THE SCIENCE OF RUNNING
RUN FASTER
MORE EFFICENTLY
AVOID INJURIES
There is not an athlete in triathlon that does not want to know how to run faster. However, too many athletes believe that the quickest way to run faster is to run more and harder. The purpose of this paper is to teach you how to run smarter and get the most speed out of a given level of fitness.
Running is the most natural of all athletic activities .However, like any other movement, the art of running is a skill that can trained, improved and refined. The movement determines the function of the muscle, not the opposite.
Good running technique is a complex activity and requires the balanced co-ordination of many features. The nervous, muscular ,skeletal and cardiovascular systems of our body are all involved when we run. They all combine to create the neuromuscular and neuro-mechanical systems. We can improve the biomechanical movements for runners by teaching the body and mind the correct motor patterns. Top runners pay as much attention to develop strength in the core of the body(abs,low back,glutes,etc) as they do ensuring correct head and shoulder alignment and arm balance . The secret of fast but relaxed running technique requires landing on the front of the foot(not the heel),keeping the body upright(not bent forward) and driving up/down with the arms(not side-side)-the height at the front and back of the arm swing will depend on your speed and all are accomplished in the simplest and lightest of shoe designs rather than large cushioned shoes
Modern shoes do not force the runners to land on the heels but with the heel slightly thicker than the forefoot area, it certainly encourages it particularly among slower runners .Landing on the heel requires the foot to remain in contact with the ground far longer. Apart from slowing the runner down ,this form of heel-strike makes little use of the important shock absorbing arch muscles in the foot and in many cases leads to problems of over-pronation. Running with a heel strike puts a greater loading on the Quads and Iliotibial band(IT band), whereas forefoot running spreads the loading more evenly ,encouraging muscle elasticity in the hamstrings ,calves and foot flexors in absorbing shock and generating elastic rebound:calf and thigh muscles work together to absorb the body’s weight. This relieves the knees, IT band ,hips and lower back and results in a far lower incidence of training injuries.
In making the changes,runners who currently land on their heels will find themselves using their achillies tendon ,calf muscles and those in the arch of their foot much more than before and there will be some some intial soreness. Anyone completely new to this technique should begin with simple drills and non-running exercises such as running in place,running backwards and skiping with a rope.As runners let their feet learn to feel the ground and land properly,modern cushioned shoes will quickly begin to feel more like boots and runners will feel more comfortable in racing flats.
Most runners are biomechanically inefficient because their running technique is poor.
Some of the most obvious and weakness seen in runners
- bouncing up/down too much
- seated running-not using hamstrings enough
- over-striding
- landing on feet too heavily
- breaking action on landing
- tight shoulders-not using arms
- twist midriff side-side while running
- head/body are bent forward –thus causing shallow breathing
- The FOOT on landing should be light-not heavy-it then grips and scrapes the surface
- The THIGH moves forward with the action of the quads and hip flexors-the leg is extended and foot drops again landing on ball of foot
- The BACK should be straight and relaxed-not bent at waist
- The HEAD should be up with eyes looking forward.
- Many of us marvel at top runners ,especially the Kenyans, when watching their running gait and one thing that really makes an impression is the way their feet come up so high after leaving the ground, almost touching their backsides. What’s at work here is the simple principle of leverage. It is easier to move a shorter lever than a longer one and the leg is easier to bring thru if you shorten it by lifting the foot as close as possible to the backside as possible. It can also be brought thru quicker and so increases stride rate ,in- turn, making it easier to increase stride length. It takes a lot of strength in the hamstrings to get this kind of lift but the starting point is to land on the front of the foot and not on the heel .
- World class runners from 5000 meters to the marathon demonstrate stride rates of 90-95 right foot contacts per minute(180-190 total for both feet).Whether warming up or at race pace ,your stride rate ,cadence and frequency of stride needs to remain between 90-95 right foot contacts per minute.
- To achieve this,the length of stride is shortened when running slower and lengthened when running at race pace
- .To achieve this technique,here are some drills to achieve a more economical stride rate: