The Four Steps To Good Running Form.
I'm discovering more and more as I get into running. For one, I never knew that there was such a thing as 'good running form'. I thought that as long as I don't slouch, that's fine. Apparently, not being conscious about your form makes the run more difficult than it is and can even lead to injuries. So what is 'good running form'? I saw this illustration from New Balance.
I got the first one right.. Posture. Feet straight, knees soft. Arms at a 90 degree angle with arms swings not overextending to the back. One of the things that I have to remind myself though is to relax my shoulders because it's usually tense, even when I'm just typing on my computer.
The second one is Mid Foot which means you land on the middle part of your feet, and not your heel or toes, every time you run. So far, I think I'm ok in this aspect because I don't have any issues with my toes or my heel whenever I run, which toe strikers and heel strikers usually encounter.
Third is Cadence which should be 180 steps per minute. I just learned about this term recently so I haven't really tested what mine is. Although I read somewhere that successful marathoners usually have three times more steps than others. Test your cadence by jogging for 1 minute and count the number of times your right foot hits the ground. Multiply this by 2 and your target should be 180.
Last is Lean which is another new tip I discovered from a runner friend. Leaning from the ankle without bending from the waist using gravity to move forward makes me run faster and with less effort.
So remember these four concepts and try it out during your next training.. Posture, mid foot, candence, and lean. You'll notice a big difference in your running.
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