Ran With Knees Up. Knackering!

[Irishprincess]

Someone posted here a few days ago that if you lift your knees more, you'll get more of a momentum and rhythm going. Since my normal running style is shuffling I thought I'd give it a go.

Well, on Monday's run I tried to lift my knees more. Bloody hell. It was hard work! I couldn't sustain it for long but I did get the legs "circling" which I think is the point. So my run was shuffle, shuffle, lift knees, shuffle, shuffle, lift knees....... you get the idea.

But yesterday every inch of my body ached! I mean everywhere! My back, sides, ankles, tummy(!) everything! What's that about? I guess I was using different muscles than I normally do.

Was due out today but since I'm still a bit achey have decided to give myself an extra rest day!

To those of you who do run with your knees up I salute you!

[ginbin Graduate]

I don't lift my knees high...it would probably kill me, too....I run to be comfortable not to torture myself. I'm short and have to take short strides.

I salute anyone who can run fast and can run with their knees up.

[Slookie Graduate]

I blame Mother Brown for this. Seriously though I was once told to take my knees further forward as well as slightly higher when running (this was years ago) and it did seem to make the ground go away quicker. Just at the moment it's all I can do to lift my feet high enough not to trip over them. Everything else has to find its own way.

[Vixchile Graduate]

Bazza has suggested that and someone else tried it. I am trying to do it so it will hopefully improve my running. I need all the helpful tips i can get!!

[Rignold]

I would be very careful about lifting your knees overly high: any excessive up and down motion is wasted energy for starters and lifting your knees too high is a surefire recipe for injury putting too much impact on the joints. Drive your legs forward not up.

[Irishprincess Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Thanks for the advice. Feel much better so will go out today.

[Hidden]

That was probably me, and I think you might have over done the lifting bit, I was quoting Bazza...I think you're meant to think of your knees moving more forward than up... your heels pick up at the back though...it worked for me! Here's Bazza's post.

2 days agoBazza1234 Graduate

Next time you go running, try this ---- firstly, completely forget about your feet and what they are or are not doing. Then think/concentrate on what your knees are doing - swing your knees from your hips, and DRIVE them forward. To swing your knees and drive them forward, you will have to naturally lift them a little. Do this for a while and you will find that your feet follow through naturally. THEN- as you are thinking about your knees and driving them uppish and forward - also think about what your heels are doing . They should be coming upwards and backwards slightly in time with the motion of your knees. This combined motion of knees and heels creates a kind of rotary movement which carries your body along -- recall the cartoons of the Coyote and the Roadrunner bird - remember how the birds feet revolved and propelled him along the road??

[Irishprincess Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yep that's the one! Thanks for that. And yes think I was definitely lifting the knees up too high. Will try lifting them forward today.

[beforefifty Graduate]

Haha I had a go yesterday but kept forgetting as it did not feel 'natural' so I started chanting "knees knees knees knees" as I ran (in the middle of nowhere and I never meet anyone EVER) to keep myself focussed ... until a silent cyclist on a stealth racer bike suddenly came past me and shouted "Knees knees" Cheeky s#d !!!

At that point I decided I was just naturally slow and gave up trying to improve my stride.