How to running Information

Before reading this article, please understand that there is no such thing as “perfect” running form. Since everyone has different limb lengths, varying muscle fiber sizes and angles, diverse masses, and separate running distance requirements, no single athlete will run the same. But there are *characteristics* of a good runner that remain fairly constant from person to person. Allow me to introduce you to four, and include a drill to improve each.

1. Increase knee range of motion during the swing phase. This means that your right knee should be more flexed (towards your butt) when your right thigh is flexed forward during the run, as opposed to your right knee being more extended (away from butt). Same goes for the left, of course. Think of it this way - if you were swinging a weight attached to the end of a stick, you could move the weight faster with less effort if the stick were shorter. In this case, the stick is your leg, and the weight is your foot. By having your knee (the stick) more bent (or shorter), you are able to move the weight (your foot) much faster with less effort. The result will not only be a faster swing time (meaning a faster foot turnover), but also reduced fatigue in achieving the desired stride length.

Drill: Heel-to-butt kicks. During your normal run, begin to exaggerate knee flexion, touching the butt with the heel during each stride. Do 20 touches for both the right and left legs, then continue in your normal gait pattern.

2. Maintain flexible quadriceps and hip flexors. These are the muscles along the front of your thigh that act to straighten the leg. If they are tight, insufficient flexibility can inhibit your ability to fully extend the leg in the push-off phase of the running gait.

Drill: Platform stretch. Ideally, your pelvic bone should be tilted backwards when stretching the quadriceps and hip flexors. To achieve this, find a platform or elevated surface that is approximately at knee height or slightly higher. Facing away from the platform, and standing on your right leg, bend your left knee and lock your left foot, shoelaces down, onto the surface. Hold 15-30 seconds, then switch.

3. Deliberately focus on pushing backwards with each step. This will not only incorporate your gluteal and hamstring muscles in the push-off phase of the running gait, but also keep your center of gravity consistently rolling forward. Rather than focusing on using the muscles around the knee to provide the driving force, focus on running from the hips.

Drill: Lean-fall-run. Stand completely still and as tall as possible. Without bending the knees, let the entire body lean forward until you “fall” toward the ground and are forced to take your first step forward. Transition directly into a short 10-20 yard run, continuing to lean forward and push backwards with the hips.

4. Avoid excessive ankle and hip flexion. Do not bend your knees or flex your ankles excessively during the landing phase. While it may seem that this decreases joint impact forces, there is no empirical evidence that runners who bend the knees more have less injuries than runners who do not. However, there is evidence of increased time spent in contact with the ground, which decreases your elastic rebound from the ground and the overall power of each stride. You will naturally avoid excessive knee and ankle flexion if your focus on minimizing footstrike time.

Drill: Cadence counts. During your run, count the number of right footstrikes achieved in a span of 20 seconds. There should be 30 or more, indicating a cadence of 90 or higher. Increased cadence indicates decreased ground contact time.

Focus on making these changes to your gait pattern, and you will notice a marked increase in efficiency and economy. As you prepare for race season and design your weekly and monthly training plans, look into the triathlete training specials offered by Pacific Elite Fitness, at www.pacificfit.net.

Ben Greenfield runs Pacific Elite Fitness at http://www.pacificfit.net, an online portal
for personal training, triathlete coaching, and free fitness and multi-sport
advice. He resides in Liberty Lake, WA, where he works as director of sports
performance for Champion Sports Medicine, a training and testing lab for
athletes. Ben graduated from University of Idaho with bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in sports science and exercise physiology, and is certified as a
personal trainer and coach by the National Strength & Conditioning
Association. Ben also offers individualized personal training, multi-sport
coaching, training program design for athletes, lifestyle wellness and diet
advising, and corporate consulting for workplace fitness programs. To learn
more, visit http://www.pacificfit.net or e-mail Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.

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Nerves on edge, mind focused, elbows out. No, there is nothing quite like a cross country race. Anyone who has seen two hundred plus people lined up at the beginning of a race waiting for the gun to sound so they can push their way to the front knows what I am talking about. Most cross country runner will agree that the beginning of the race is the most important, especially since many courses bottle-neck onto a winding trail. This is what creates the tense mood at the start of the race.

But a lot more goes into this sport than performance at an actual race. This includes carb parties the night before, pre-race rituals such as power bars, walking the course, applying icy hot, stretching, and jogging warm-ups, and most importantly, months of training. Serious runners start training for cross country season long before the first race even begins. This is why a good training schedule is essential. Too many top runners peak during the middle of the season and drop off for the important closing races including district, regional, and state. A good workout schedule can prevent early burnout and provide runners with a chance to do their best when it counts.

There are several sources online that can help you develop a good training schedule. When you are developing your schedule remember that you want to push your body to improve to its best, but you do not want to prematurely wear your body out. You should rest your body completely one day a week. During racing season, use the day after the race to relax and let your body recoup. The day before a race you should do a light, short workout so your body has plenty of resources for the next day. During the rest of the week, it is good to vary workouts so you mix long runs with other types of workouts like weight training, sprinting, plyometrics, and intervals.

A young cross country runner should average around 35 to 45 miles per week. More advanced runners such as high school seniors and college athletes should run twice a day and average around 100 miles per week. Do not push your body beyond what it can handle. If you are a young runner trying to train at a schedule that is too advanced, you will only work against your body and wear yourself out.

Use these tips to create a schedule that will work for you. Ask your current or future cross country coach for a schedule you can follow during the summer leading up to cross country season, and work out with the team during the season. Your coach should be able to assess your individual training needs and help you perform at your best level.

Lisa Robbins is a former cross country runner. She is one of the owners of RobbinsSports.com, an online sporting goods and athletic equipment supplier.

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