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More efficient running style

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Canute Jan 2014 2:40pm, 3 Jan 2014 848 posts	Quote Pin Canute Zen I am pleased that you found the bounding helpful. I think that the important things when employing bounding to help integrate the swing into the gait cycle is to focus on precise timing of the downswing of the arm contralateral to the descending leg, and visualizing a relaxed swing. I agree that Steve Magness provides some very useful tips for identifying problems with gait and providing cues to deal with them, though I am a bit puzzled by his analysis of problems with angle of the swing leg too large or too small. He states that the possible causes are that hip extension either too great (for too small of an angle) or too small (for too large of an angle). Maybe he meant the opposite. Because I focus on the arm action, I am inclined to think that the main cause of inadequate angle of swing is lack of power in the muscles acting at the hip together with poor timing of the push at mid-stance. As for cues that can improve the swing angle, I think that a tight but not overly constricted and precisely timed arm swing provides the most helpful cue. With regard to Steve’s clarification of hip extension, I think his statement ‘Once you've initiated it, allow it to happen. It's not forcing the leg backwards, it's starting it and the letting it do it's work’ is spot on. Again, I think the best cue to facilitate this is a tight but not overly constricted and precisely timed arm swing.
_Zen Jan 2014 11:30am, 4 Jan 2014 21 posts	Quote Pin _Zen Canute, Thanks for bounding ,, in fact I find all these blip.tv exercises for older runners refreshing. I admit I did a double take on the "too great / too small" cue but maybe he means the angle between front and rear leg? Specifically for my own training I need two of the cues from Steve Magness' Cody video: I straightened out a scoliosis about a year and a half ago and have had to build up weak right leg/hip and weak left back muscles. As such I still tend to land with my left leg a little in front of the right and the quads on that side seem tighter too. So I will train next week using the cue in Cody's second stride: to land further to the rear - but just on my left leg. I did try the try this after the bounding yesterday and it looks promising. Then the logical progression would be to take the cue of more upward trajectory in Cody's third stride since I have been running a bit flat for a couple of weeks. These two cues should improve trajectory and timing and hopefully efficiency. I had been tying a sharper rear arm swing with left leg over-extension but will now try to relate the arm swings to the the new Hip extension - "Start it and forget it" - timing. That way hopefully I can both create a better habit and be able to reinforce it. Will start back at the gym this week too. My company has limited access to a private gym with the safe lifting bars on ratchets and I shall start easing into doing high weight squats at low reps.
Canute Jan 2014 2:28pm, 4 Jan 2014 849 posts	Quote Pin Canute Zen I agree that the Pete Magill drills are great. I employed them successfully during my taper for a half marathon two years ago. I had become bogged down by too much slow running and those drills really helped get my neuromuscular coordination tuned-up. I subsequently ran the best race of my twilight years (so far!). I have continued to use most of those drills except for long skipping which I find is too stressful for my joints. I also rarely do butt kicks because I do not think this drill encourages a good trajectory of the foot following lift off from stance. Ceci does it very well on the video, but I find my foot comes up too far back. I prefer a slightly different drill for lifting the foot, illustrated by Rebecca Armstrong on Gary Moller’s site at blog.garymoller.com I also rarely do carioca – although it is fun , it is the least specific to running and I find it exacerbates a long standing ache that I experience around the head of my left fibula. However I find all of the others helpful, especially the high skipping – though I wish the Pete had got Grace Padilla to demonstrate it on the video. To my eye Ceci’s form is a bit wild. The glamorous Grace is usually a delight to watch and she does move very well. She is perhaps a bit of a show-off and it is easy to see why she is a favourite for the front cover of Runner’s World or Running Times. One really good feature of the video is Pete’s emphasis on interleaving the drill with strides to help incorporate the neuromuscular coordination of the drills in your normal running form.
_Zen Jan 2014 4:20pm, 5 Jan 2014 22 posts	Quote Pin _Zen Canute, Tom Tellez on arm stroke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIty_hMMopA&hl=en-GB&gl=SG He is talking specifically about 100m sprint but a couple of good points on the relationship between the upper and lower body
SPR Jan 2014 4:40pm, 5 Jan 2014 18,982 posts	Quote Pin SPR I have that video downloaded from a couple of years ago when I was looking at sprinting stuff.
Canute Jan 2014 4:51pm, 5 Jan 2014 850 posts	Quote Pin Canute Zen, thanks for posting that Tom Tellez video clip. It is great. As you say, he is talking about the 100m but similar principles apply for distance running. The crucial thing is an adequate range of motion while keeping the action compact with the hand close to the body. The sprinter needs to bring the hand up to shoulder height while the long distance runner only need to bring it to mid-chest, but I think the down stroke should be similarly crisp. One minor point is the hand posture. As Tom Tellez says, a sprinter can develop a bit more power with an open hand but I find that a slightly more compact hand with the thumb resting on the index finger encourages a more relaxed upper limb and is more efficient for the distance runner .
SPR Jan 2014 5:20pm, 5 Jan 2014 18,983 posts	Quote Pin SPR Thanks for the compliment Canute re weights, I wouldn't call myself an expert though. Zen - re squats, I'd make sure techique is correct before going heavy, however as you said "easing", I assume you plan to do that? My weights routine consists of (not necessarily on the same day) Full Squats, Clean and Jerk, Romanian Deadlift, Barbell (Pendlay) Row, Single arm swings. Apart from me and Canute, Gobi is the other regular lifter on the thread.
Ceratonia Jan 2014 11:09pm, 5 Jan 2014 356 posts	Quote Pin Ceratonia Another fascinating post on your wordpress blog, Canute. Much appreciated.
_Zen Jan 2014 1:45pm, 6 Jan 2014 23 posts	Quote Pin _Zen SPR, Thanks. And yes I will be going easy. I didn't go to the gym for a while and although I am toned I am aware that I do not have that gym-strength any more. There are a couple of personal trainers there that will help on technique too. I still remember struggling to put the bar back on the rack when I first started bench press couple years back ;( Canute, For hand shape I think it may be mostly a personal preference as long as it is relaxed but not floppy.
FenlandRunner Jan 2014 2:07pm, 6 Jan 2014 168 posts	Quote Pin FenlandRunner In response to Canute's latest wordpress blog. Canute, I ran a marathon yesterday and I'm positive that going out too quickly (I had an amazing spell from 6-8 miles) didn't cause muscle damage (the day after my muscle's feel fine). Perhaps due to my age, what did happen is that my leg muscles lost 'bounce'. What felt 'good' efficient running was replaced with more of a shuffle. Also, it was noticeable that my heart and lungs were working less hard later on. Just thought I'd provide feedback.