4 key elements of good running form + amazing races in Joshua Tree, Haiti, Key West, Colorado's Royal Gorge, Oregon's Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail
My running stride changed dramatically after I was hit by car in the U.S. Open Triathlon in Dallas in 2009.
My left femur was broken off at the ball joint. After 6 month on crutches, 6 month to learn to walk without a limb and then 6 months of rehab just to get ready to 'try' to run ... I attempted running in a racketball court from one end to the other ... I didn't make it.
I got about one and a half strides before I had to stop. Not sure why I did it but I then tried to see if I could run backwards? ... and surprisingly I could (not very far, but clearly much better than my 1st attempt.
The next revelation came when I walked to a track at TCU in Fort Worth and then tried to run around the track ... again, I didn't get much farther than a few strides before I had to quit.
NOTE: My running stride has always been longer strides, heel strike with cushioned motion control shoes and now this simply was not working for me.
So again I tried something different just to see what would happen. I took my shoes off and ran barefoot (actually in socks that day). It was ugly, but I made it all the way around the track.
I moved quickly to a barefoot running style, which forces your body to increase turnover, shorten your stride and land with your weight above your foot. This allowed my foot, ankle, knee and hip to absorb the pounding by spreading hit around, rather than hitting the ground with an extended leg that send the shock straight to my injured femur.
My rehab went from barefoot, to five-fingers, to light weight zero-drop running shoes ...and today, Newton's Light Distance S10. I race competitively again in my age group.
Larry, this is simply amazing. What a story, and what dedication to come back to running after being hit by a car, and all you went through after that. I'm just in awe.
I definitely notice, out and about in my city, a lot of runners who look like they took up the sport as adults and never benefited from biomechanics and form coaching in school cross-country or such. (adults can of course hire a personal trainer/coach/PT, but most don't) Plenty may be going faster than me, but they're working twice as hard as they need to be, with little T-rex arms all tightened up, hands at their chest instead of near their hips, crossing over / lateral movement, basically fighting against their own forward motion. I always think, 'run smarter, not harder...' and of course foot/leg/hip alignment and striking is another big one. People need coaching! the lessons on form I learned back in the day definitely stuck with me and make my runs better, smoother, more enjoyable and help stave off injury.
It's so interesting you say that, as Lieberman makes exactly that point in the book -- that few people get running coaching of any kind, even when they're young and presumably playing sports more than they ever will again, and so get in the habit of running with a form that can easily lead to injuries later in life. What else did you learn about running form that helps you today?
It's funny, it's been half a lifetime since I ran with a team/coach, but the things coaches (and my expert runner older sister) called to me during runs and races still echo in my head when I run. I hear their little catchphrase sayings, things like:
- drop your hands
- turnover, turnover
- no lateral movements!
- do it with a smile!
- hips up/forward! (that's that slightly-forward body, but not via slouching or crunching, just keeping that forward cant)
- lengthen your stride (not to the point of overextending, and not to the detriment of turnover, just when fatigue kicks in and the tendency to shuffle rather than flow, or when it's really cold and I need to remind myself to use my numb quad muscles to pick my legs up rather than just relying on lower legs and feet)
and then the things I've learned about my own weird form and alignment, like keeping my knees apart, having a good footstrike (goes automatically in my oldest shoes but something I sometimes need to think about in newer shoes), not pronating, etc. just keeping stuff in a line...
in addition to running, I had xc ski coaching as a kid, and some of that flow and biomechanics, using your whole body, moving efficiently, etc, comes in handy with form. sometimes I like to imagine I'm classic skiing while I'm running, keep everything fluid instead of pounding.
This is all fantastic, and really insightful/helpful! Also really interesting how the skiing helps with how you develop habits in running... that's never crossed my mind before, but makes total sense.
What a great list. Your advice, "Do it with a smile" is something I learned from watching Kenyans run, they looked happy, and then it dawned on me that is the best way to exhale as much CO2 as possible, because there is minimal backpressure. Every CO2 molecule that is exhaled in each breathe, leaves one more site in your blood for oxygen to latch onto. Breathing through clenched lips fights against your need for more oxygen. On the funnier side, people sometimes see me running and comment on how happy I look, they have no idea that I may have been running fartleks and sucking as much air as I could. Haha
it's the only time anyone is allowed to tell me to smile, haha. funny thing is, back during cross-country our coaches actually pitched it to us as an intimidation thing, like, smile during races, especially when running up hills, to break the spirits of your competition. that's all well and good, except even back then I didn't care about other runners as "competition," it's only about yourself. the better way to sell it, and far more relevant for solo running, is that smiling actually makes you feel better, it releases more endorphins and serotonin. which is weird because even if you actually feel crummy, you can hack yourself into feeling happier and less in pain. bodies and brains are strange. anyway! I find that a slight smile when I'm running, even with mouth closed, can help me feel calmer, help with overall rhythm and a slow, steady heart, cheers me up in a biofeedback loop, etc. fake it till you make it I guess! "don't forget to enjoy it" is another good piece of advice I remind myself of sometimes.
Thanks. I had plantar fascitis in both feet so bad I could barely walk before I learned that it was from running. I'm kinda big for a runner at 215 and in my 50's. To avoid surgery, I read and learned about the higher cadence and how it relates to running barefoot. Now, I've helped people just by telling them to practice running barefoot on grass, then copy that form and cadence when they strap on their running shoes. I've gotten many thanks from that simple learning technique.
Mark ... just an additional thought. When you run barefoot, your body simply will not allow you to over-extend or heel strike. The only way you can heel strike is with heavily cushioned shoes that absorb the shock. This is also the reason that you need to replace motion-control cushioned shoes frequently (every 3 months), as the materials oxidize, wear down and harden ... and that seems to be when running injuries occur, with a shoe that otherwise seemed to be working well. Another way to think about this, when I ran in five fingers, I didn't replace them until they were falling apart ... but I had to replace my Asics frequently to avoid nagging injury.
That is such a great suggestion, Mark -- definitely going to make a mental note of it and share. How is your pantar fasciitis now? Has it ever returned?
The plantar fasciitis has not returned, thankfully. It was horrible and took months to heal. I've been injury free for several years now. Also, a bonus side effect of the higher cadence and new running style is that my pace got faster and smoother. Thanks again.
This is SO timely for me Terrell! I started feeling plantar fasciitis issues in my left heel in February. I ignored it & kept running. By March I was in serious pain & took a break from running. I asked my running coach for help & she was awesome, but I knew I needed more.
I have been going to my PT for several weeks now & doing what he gave me to do. Each day it is feeling better. He also videotaped me running & gave me some pointers on my form. (I land on my heels mostly.)
I had never really cared about my form & thought I should just run how it feels natural. I wish I could run with the Kenyans! Imagine what we could learn.
Cadence was explained to me as the most important factor in good form. I don't pay much mind to my form and I know I should. I have fun running now and I am in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" camp. Thank you and enjoy the time with your son.
These are similar to some elements I read about in article I was reading about to help improve output and speed. In addition it mentioned running on grass barefoot to feel how you are landing and adjust accordingly.
My running stride changed dramatically after I was hit by car in the U.S. Open Triathlon in Dallas in 2009.
My left femur was broken off at the ball joint. After 6 month on crutches, 6 month to learn to walk without a limb and then 6 months of rehab just to get ready to 'try' to run ... I attempted running in a racketball court from one end to the other ... I didn't make it.
I got about one and a half strides before I had to stop. Not sure why I did it but I then tried to see if I could run backwards? ... and surprisingly I could (not very far, but clearly much better than my 1st attempt.
The next revelation came when I walked to a track at TCU in Fort Worth and then tried to run around the track ... again, I didn't get much farther than a few strides before I had to quit.
NOTE: My running stride has always been longer strides, heel strike with cushioned motion control shoes and now this simply was not working for me.
So again I tried something different just to see what would happen. I took my shoes off and ran barefoot (actually in socks that day). It was ugly, but I made it all the way around the track.
I moved quickly to a barefoot running style, which forces your body to increase turnover, shorten your stride and land with your weight above your foot. This allowed my foot, ankle, knee and hip to absorb the pounding by spreading hit around, rather than hitting the ground with an extended leg that send the shock straight to my injured femur.
My rehab went from barefoot, to five-fingers, to light weight zero-drop running shoes ...and today, Newton's Light Distance S10. I race competitively again in my age group.
It's great to be back running.
Larry, this is simply amazing. What a story, and what dedication to come back to running after being hit by a car, and all you went through after that. I'm just in awe.
Way to Persevere Larry!
Awesome story! Welcome back to running.
I definitely notice, out and about in my city, a lot of runners who look like they took up the sport as adults and never benefited from biomechanics and form coaching in school cross-country or such. (adults can of course hire a personal trainer/coach/PT, but most don't) Plenty may be going faster than me, but they're working twice as hard as they need to be, with little T-rex arms all tightened up, hands at their chest instead of near their hips, crossing over / lateral movement, basically fighting against their own forward motion. I always think, 'run smarter, not harder...' and of course foot/leg/hip alignment and striking is another big one. People need coaching! the lessons on form I learned back in the day definitely stuck with me and make my runs better, smoother, more enjoyable and help stave off injury.
It's so interesting you say that, as Lieberman makes exactly that point in the book -- that few people get running coaching of any kind, even when they're young and presumably playing sports more than they ever will again, and so get in the habit of running with a form that can easily lead to injuries later in life. What else did you learn about running form that helps you today?
It's funny, it's been half a lifetime since I ran with a team/coach, but the things coaches (and my expert runner older sister) called to me during runs and races still echo in my head when I run. I hear their little catchphrase sayings, things like:
- drop your hands
- turnover, turnover
- no lateral movements!
- do it with a smile!
- hips up/forward! (that's that slightly-forward body, but not via slouching or crunching, just keeping that forward cant)
- lengthen your stride (not to the point of overextending, and not to the detriment of turnover, just when fatigue kicks in and the tendency to shuffle rather than flow, or when it's really cold and I need to remind myself to use my numb quad muscles to pick my legs up rather than just relying on lower legs and feet)
and then the things I've learned about my own weird form and alignment, like keeping my knees apart, having a good footstrike (goes automatically in my oldest shoes but something I sometimes need to think about in newer shoes), not pronating, etc. just keeping stuff in a line...
in addition to running, I had xc ski coaching as a kid, and some of that flow and biomechanics, using your whole body, moving efficiently, etc, comes in handy with form. sometimes I like to imagine I'm classic skiing while I'm running, keep everything fluid instead of pounding.
This is all fantastic, and really insightful/helpful! Also really interesting how the skiing helps with how you develop habits in running... that's never crossed my mind before, but makes total sense.
What a great list. Your advice, "Do it with a smile" is something I learned from watching Kenyans run, they looked happy, and then it dawned on me that is the best way to exhale as much CO2 as possible, because there is minimal backpressure. Every CO2 molecule that is exhaled in each breathe, leaves one more site in your blood for oxygen to latch onto. Breathing through clenched lips fights against your need for more oxygen. On the funnier side, people sometimes see me running and comment on how happy I look, they have no idea that I may have been running fartleks and sucking as much air as I could. Haha
it's the only time anyone is allowed to tell me to smile, haha. funny thing is, back during cross-country our coaches actually pitched it to us as an intimidation thing, like, smile during races, especially when running up hills, to break the spirits of your competition. that's all well and good, except even back then I didn't care about other runners as "competition," it's only about yourself. the better way to sell it, and far more relevant for solo running, is that smiling actually makes you feel better, it releases more endorphins and serotonin. which is weird because even if you actually feel crummy, you can hack yourself into feeling happier and less in pain. bodies and brains are strange. anyway! I find that a slight smile when I'm running, even with mouth closed, can help me feel calmer, help with overall rhythm and a slow, steady heart, cheers me up in a biofeedback loop, etc. fake it till you make it I guess! "don't forget to enjoy it" is another good piece of advice I remind myself of sometimes.
I like the way you think, but I must admit that I enjoy the part of smiling that fits the old adage of competition, "never let them see you sweat"
Thanks. I had plantar fascitis in both feet so bad I could barely walk before I learned that it was from running. I'm kinda big for a runner at 215 and in my 50's. To avoid surgery, I read and learned about the higher cadence and how it relates to running barefoot. Now, I've helped people just by telling them to practice running barefoot on grass, then copy that form and cadence when they strap on their running shoes. I've gotten many thanks from that simple learning technique.
Mark ... just an additional thought. When you run barefoot, your body simply will not allow you to over-extend or heel strike. The only way you can heel strike is with heavily cushioned shoes that absorb the shock. This is also the reason that you need to replace motion-control cushioned shoes frequently (every 3 months), as the materials oxidize, wear down and harden ... and that seems to be when running injuries occur, with a shoe that otherwise seemed to be working well. Another way to think about this, when I ran in five fingers, I didn't replace them until they were falling apart ... but I had to replace my Asics frequently to avoid nagging injury.
Very good info on shoe types. Thank you. I noticed that you run in Newton's, now. That shoe style helps me run faster and maintain better form.
That is such a great suggestion, Mark -- definitely going to make a mental note of it and share. How is your pantar fasciitis now? Has it ever returned?
The plantar fasciitis has not returned, thankfully. It was horrible and took months to heal. I've been injury free for several years now. Also, a bonus side effect of the higher cadence and new running style is that my pace got faster and smoother. Thanks again.
This is SO timely for me Terrell! I started feeling plantar fasciitis issues in my left heel in February. I ignored it & kept running. By March I was in serious pain & took a break from running. I asked my running coach for help & she was awesome, but I knew I needed more.
I have been going to my PT for several weeks now & doing what he gave me to do. Each day it is feeling better. He also videotaped me running & gave me some pointers on my form. (I land on my heels mostly.)
I had never really cared about my form & thought I should just run how it feels natural. I wish I could run with the Kenyans! Imagine what we could learn.
Seriously! It would be a dream come true, though I'm sure I wouldn't last long trying to keep up with them.
I’m going to find some YouTube videos of them running now & see!
Me either, but think of what we could learn in just 1/2 mile or so!
Cadence was explained to me as the most important factor in good form. I don't pay much mind to my form and I know I should. I have fun running now and I am in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" camp. Thank you and enjoy the time with your son.
Thanks, Brian!
Interesting!! I'm going to try this and report back. It's true though, Kenyan's run in unison and look like a fleet.
Let me know how it goes!
I just googled "running lightly" and found this article from a substacker whose work I follow and appreciate. Neat.
These are similar to some elements I read about in article I was reading about to help improve output and speed. In addition it mentioned running on grass barefoot to feel how you are landing and adjust accordingly.
Interesting! Have a link to the article, or remember the publication?
It was in a book I have been reading called "Run For God" by Mitchell Hollis
Well written article - as a physical therapist with a special interest in running, I’ve treated thousands of runners. Your 4 points are spot on.