Jess Manning
Throughout your running career, your running form will change and evolve, and so will your understanding of what constitutes good form. Just like most areas of any sport, running included, in order to properly ascertain something as a whole, it must be broken down into various parts, and this chapter addresses the parts of running that make up your form. You may have heard many of these areas mentioned by a variety of sources: from coaches to fellow athletes to the “really cool” running guy you saw on TV.
The first piece of advice, however, is that you should take these parts and put them into one big pot, mix it up, and from that, come up with what works best for you. Everyone’s running form is different, and we have all probably seen athletes who have surprised us by running as fast or as well as they did in spite of how they were running. Ask yourself this: Are you running the speeds as well as you are in spite of your form, and thus limiting your results, or are you simply getting the most out of your abilities by running the way that feels “right” to you, and thus the most efficient with the best outcome? To take it one step further and simplify, would changing your running form help or hurt you?
One thing that is constant is that most running technique improvements can benefit almost everyone. Professional athletes do drills and skills training every day. The major difference between running and the other two disciplines in triathlon as far as proper form goes is that you can get by with a lot more technique issues in the run and still find a certain degree of success. I have listened to and been trained by some of the most advanced and knowledgeable running coaches in the world, and they have looked at and dissected the form of some of the top athletes in the world, and many times have not been impressed with their running form. It is like someone telling Michael Phelps that his stroke needs improvement. So here is the bottom line: The most important part of assessing your running should be whether it feels right.
Now, on to assessing the parts of your running form. This assessment starts at the very top and works all the way down to the most obvious, your feet.
Head, Neck, and Eye Position
In relation to your head, neck, and eyes, begin by asking yourself, “What am I looking at when I run?” If the answer is “a lot of things,” you may need to change it up a bit. Although the scenery is one of the reasons many athletes enjoy running, proper head position plays a key role in what the rest of the body is doing. It may not be as noticeable when you are running outside, but have you ever tried to turn around even just a little bit on a treadmill? How about attempting to shoot a sideways glance in a different direction than you were running? Disaster! Many athletes have the scars to prove it. It’s almost impossible to have your head or eyes looking in a different direction and stay on the treadmill (safely). Your head tells the body where to go, and your eyes often tell your head.
Now, why is this important? The number one reason is safety. Some of the same reasons it is unsafe to run with your head turned on the treadmill apply here. You might be setting yourself up for several opportunities to get injured if you are not looking where you are going. The second reason, and most important for running form, is alignment. You need to keep your head in line with the rest of your body. World-renowned running coach Bobby McGee refers to this as being “connected and stacked.” You should keep all the parts of your upper body in line and move them as a single unit in harmony. The goal is to keep your head relaxed but steady and your eyes focused on the close horizon.
Breathing
Breathing is next for the mere fact it is connected to the head as well as the torso. There are varied opinions when it comes to breathing and technique, but the one constant you will hear from any running expert is this: You have to breathe! Now all kidding aside, it’s important to make sure you are receiving the right amount (volume) of oxygen at the right times (frequency). We have a tendency to want to breathe faster when we exercise for obvious reasons, but this does not necessarily mean we are getting the oxygen we need in the most efficient manner.
Breathing should be even and deep, almost relaxing. Understand that the speeds at which you run ultimately dictate how frequently you take in oxygen, and your ability to slow down your intake frequency can help keep your heart rate down. There are many schools of thought on this, but since the goal of breathing is to take in the most oxygen when you need it, the best way to take in the highest volume of oxygen the fastest is to breathe through your mouth. Pay attention to making sure you do not always breathe on the same-side footfall every time. Believe it or not, this can actually encourage repetitive-use injuries. Take every opportunity you can to change up small details in your form throughout your longer runs. This can make sure you are evenly distributing the loads and stresses of each discipline to help you stay injury free.
Shoulders
The shoulders are one of the easiest problem areas to spot and to correct. Go for a long run with a group, or look at the last couple of miles of any race, and you are sure to see athletes of all shapes and sizes with their shoulders up to their ears. It seems that as we fatigue we begin to tense up, and this leads to overcompensation through holding the shoulders well above the needed or recommended location. Think about your shoulder location, and be aware of it the next time you run. Are your shoulders loose and relaxed? Stressed out and overtightened shoulders radiate throughout the rest of your body greater than almost anything else. The first place a person goes to help you relax is your shoulders. Coincidence? Highly unlikely. Try to keep them as comfortably low as possible. This will in turn allow the rest of your upper body muscles to follow suit.
Arms
Arm position is one of the most important and contested areas of form. In fact, it also may be the area that has the widest range of differences between runners. Some runners attempt to keep their arms tucked very close to the point that it almost looks as if they are trying to punch themselves in the face. Other runners look as if they have lost complete control of their upper limbs altogether. As with the other areas discussed, the optimal location is a neutral position. Arms should remain relaxed and tension free. They should not cross over your midline (the imaginary vertical line down the center of the front of the body) as they move front to back.
Picture the control arms on the wheel of a train. They move backward and forward in perfect synchronization and harmony. Always point your arms toward the desired direction of travel: forward. The rule of thumb is this: Your arms are really along for the ride. They are there to assist when necessary and to help with the balance and harmony of your stride. Try not to run with your arms. Rather, allow them to move freely, and call on them only when necessary.
Core
The core of any athlete is one of the most important areas of focus, if not the most important. This section of your body is pivotal not just for your running form but also for the form of all the disciplines in triathlon. All major movements from top to bottom should originate from this part of your body. Because of the importance of this area, it can be the quickest to unravel. When you are running, think about your core and what it is doing. Is it loose and moving all over the place? Or is it rock hard and tightened up as if you are in a plank hold? Again, the goal is moderation. Ideally, you want a firmly held position from which the rest of your running form can radiate and find strength.
One of the quickest areas to fail in runners is their core section. Do a quick core check on yourself when you run to see where you stand. However, do not attempt to make your core do something it is not trained to do. If you hold your core super tight and rigid when it is not trained to do so, you will fatigue at an alarming rate. Keep your core as firm as you are comfortable to aid in your overall upper body positioning, and incorporate as much core training as possible in your training schedule for continued improvement.
Hips
When you run, one of the biggest areas where you waste energy and lose efficiency is your vertical rise. This means the “bounce” in your step. At a recent marathon, one runner was estimated to have traveled more than three times the height of the Empire State Building vertically over the course of the 26.2 miles. In contrast, the runner who won the event that day traveled only one time the distance. This should help you understand why you should check to see how much you bounce when you run.
Keeping bounce to a minimum means saved effort, and that means efficiency, which can equal speed and endurance. Keeping your bounce to a minimum is covered further in the section on legs. Additionally, you are looking for your hips to stay in alignment with the rest of your upper body. If you allow your hips to lag behind the rest of your torso or stand too upright in comparison to your torso, you may be losing you forward momentum either out the back or the front of your stride.
Try to envision that you have a stack of empty boxes in your hands, and you are going to attempt to throw them all at once. The only way you can do this is to use the bottom box in the stack to help propel the upper boxes forward as well. You need to keep those boxes stacked on top of each other to allow them to work together. If they fall out of alignment, or if you try to move too quickly, the bottom box will fly forward or backward while the other boxes fall to the ground. This bottom box is your hips. Try to focus on keeping everything else above it, on top of it. As mentioned later in the section on legs, your forward lean will play a large role in how efficiently you run. This concept of staying aligned will come easier as you find the proper lean for your running style.
Hands
Ask yourself this question: When you run, what are your hands doing? Are they clinched together tightly? Are they loose and floppy or maybe open but rigid as if you could snap a salute on command? With any luck you answered no to all these questions. More than likely, though, you may need to sharpen your focus in this area. Your hands help with the circulation of your limbs, which helps with the rest of your body. If you clinch your hands up tightly, you are restricting this circulation and overworking the rest of your upper body. The result is that you are not only vascularly restricting yourself but also fatiguing your hands at a quicker rate than necessary. Fatigued muscles do not perform at their best, plain and simple. This makes the need to run as easily as possible paramount.
Remember, you may need your hands to help you on the hills or at the sprint finish of your events. So rest and relax them as often as you can. The ideal position for your hands is loosely closed. This means they are closed but not clinched. As you are running, open them on occasion and shake them out.
Legs and Stride
When I refer to your stride (or gait), I am typically referring to the distance between your feet and legs when you run. Take a stride forward and then pause. Where did you land? Where was your leg in relation to your body? Make sure you are attempting to land with your feet under your torso, not in front of you. Try to avoid overdoing your heel kick or the lift of your knee. Remember, the goal is efficiency, and extra wasted movements will only be counterproductive. High knees and butt-kickers are wonderful drills; they should not, however, be running styles. Fast turnover requires that you get your feet on and back off the ground as quickly as possible. So if you add extra time by bringing your knees high, and your feet to your backside, you have essentially slowed down your cadence, all for the sake of making it look as if you are flying for the finish line photo. The best runners look efficient, not fast. When you watch a marathon on television, how often do you think They don’t look that fast, only to find out they are running 5:05 splits? They make it look easy because they are running properly. Keep your focus on efficiency of stride, not how it looks.
Selecting the Correct Running Shoe
There are several rules of thumb when choosing a running shoe. And although there may be numerous outside influences telling you that one brand or another will make you faster, keep in mind that this decision is one of the most important and should be made with care.
Determine what type of shoe you need.
First, when trying to figure out what type of running shoe you need, ask yourself a few questions: What are the shoes for? There is a shoe for every type of situation or event that you can think of, so decide if you are looking for one that will hopefully do it all or for multiple shoes for different distances and conditions. Next, what type of runner are you? Typically, beginners and many distance runners use a more stability-based shoe, whereas more advanced and faster runners often lean toward a lighter or flat racing shoe.
Locate a running store that performs foot and running analysis.
This is really important in your quest to determine whether you are wearing the right shoe, not only from a functional standpoint but also from a comfort standpoint. The best shoes in the world will not help you if they hurt your feet. Additionally, many running stores will even let you go for a stroll around the block on surfaces similar to what you might have in an event. This is a great benefit because most of the triathlons out there are not on carpet.
Choose for function, not fashion.
This is probably one of the most common offenses, and it’s made not just by the ladies (sorry fellas!). We have all done it. We walk into a store and see a shoe that catches our eye. Now although it is very important that you like how they look, make sure the function of the shoe fits your needs.
Start with more stability than you think you need.
This is a tricky area for many runners. We hear the word stability, and we automatically think either comfort or safety shoes. Neither is the truth, actually. As you run, your body has to adjust and adapt to the force and physical demands of the training. As your running improves, you will find that the need for a more supportive shoe may diminish. Do not be afraid to go to a lighter shoe because this will be faster, but take your time working into one. Whereas the downside of wearing too much shoe may be a slower time, the comparison to the injuries that can come from running in too little of a shoe really is not even a comparison at all.
Buy multiple pairs as often as your budget permits.
Just like our bodies, shoes need to be allowed to recover—from sweat that accumulates and from the pounding on the pavement. It is a good idea to not use the same pair every single day. This will make your shoes last longer as well. Another point worth noting is that trying to get your feet used to different types of shoes can be a great training tool. It encourages you to run “with your feet” as opposed to relying on the footwear for the outcome.
Wear what works.
One final and important note: Try different brands. Do not claim loyalty to a certain brand name and then limit yourself to running only in that type of shoe. I have coached many athletes who swore they had “insert brand name” feet. Sure we all have favorite athletes and brands we love, but although you may be able to force your body into a particular triathlon suit and get by with just a bit of discomfort, shoving your feet into a running shoe that isn’t right for you may be the quickest way to injury. All feet are different, and until you are paid to wear a certain manufacturer, you should focus on what feels right for you and what the professionals recommend for your foot style.
Another important detail is your forward lean. Good running lets you use gravity as opposed to working against it. Maintaining a slight forward lean will enhance your forward propulsion and momentum. Another item of note is that the focus of your turnover should be on “catching” yourself with your legs. The best way to minimize the vertical rise described earlier is to develop optimal leg strength to keep you from having to bounce yourself up to move forward.
Feet
In terms of running form, your foot position will be one of the trickiest to ascertain by yourself. Besides its being extremely difficult to look down at your feet while running from any angle, it is also hard to accurately tell what happens in that split second when your foot is on the ground. One great way to tell what your feet do is to check out the bottom of your shoes. Where are they worn out? If you see a lot of worn-off sole in the heel area, you may be a heel striker. You can also look for uneven wear to see if you have any unbalanced areas of your foot strike as well as if you pronate or supinate. Another, and probably the best, way is to have yourself filmed. (This of course applies to the rest of your gait as well, but in particular to this part of your form.) Most good coaches offer this service and have found it to be an invaluable training tool in helping athletes understand the biomechanics of their form.
If you do not work with a coach (you should!), you can also head to your local specialty running store. Most of the good locations offer a video service done on a treadmill to aid them and you in the selection of your shoes. Although the clip may be short, and you will not have the opportunity to play it back a hundred times on your computer in super slow motion, it is a start. Pay close attention to what your foot does. How do you land? Do you land on your heels or toes? Maybe right in the middle? Do your ankles roll out (supinate) or in (pronate)
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you review the video. Time on the ground is time not moving forward. It’s almost like driving around with the parking brake on. So, you want to try to keep that to a minimum. Landing on your heels requires you to roll forward to your toes (often creating a double tap, heel then toe). Also, you are looking for a neutral, solid foot strike, with minimal back-and-forth movement after you land. A brief note about the cadence of your run: When I use the term cadence, I am referring to the frequency of your stride. Ideally this rate will fall somewhere around 180 strides per minute. Take the opportunity to count this in your own stride. Quicker turnover will provide you with the most efficient stride. It will also make you less injury prone by helping you stay off your heels and keeping your landing point beneath your body where it belongs.
The information in this chapter is by no means everything you need to know. The hope is, however, that it will help you become a more informed runner, and as such, a smarter and maybe even faster triathlete. Many agree that the race is won and lost on the run. This possibly makes the run the most important discipline of the three. Assessing your form could be the difference in not just where you finish in the race, but if you finish at all. Proper running form helps you not only from a performance and results standpoint but also from a career longevity standpoint. Proper form gives you the best chance of having a career that is as injury free as possible.
Now that you’ve assessed your form, what do you do with the information? Well, if you take one piece of advice away from this chapter, please take this one: Relax! Most of the errors in running form revolve around being too tense and uptight. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the information or try to make changes all at once. As you do in any other discipline, set aside portions of your training session to review form. Utilize drills, coaches, and fellow runners. Do not get frustrated! As stated at the beginning of the chapter, running form evolves over the years. I’ve had the opportunity to run 12 marathons and 3 Ironman events so far, and my form has changed and improved with each one. It will not come all at once. So, whether you are training for your 1st or 50th event, follow these basic steps and you’re headed for a successful competition and, more important, a great time and a long-running multisport career!