What are your thoughts on form? And more specifically, achieving text book 'good' form as a non-professional runner?
Lately I've been contemplating my style of running and gait—which it turns out may be atrocious, if my event photos are anything to go by 😂. There seem to be many mixed articles and views on this, my physio (on my one brief visit!) says my entire musculoskeletal structure has been built upon my particular and unique way of moving, and changing things that are working well for me could do more harm than good. Which makes perfect sense to me, and I took it as a bit of a get out of jail free card at the time. But I've since been wondering if it is perhaps better to try to slowly alter the things that I feel may not be optimal?
For example, I'm a mid foot striker but know I don't lift my knees sufficiently, which means if I'm pushing myself or I'm tired I'm prone to striking nearer the heel. I also over-stride dreadfully, though my cadence is around 175 at race pace so I don't really know how I manage it. So I've been trying to be more aware of the way I land my feet and to lift my knees, but I just seem to end up stamping 🤣 Suffice to say trying to adjust my form has not gone well and I've just fallen back into running the Sqkr way.
I realise there is no right or wrong answer to this, and just wondered what you think about form—do you run in the way that feels most natural to you, or strive to do it 'correctly'?
(if I can find a really bad running photo I'll add it as an example! Or maybe even a montage 😭)
Edit: added a photo exhibiting all the above! And it especially sucks, as it would have been a great photo if I only I wasn't running like an idiot 😁
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Sqkr
Half Marathon
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I am a senior novice and trott along and relied on Michael and Laura.Tried to settle with the advice.
Some get out of jail comments that gave comfort,
First one already made by your advice, a good coach will not change your natural running form, only tweak stuff to reduce your risk of injury.
Second but may not apply, a good golfers swing can only be achieved when you are an infant. Much more difficult as an adult. Perhaps running form is like that.Only used this example because the golf swing is not considered natural or easy.🤔
Overstriding not good but easily fixed , shorten your stride and up your cadence.🤔Short, quick steps and pump your arms
We all have to heel strike on some routes, uphill and down🤔
For me MJ’s/Laura’s advice is not heel striking, land slightly back from your heel.If you are upright like MJ is, my thought is you present a greater area footfall and hence a lower force/ load per unit square. A lower load distribution and less equal and opposite reaction from the running surface.🤔Less risk of injury.🤔
Your pace is fab and you probably have a lot more Sqkr providing you build up and adapt.
As a side I think HIIT is made for you also as well as your distance.
Maybe just helps balance with your busy job and responsibilities and mixes things up.
Sorry but I am just a pain with this HIIT stuff now.
Atb Sqkr your a star.🌟💥🏃♀️💥☄️
PS Just saw your fab pick.
Head/shoulders/back brill, arms appear to cross your body🤔and elbows not 90deg, your elbows are good if you were running up a hill and I know you run up many, and maybe have forgotten to revert back.
I think the arms as described by Laura regulate nicely your stride length and of course give you propulsion.
Yes your stride is long and you look close to your heel.🤔Stamping versus kissing the ground lightly🤔
Kissing the ground good.
I am a novice but I see only tweaks so no major risks to imbalance.Think Laura’s description can be easily, safely and quickly adapted.Atb,Sqkr your a very accomplished runner.💥🏃♀️💥☄️
PPS, Read recently on some sprinting tips all about quick light steps and cadence.Your are not propelling yourself forward when you are in the air.🤔The article thought that high knees was a waist of energy with no propulsion benefit.Was encouraging feet close to the ground.🤔Perhaps I can find it again.I just googled benefits and tips for sprinting.🤔👏👏
You certainly do not run like an idiot.🙈 Wish I had some of your magic.👏👏
I often think about getting stuck into some HIIT, but never fully commit to looking at it properly. I promise I will do so-you're a good advocate!
My arms...they don't tend to go across my body, but it seems they often aren't at a 90* angle. When I'm relaxed, dotting along at training pace they're fine, but in a race I note they fold up like little T-rex arms. I don't notice I'm doing it at the time
That's interesting about the article regarding low-to-the-ground feet. It certainly makes sense for longer distances, as you'd think it would be more efficient. I'll google about, see if I can find it
I think an awful lot of what is written about form is over-thought and over-complicated, and often meant to sell someone's book!
It is difficult to have to think about all this jargon while trying to get through a run, and most probably more beneficial just to keep practising running until one gets better at it.
I have found it beneficial to keep reminding myself to get my shoulders back, head up, and neck long - I used to get quite substantial pain in my shoulders towards the end of long runs - no more! BUT I have also been running for four years now, and have been doing a lot of work on upper body strength during the past year, and these improvements could be attributed to that. Of course, there are other reasons why a nice upright open posture is a good thing 😊
I think I do not overstride (although that's another question - how can I tell? I check my reflection in shop windows from time to time - a somewhat risky strategy!), but I do like to lengthen my stride at faster speeds by pushing out behind - I enjoy having that extra spring in my step. But I am aware that this can put more strain on my hamstrings, so I will rein it back a bit.
Regarding heel striking: If I'm going faster, or wearing flatter shoes, I run with a forefoot strike for some of the time, but I am predominantly a heel striker, and I think the majority of runners are. I also think there is not necessarily anything wrong with this, and in fact it can be a bad thing to try and force a different gait - see this article here for example:
Running certainly seems to suffer from a lot of fairly dogmatic articles and attitudes, they all proclaim very similar things but seem to suffer heavily from trends too--which makes me think one person starts off and everyone else just jumps on board.
It's tough to ignore these things though, I generally subscribe to the 'run like a child' philosophy--just move your legs faster if you want to go faster, and most of all enjoy doing it. But there's always the niggly voice that says 'maybe you can do this better'...
Nice picture! 😀 not sure it tells the whole story though as your legs will move before your foot strikes the floor. Interesting points you raise - I’ve thought about this too. I’m a mid foot striker which I have concluded is ok. I think the key thing is to be light on your feet, and have been trying to improve by lifting my knees higher and lifting my foot higher behind too as this makes it more efficient. I’ve found regular drills a couple of times a week are beneficial e.g. m.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2My...
I don’t over think things. I just haul myself up when I slump. I see photos of myself in races where I look like a hunch back, so I have to remind myself to haul myself back up
Gait wise, again I just run.
I do like to keep my running under my hips on hills On long runs you do need to stretch it out a bit or your hips seize up. I am a short arse so long strides ain’t an issue 🙂
I'm very much in the 'if it ain't broke dont fix it' camp. If I was getting pain then I would see a specialist. As Tbae says tweak to prevent/cure injury.
However, I can't see exactly what is wrong from your photo either. Other than it looks as though your arms are swinging across your body, but then I think you are running on a slight bend which may be the reason for that.
1) The planar fascia, is a spring, but the knee isn't. So you will absorb more energy and store it in the planar fascia for your toe-drive of the next pace, with a mid or forefoot strike.
2) Modern shoes with a 11-15 mm heel height over the ball-of-big-toe make even good-form mid-foot strikers into heel-strikers.
I had occasion to sprint 500m for home the other day wearing my flat-soled shoes when the heavens opened on me. I noticed that (1) I can sprint much better now that I run 15Km a week, (2) my natural sprint is toe-strike.
The interesting thing here is that with my 11mm-heeled running shoes, I am definitely a heel-striker. And with osteo-arthritis in my knees, I need to take action to fix that. Maybe it is just a matter of new, zero-heel shoes.
That's interesting about the shoe heel/toe height. Apparently the ones I'm wearing in the picture have a drop of 10mm, but supposedly have good energy return--so perhaps swings and roundabouts there! I'm not experienced enough to know much about whether I utilise it well though. I know I don't like puffy, maximal style shoes like Hokas, but find minimal shoes put too much pressure on my big toe joints. It'd be interesting to try lots of different shoes on the same track but I guess only pros get that option :/
No idea what kind of foot strike I am, nor much about my form. Never had gait analysis either. The more I know, the more to obsess over. I do know that I slouch when I am tired and tend to look at the pavement before me especially on hills. Almost ran into a lamppost once Slouching is a long term issue outside of running too. I am working on those items. Our run coach says in terms of striking, just run naturally and things will fall into place. Keep your head up and shoulders a bit back to get lots of air into your lungs and just go. I think I agree.
I do the opposite I think, my pals are always amused by my photos as I adopt some sort of zen-like middle-distance stare I do slouch everywhere else in life though, I have a screensaver at work saying STOP SLOUCHING which at least stops me for a few minutes each day when I catch it in my eyeline. I like the line from your run coach. It makes running sound so life-affirming!
Shorter distances I know... but Usain Bolt ran in ways that coaches try to drill out of their runners... didn’t do him any harm! If it works and it’s not causing discomfort then why change it?
I can only echo Roseabi's comment about checking your posture at regular intervals. I too have this "every lap or every 1km" routine when I ask my body how it's going. I first straighten up more and put my chin up, hips more forward etc..It's always clear to me that I've slouched into a forward lean and downward gaze even over the last 1 km since the last body check. I next go to the arms and check a regular symetrical arm swing and ask my shoulders and neck how they are doing. Then I check my guts/stomach and any tightness/stichy type sensations. Then finally I address each leg and focus on whether any niggles or ghosting twinges (ghosting in and out) in ankle, knee, calf, shin splint zones, thighs, groin, bum/ butt etc. I then ask about my foot fall, knee raise, cadence, foot slap (when more knackered) etc. Sounds like a long list but it only takes a few seconds to run through. I'm sure just reminding yourself about posture/form changes your "look" and stops you falling into the slouchy shuffle especially over longer distances. There was one section towards the end of my marathon where I went into the 39km + vally of death and forgot to do the regular checks..when I finally did a check I more or less lifted my nose off the tarmac and leaned back from what felt like a 45 degree forward slouch and that really changed a grind to the line into something that felt like running rather than a joggy shuffle! When you do the body check say "I'm a gazelle" "Kiss the ground" that sort of thing but not out loud though
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