Running Technique by Brian Martin

Author:Brian Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: strength training, minimalist running shoes, barefoot running, running form, running training, running tips, running technique, running injuries, beginner running, learn running
Publisher: Brian Martin

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Chapter 8: Learning to run better

It’s no easy task to shift from a running technique that has many problems to one that is technically sound. However, small steps in the right direction will yield more enjoyable runs, less risk of injury and even surprisingly large improvements in performance. Once you get a taste of these improvements you'll feel extremely motivated to continue to advance.

It is worth getting your running gait analyzed in the first instance. The evolution of your technique should then be benchmarked relatively frequently - if possible every four to six weeks. If you train with a group or coach you can ask them to watch for any back-sliding as you train. These steps will allow you and others to see results before the technical changes deliver a stunning new personal record. It also helps you to continually refine the changes you have made by absorbing the visual feedback of observing your running technique. These check-up videos provide a great audit trail of where your technique started and where it’s going today.

In this chapter I discuss various strategies for either learning to run as a beginner or refining your technique for more experienced and advanced athletes. I have divided the stages of running expertise into three phases: (1) Developing correct muscle activation, (2) Increase strength and stability through the hips, and (3) Fine tuning for power and speed. You’ll probably pick up bits and pieces from each stage as you progress. Nevertheless this allows you to break down the problem into manageable chunks and focus on different areas as your knowledge and technique improves. Learning from each phase will carry over into the next without much conscious effort. This is similar to running where we work on different aspects such as speed and endurance at varying times in our schedule; later as we’re focusing on training other attributes or racing these foundations can be easily maintained.

It might sound strange but the major objective for this chapter is to learn how to learn your running technique. Successful technique improvements can be made by gaining an awareness of how your body responds to various mental cues in relation to physical movement and the environment. Everyone’s wiring is slightly different, your neurological pathways have been fixed for decades and now you need to reprogram your brain to send different messages to your muscles.

As a final complication each of us absorbs information and learns differently, so one set of instruction that works for me might not work equally well for you. For this reason this chapter contains a number of physical exercises and mental strategies that allow you to practice getting a feel for how better running works inside your mind using your body. In chapter 4 and chapter 5 I explained in detail what running looks like and which muscles drive that movement pattern. We now come to implement what we learned by recognizing what good running feels like and how to stimulate your mind and body to create these more effective movement patterns.

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