My running technique

Cymbios

Cymbios

Barefooters
Mar 21, 2013
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#1
I attended a 3 hour running technique course at the weekend. The teacher is one of 3 licenced POSE-method teachers here in Sweden. However, the focus of the course was not really about this method, but more running economy and biomechanics. 1 hour was spent watching the films of our running, and 2 hours was spent outside practicing different drills and getting a feel for the technique.

I am posting a before/after film here for anyone interested in seeing my technique. To be honest there isn't (as far as I can see) much difference. I think this is mainly due to information overload and having to perform infront of the camera (very conscious). And incidently, my running form is far from perfect.

Getting someone to film yourself running is a great way to be able to make adjustments to your running. I can see from the film (and after discussions) the areas I need to work on.

Please feel free to provide your own feedback! :)

 
#2
The "before" looked like you were pushing off a little too much. The "after" seemed to correct it.

Maybe try and bend your knees a bit more (I'm not a pose runner and difficult to say how much over the internet).

Oh, and you were wearing shoes in both :p
 
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#3
Yeah, I am pushing off which is leaving the leg trailing behind, thus using up too much energy to bring the leg forward again.
I can also point out that a fair amount of time was spent getting the cadence round the 180 mark. I actually run with 180 normally, but for filming, well I don't know, I guess it just fell to around 160 maybe. Just getting the cadence up would correct several of the problems.

About the knees: I was told that I was bending my knees too much (before filming), so I adopted a more upright position.
The most difficult part was getting the slight lean forward right. As can be seen I am very upright.

What are other peoples takes on these issues: Bending knees, cadence, lean ?

Oh, and it was frickin' cold and wet. Hence the shoes. Would be interesting to see my form barefoot.
 
#4
I personally don't buy that everyone needs to be at a cadence of 180. There are several posts on here that you could look up about cadence and you will see a bunch of arguments for and against 180. It's a good general guideline, but everyone is built differently and therefor will have slightly different cadence. You were wearing vff speeds there weren't you? I think there are also posts regarding knee bend and lean as well on here if you wanted to look them up too. There should be a lot of information on those subjects as well.
 
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#5
I think the second one you look better. The first one, especially the slow motion part, you seemed to be bouncing a bit. The second video your upper body is more steady. Personally there is not such thing as "perfect" running form, so don't put that added pressure on you. We all have a unique way of running. I agree with Nick on the whole 180 cadence issues, it's not that important to hit 180 all the time!
 
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#6
i see you heel striking both before and after. you lean back in before and are more upright after. you push off less but are still reaching and heel striking. cadence is a general guideline to help you stop heel striking. you are on your way to better form and should keep trying. 3 years in for me and i still work on it and don't think i'll stop. good luck and remember to have fun.
 
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#7
Thanks for the feedback guys!!
Yeah, I'll look around for the posts on cadence and such. I agree that everyone has a unique style, which will entail different optimal cadence etc.
I think my technique is better when I have had a chance to get into the rhythm for a hundred meter or so.
Been sick for the last week, so I've not had a chance to try out any of the tips I have received.
 
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#11
Far be it from me to critique your form, so I won't. But I will weigh in a teeny-teeny-tiny bit on your request for additional perspective on form, knee-bending, cadence, based upon my own personal experience. Your mileage will definitely vary.

I've come to the conclusion that the cadence thing isn't an end in itself, as the advice often seems to newbie bfers. Rather, it is a means to an end, and that end is: shorter strides. If you are trying to run a certain per-mile pace (in other words, if you're not just out there running with little care for how fast you're going), and if you're maintaining a body-over-the-feet vertical alignment, then you'll almost have to be taking shorter steps, but many more of them on a per-mile basis. It's hard to get a 180+ cadence when the feet land in front of the body, and there's really no valid reason to try to do it that I can see. BUT, if your feet remain under your body, of necessity you'll take more (but shorter) steps. So, I see the "180 doctrine" more about helping to remind us to take shorter strides, which in turn keep the knees a bit more bent, the torso a bit more upright and more relaxed. In my own running experiments, I've found that focusing on taking shorter strides automatically increased my cadence, without a concentrated effort on my part until the later stages of a run when fatigue tends to decay form. In fact, shorter strides allow me to silence the inner voice reminding me to bend my knees, since that seems to be an automatic result as well. I leave the metronome app behind these days. I easily hit 180spm and higher just by shortening my stride, and in the process, find that I run faster and feel better as a result.
 
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#12
@thomDavid
Yeah, I went for my first run since the filming took place (over a week ago) and was conscious about not over-striding. Rather than measuring cadence I concentrated on shorter strides. This may or may not have taken my cadence to 180 but it sure did feel good!
 
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#13
Cymbios said:
@thomDavid
Yeah, I went for my first run since the filming took place (over a week ago) and was conscious about not over-striding. Rather than measuring cadence I concentrated on shorter strides. This may or may not have taken my cadence to 180 but it sure did feel good!
Click to expand...

Did you notice any changes on the heel strike issue and did you go barefoot?
Barefoot running brings the cadence up on its own, that has been my experience.
Good luck on you quest.
 
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#15
Cymbios said:
To be honest I don't believe I am heel striking in my VFF. It's more midfoot.
And yes, my last run was barefoot and simply the best run ever! :)
Click to expand...

It really looks like you were but you know better.;)
Oh yes, BFR is just magical isn't it.:happy:
 
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#17
My belief and experience leads me to the conclusion that running more over a longer time sorts out many of the form details. It's fine to hold a few points of remedial criticism in your head for a bit of your run, but I lean more toward the "just run and feel the world move under you" school. Time and milage are the best teachers.

Enjoy the spring!
 
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