Hi, folks. It’s Coach Kelvin here.
We Run coach for Leeds and surrounding areas, as well as online coaching.
A Common Mistake in Running Technique
I’m going to share some thoughts on something that I’ve heard more than a couple of times over the last few weeks. It is something that we really do not do, yet I have seen runners saying that they do it, and I have seen coaches recommend it.
What Distance Runners Should Avoid
There are a couple of things that we do not do as distance runners. It is a little bit different for sprinters, for those doing the 100 or 200 metres, and maybe even elites doing the 400 metres, which is becoming more of a sprinting technique.
For most runners doing 1,500 metres upwards, and especially those running 5K and beyond, we do not actively drive the knee, and we do not actively push off at the back of the stride.
So at the front of the stride, we are not driving the knee, and at the back of the stride, we are not actively pushing off.
The Problem with These Cues
What this can create, if we do use these cues, is a longer stride. We end up reaching forwards by driving the knee, and loitering at the back of the stride when we push off.
If someone follows those cues but runs at the same pace, it will actually slow down their cadence and decrease their utilisation of elastic recoil.
Understanding Elastic Recoil
Elastic recoil is the spring effect that we get from tendons and fascia, and to a certain degree, muscle.
When we run, a lot of people do not know this, but 80% of the force that we put into running is used to propel us upwards, and 20% of the force is used to propel us forwards.
The Key to Efficient Running
What we are trying to do is have as little ground contact time as possible, so the foot is on the floor for a short period of time to spring us upwards.
As distance runners, we want to be focusing more on relaxed running and letting the legs do their own thing.
Final Thoughts
I hope that makes some sort of sense. If you have any comments, please pop them down below.
For now, happy running.
