How to improve running technique? It is an age old question. But first, what does good running technique look like?
As a middle and long distance runner, there are some key areas to look at with regard to running technique:
- Upright posture – A slight forward lean is okay. But it should not be excessive
- Good alignment – Do the feet point off to the sides? Is there excessive rotation in the torso?
- Stride Length – Longer is not necessarily better. Are you over-striding? Your foot should not strike the ground too far in front of the body.
- Arm Action – Do you carry your arms in a relaxed and efficient manner.
- Foot Strike – Are you a heel striker? How much supination and pronation is apparent during foot strike?
How to Improve Running Technique – Posture
An upright posture is desirable during running. A slight forward lean is okay. But an excessive forward lean is detrimental. Adequate core strength helps us to maintain an upright posture whilst running. In particular, good strength through the muscles of the back will facilitate excellent posture during running. Strong Erector Spinae muscles will allow for good extension through the torso. Strong Rhomboids help runners to retract the scapula, further aiding good posture in the upper back. A little should go a long way here. It should not take a lot of time and effort in the gym to develop the level of core strength required to run with good posture.
Running with Good Alignment
Developing the necessary core strength, that allows you to run with good posture, is a relatively straightforward task. Creating good alignment when running is a little more nuanced. Common errors include the feet pointing out to the sides, or excessive rotation of the torso. This raises a couple of questions. Firstly, how much is too much? Secondly, what is the cause and how do we fix it?
With respect to how much is too much, it is important to realise that some torso rotation is important. As the legs cycle back and forth during the running stride, an element of upper body rotation is required to counterbalance what is happening with the lower body. When it comes to the cause of misalignment, we must appreciate that the body is highly inter-connected. With that in mind, it is very common to see excessively turned out feet and excessive torso rotation in the same athlete. The occurrence of one creates a cascade of effects resulting in the appearance of the other. In this scenario, it can be difficult to determine which factor is causative of the other.
When multiple issues of misalignment are present, a good starting place is to look at the hips. An imbalance in the hips may result in external rotation of the femur, which in turn may influence foot position. Alternatively, a weakness and / or tightness in the hips could result in an inability to achieve full extension during ground contact. As a result, the body will compensate by attempting to find this range of motion elsewhere. It is easy to see how this could result in excessive and unwanted rotation of the torso.
The take home message here is that developing good strength and mobility in the hips is very important for runners.
Stride Length
Running speed is a product of stride length and stride frequency. Logically, you might assume a longer stride length therefore equates to improved running performance. If stride length comes at the cost of stride frequency, then this may not be the case. In fact, over-striding is more common than you might realise.
If a runner strikes the ground too far in front of the centre of mass, the result is that more braking forces are produced instead of propulsive forces. We need to optimise stride length as opposed to increase it at any cost. This raises the question of, what causes over-striding?
If over-striding occurs as a result of reaching to strike the ground too far in front of the centre of mass, this is indicative of the athlete lacking in certain strength qualities. In particular, it suggests the runner may not have a sufficiently high rate of force development.
A middle distance runner is only in contact with the ground for approximately 0.2 seconds per stride. This does not provide a lot of time for the runner to produce the necessary forces to propel themselves forwards. If a particular runner has a poor ability to produce high levels of force in a short space of time (rate of force development), they are likely to compensate by over-striding. By reaching to strike the ground further in front of the body, they are attempting to buy themselves more time to produce the necessary forces. Unfortunately, this is counter-productive, due to the previously mentioned braking forces that result.
Strength Training to Improve Running Technique
There is a clear solution for this common issue with running technique. Develop the necessary strength qualities that allow us to produce more force in less time. Getting stronger in the gym with general exercises is okay as a starting point. However, at some point this will not suffice. The difference in time-frame between ground contact time during running and how long it takes to complete a near maximal squat, is monumental. There needs to an element of strength and conditioning work that bridges the gap regarding time to peak force production.
This is an area many runners struggle with. They simply don’t know how to structure their strength and conditioning work. Fortunately, this is precisely my area of expertise. I can help you to optimise your strength training in order to maximise your potential as a runner.
Strength Training for Runners
There are two main ways in which you can work with me:
- Online Running Coaching
- 1-2-1 Strength and Conditioning Sessions in York
Online Running Coaching
This service is ideal for ambitious runners looking to maximise their potential. A key advantage of this service is that you can be based anywhere. A close proximity to York is not required. The only real requirement is a good internet connection.
It should be noted that my online running coaching is a full coaching programme. I provide full programming for both your run sessions and your Strength and Conditioning sessions. For full details on Online Running Coaching, please visit the following link:
If you are looking for remote support with just your Strength and Conditioning, 1-2-1 sessions via Zoom can be arranged. This can be on an ongoing basis or it can be for one-off consultations.
Strength and Conditioning Sessions in York
1-2-1 Strength and Conditioning sessions in York are a popular choice for local athletes. It is also an option for less local athletes who are still able to travel to York. These sessions take place at Egerton’s Garage Gym (The EGG). For full details on Strength and Conditioning sessions in York, please visit the following link:
How to Improve Running Technique
Although strength development plays an important role in improving running technique, there other things that can be done as well. The following methods all have a place within a training programme to help improve running technique:
- Running Drills
- Strides
- Hill Sprints
- Increased running mileage
Running Drills
Running drills can teach everything from correct arm action, to good foot positioning to improved posture. Depending on the exact running drill, they can also develop certain strength qualities.
Strides
Strides are great for teaching runners to relax at speed. They can teach you to use your arms well, without carrying too much upper body tension. This is because they are not designed to be flat out runs or tiring runs. A few 80 metre fast (but not 100% effort) strides at the end of a steady run can work wonders. Take a slow walk back recovery between each repeat, and focus on staying relaxed at speed.
Hill Sprints
Hill sprints are a great tool to use. Over-striding will not occur during hill sprints. So it dials in that particular aspect of running technique. It is great for power development too. Hill sprints are also very useful for dialling in certain aspects of running form such as the arm action when sprinting. A similar approach to strides should be taken for hill sprints. That is, short reps (a 10 second sprint up a hill is ideal) and slow walk back recoveries. The main difference is, with strides the focus is on relaxation at speed. With hill sprints, you can attack it a little more.
Running Mileage
The final factor to consider, is that you become better at running by doing more running. So, by increasing your mileage your body may learn to run more efficiently and with better technique. This is especially true if a good level of running mileage is combined with the other methods listed above.
If you need any help to improve your running technique, in addition to the above links, you can reach out to me on Instagram:
Foxwood Personal Training Instagram Page
In the mean time, I wish you good luck in implementing some of these tips and on improving your running technique. And ultimately, good luck in improving your running performance and staying injury free!
Tim Egerton, Foxwood Personal Training, York