for the average runner, and less likely to result in injury if done incorrectly, partly because you don't have to radically change from your current shoes.

There is no rule saying you have to only run in one particular style. I personally try to emulate the POSE method during faster middle distance runs, but gravitate towards Chi Running during longer slower distances. To be honest my favorite type of running is on trails, partly because when you're dancing around roots and rocks you can let go a little on the form and just have fun.

Important Note: If you intend to try POSE or Chi Running, I would suggest buying their respective books and/or DVD's and fully committing to it for a period of time. Trying to just wing it based on what you've read here or can gather online (i.e. free) is a good way to get injured. POSE running in particular requires adequate conditioning and attention to detail to do correctly and can very easily lead to injury if done incorrectly.

I have also included some links to various online sources that are helpful in watching good running form in action. As with learning anything else, a picture (or in this case video) can be worth a thousand words. While you definitely want to own the concepts described above, when it comes time to actually run it is helpful to have imagery to visualize.

Dr. Nicholas Romanov, originator of the POSE style of running, does a video analysis of Haile Gebrselassie, one of the greatest distance runners of all time, on this YouTube clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyWhVbohhEw&feature=related

If you want to run like a Kenyan, learn from a guy from.... Burundi. Aside from an inspiring personal story and a great attitude towards running, Gilbert Tuhabonye has some good tips on running drills and form. This is the first of a series on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY0S1y-HEZs

Dave Scott of Ironman fame offers some drills to help address three common running technical flaws: A tense upper body, a lack of core engagement, and over-striding:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7O_-j8eTCU

This page from Newton Running has a nifty graphic demonstrating why to avoid heel-striking:
www.newtonrunning.com/run-better

Chi Running Website. Check out "Danny's Blog" for some of the finer points of technique:
www.chirunning.com/shop/home.php

Finding your own running form takes time and practice. It's a good idea to try and read various sources, practice, and then incorporate what works for you. Be willing to put the time in, listen to your body, and keep learning.

Happy Running!

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