Long distance running form has long been a topic of debate in fitness. As I mentioned in my previous post, there are many opinions on what really matters when running longer. I’m no exercise physiologist so I can only speak from experience and from what I am told by experts in the field. From what I gather, a short stride length and striking the ground on the middle of the foot is fundamental to lifetime of healthy running.

 

When I moved to Charlottesville to join the Ragged Mountain Racing Team in 2008, I was under the impression that my form was pretty good. After a visit to the University of Virginia’s Speed Clinic, I found out that there was a reason for my shin splints and stress fractures; my form was very inefficient. The gait guru of Charlottesville, at the time, was Jay Dicharry. He was the speed clinic expert that stuck sensors (think about computer graphics tools used in movies and video games to track movement) on my feet, legs, and upper body. He then had me run on a million dollar treadmill that had force plates that measured my impact on the ground. The information he gathered with his cameras, treadmill, and computer said that my stride was long, I had way too much force going into the ground with each step, and this long stride was allowing rotations in my femur which made my knee rotate in at my back kick. All of these factors contributed to chronic pain and occasional setbacks.

 

So, what do I do with all of this information? My body only knows one way to run, so how did I change it? With multiple trips to Jay and the gait lab, physical therapy with one of Charlottesville’s leading PTs, Eric Magrum, and daily reinforcement at my job where I help with gait analysis, I was able to slowly shorten my stride and shift my foot strike from heel to mid-foot. I also started to focus on glute activation and strengthening in my yoga practice. That way, when I was out running, I could recruit my glutes and hamstrings more easily with each step. Glute activation, alone, controls the rotation of the femur and helps one’s leg cycle stay linear.

 

Some easy to follow cues that you can follow when distance running are:

• Aim for 180 steps per minute. To break this up, take 30 steps on one leg every :20.

• Try to keep a slight (about 3 degrees) forward lean from the ankles, not the hips. Nose over toes.

• With each step, make sure you’re activating (not flexing hard) glutes and hamstrings. Try to strike the whole foot down at once underneath the hips for maximum shock absorption. You may feel more pressure on your forefoot than your heel but that’s okay.

• Mid-foot doesn’t mean forefoot or toe running. Heel striking and forefoot/toe striking are both less efficient.

• Save your hard running for your workout days. Longer distance easy runs should be easy. Running fatigued only makes your inefficiencies more dominant.