Running Technique
Good running technique is fundamental not only for optimising performance but also for preventing injury, conserving energy, and promoting overall enjoyment from your running. It’s useful when you are out on an easy run to think about the fundamentals of technique. It’s equally important not to obsess, as over the course of time we will have developed our own style. The key is being aware and then recognising if minor tweaks will help.
Running with improved technique ensures that the right muscles, like the glutes and core, are engaged. This support stabilises the body, reducing stress on other areas.
Efficient technique also helps delay muscle fatigue, which is essential for distance runners.
The basics of technique are listed below:
Our Heads should be still, and the focus should be looking forwards, some thirty metres in distance and not looking down.
Shoulders should be tall but relaxed. The shoulders remain still. No movement. Beware of any possible sideways rotation.
Stay tall and stay relaxed. As we fatigue, we sometimes drop our shoulders creating a curved body position. Picture the caricature of an older person! The very time that we need to be getting oxygen into our bodies, we are reducing the opportunity due to our posture.
Strong driving arms. These are our pistons. Try power walking without a strong driving arm movement. Arms should be driving forwards and not across the body, which will encourage an element of rotation of the torso…All movement needs to be forwards. The action needs to be relaxed as opposed to dynamic…leave the latter for sprinters but recognise the similarities!
Relaxed hands…Don’t clench tightly. This will only add to the tension in your body.
Nice high hips, but not unnaturally so.
Consider your stride length…The shorter the run & the higher the intensity, your stride length may increase…BUT…this must be natural and not overdone. A vital part of our technique is the power created from the driving “push off” from the foot. This is reduced as the stride length becomes excessive.
Cadence is defined as the total number of steps you take per minute. One easy way to measure your cadence is to count the number of times your feet hit the ground in 60 seconds. We run faster by picking our feet up off the ground more rapidly and leaning slightly into the forward motion.
Any lean should be through the body and not from the hip.A cadence of circa 170 is common but being able to increase this through both practice and drills will benefit on faster runs. Sprinters will have a much faster cadence. Your foot plant should be with your foot landing directly below your body. Faster speedwork and some specific exercises will improve your leg speed turnover.
Be aware of your tecnique and think of how you compare on your easy relaxed runs…subtle changes can make a big difference!