Improving Technique – Is It Worth Doing?
I would say yes of course it is worth it but then I’m slightly biased. Anyone can improve upon their technique regardless of the level to which they run at. Even elite runners have small flaws that could do with ironing out of their form. Some work on them, others don’t. Largely though, people don’t think of technique as an issue and seem to simply accept the party line of The Shoe Industry or some other such organisation with a vested interest in selling things to people in order to “protect” them from “the dangers of running”. Traditionally people tend to believe experts, be they people selling running shoes who do your gait analysis, podiatrists, physios etc. Now all of these people are actually very good at what they do but let’s stop a minute and examine what they do and what most runners seem to expect from them.
Shoe sellers are very good indeed at selling shoes. One minute in a store on the treadmill gait analysis system and you will be convinced that you need those more supportive or more cushioned shoes which are usually(but not always of course) towards the more expensive end of the market. Physios and podiatrists are very good at what they do too. They use their in depth knowledge of how different parts of our bodies work and how best to treat injuries very effectively in order to get you back up and running as soon as possible. Usually this involves buying something even if it’s simply some treatment or equipment you can take away with you such as orthoses. It doesn’t really matter because we go to see an expert and we get what we think we need from them, after all they have told us based upon what they know and do well and a lot of the time this seems to work very well.
Unfortunately, the average runner keeps getting injured despite all of this professional advice and treatment, injuries still keep happening. Why is this? Mainly I think because all of these people have something in common, they treat what they see and do it very well. They get you back running too. Wait a minute though, wouldn’t you rather find out why you keep getting injured? I’ll wager that if you ask any of them why you keep getting injured they will say because you train too much/hard/fast or just run too much because running eventually injures all of us right? No, to quote a friend of mine “Running does not injure you. Running badly injures you”.
Listen to the Experts
If you ask most of these experts about running technique they will more than likely start talking in terms of high knees, driving the thighs, toeing off hard, all of which is centred around pushing yourself forwards as hard as you can. This image of “how to run” is deeply instilled in us as children and it is easy to see why. Running is an illusion; what you see isn’t really what is happening. We attempt to emulate that illusion and this is where it starts. We see high knees, extended stride and what looks like pushing the ground behind us very hard so that is what we do and that is what most traditional running coaches will tell you too. Many also advise a nice heel strike so the runner rolls the foot through from heel to toe to absorb some shock of landing. The only time we put our heels on the ground first is when we walk. It isn’t their fault, it isn’t anybody’s really, it’s just how we as humans perceive the world around us. If you stop to think about it for a minute though things start to not make sense when you examine the traditional running paradigm.
“High Knees” heavily involve hip flexor muscles for example which wastes energy, makes you tired and slows you down. Furthermore if the knee is really high then the timing of foot meeting ground will be out.
“Extending the stride” creates unnecessary tension especially if the runner thinks he/she needs to land on the forefoot; typically this type of runner will point toes reaching for the ground and land with a straight knee typically causing Achilles tendon issues and knee problems.
“Toeing off” or pushing the ground behind us hard makes us use muscles in the wrong way (calf used to push rather than primarily absorb shock) and again introduces a delay into the running action which will make us land in front of ourselves and apply a braking action to every step. All of this wastes energy and exposes the runner to threat of injury. “Heel striking” to help the runner roll through from heel to toe and absorb the shock of landing is a common misconception probably started by Bill Bowerman who undoubtedly made many valid contributions to the world of running but probably many would say today that the high heels on today’s running shoes isn’t the most helpful contribution Bowerman ever made, to say the least.
Basically running with a heel strike advocates braking heavily with each footstep and this isn’t just me saying it; recent studies have shown that there is a nasty spike in the forces involved when a runner lands like this, see video below…
I have for the sake of clarity simplified issues quite a lot, nevertheless I’m sure most readers will be familiar with the concepts thus far described in an effort to help people understand why they may be quite confused especially if they are unlucky enough to suffer from recurrent injuries; the odds are of course quite high that this is the case when you consider some sixty five percent of runners get injuries.
Well, is it Worth Improving Technique?
Yes of course! Especially if you are frustrated by injuries but also if you simply would like to learn how to get faster or enjoy your running more. After all, running should be enjoyable, otherwise why do we do it? I do get a little tired of the “if it aint broke don’t fix it” cliche; I think it’s overused and by many it is another way of just conserving the status quo because change unsettles us. Let’s face it we don’t like change and if it involves any considerable time and effort investment then we’d rather carry on as we are. Quick fixes is what society wants these days and we have all been brought up in the consumer age where you can just go out and buy something to solve your problem – any problem or so it seems. Unfortunately this is a lie perpetuated by slick marketing and huge corporations that make billions out of our unwillingness to change, our laziness and our predictability.
How Can I Improve?
Find a registered Pose coach near you or failing that go to these forums here or here where you can ask for help. If you live anywhere near Chesterfield in Derbyshire then I can help too and at very reasonable rates – I’m cheaper than what most would spend on a pair of shoes or a visit to any specialist. Specialists are good but as I have said, they treat the symptoms. I can help you to treat the cause and thus look forward to injury free running. I will soon be a Pose registered coach myself along with UKA Run Leader qualifications and my prices will reflect these facts because it costs a great deal of money for certification! You can contact me using the form below if you are interested in meeting me for a one to one session. I can also distance coach via video conferencing if you cannot get to see anyone.
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And for those of you who would rather watch a video then here are some of my favourite ones to help get you started.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Thjeko