We all want to be able to run faster, in this page we try to explain ways in which you can do so by making changes to your running technique - this is about getting faster without having to improve your fitness, although it will take some regular practice and concentration to get a proper running technique.
At the bottom of this page is a list of common problems that athletes have with their technique, you may recognise some of them as ones you possess and can work on removing.
For any runner to perform at their best it is important that they run efficiently, allowing their body to use as little energy on each step as possible, whilst maintaining the required stride length and cadence.
To improve your time you must lengthen your stride, increase your cadence or both, using a combination of improved strength, fitness and proper running technique.
Running is Running
No matter which distance you are trying to run, surprisingly perhaps (you might think peoples running techniques vary hugely with their event), the following rules apply. The amount of effort that is put into each action that will change according to the distance that you are going to run.
Try to remember the following 5 parts to the running action - remember the parts with the mantra below and then learn how to apply each one:-
1. Toe Ups
It is important that you think not just about lifting the toes when performing this action, but decreasing the angle of the foot from the front of the leg - doing this allows your hamstring to work with greater efficiency pulling your heel up and therefore decreasing the time a stride takes.
2. Heel Up
Often when a runner has poor or tired running technique the foot follows a large arc when coming up towards the backside. Our aim here is to pull it straight up, fast. In doing so we reach the same final position as the arced motion, just quicker.
3. Knee Up
Coaches can often be heard working on running technique by telling athletes to lift their knees higher, particularly when coaching sprinters. This is because it allows for the greatest range of movement - and hence a longer stride length. This is very important, but will prove to be counter-productive if the lift of the knee comes above a position where the leg is parallel to the ground.
4. Reach Out
For the same reason as it is important to lift your knees high, extending your leg out straight allows for the greatest stride length possible. It should be remembered here that we are concentrating on moving the whole body straight down the track, you foot should move perpendicularly to the direction you are running - any lateral movement will cause a wastage of energy.
5. Claw Back
Finally, we come to clawing back. This may sound like a strange thing to do as it shortens your stride slightly and you are trying to make your foot move in the opposite direction to which you are running. It is however important for two reasons, firstly, if your foot were to land in front of your centre of gravity, it would act as a brake on your body - commonly refered to as over striding. Secondly, by starting to claw back you are preparing to contact with the ground and get into the next stride as soon as possible. One of the primary things that differentiates Michael Johnson with most of his competitors is that he spends far less time with his foot in contact with the ground.
How do I improve my Running Technique?
It is worth spending a few minutes reading this section as alterations to your technique over time can give a big return on the amount of effort needed.
There are five basic parts to a running action, which need to be considered. Some coaches may simplify this or break it down further, but here we'll consider the actions listed.
It is extremely difficult to work on each of these effectively whilst running which is one of the reasons why Drills are so important. We can perform drills to isolate different techniques for parts of the running action and improve it before putting it all back together as a proper complete action.
With respect to running at different speeds to the above it is relatively simple - if you wish to run faster (ie. sprint) you should have more knee lift, more extension, more claw back and more drive with your arms. Equally, for longer distances (slower running) do less of each of these.
Below, Tom is shown running with a good technique for fast striding pace running . We have slowed him down so that it is easy to see what he is doing.
Note how the movement is done by his arms and legs - there is little wasted energy in vertical movements of his head and hips. Coaches often achieve this aim by telling athletes to keep their hips up high, to avoid them dropping and the athlete then having to use valuable energy to lift their bodies back up again.
Common Running Technique Problems
When runners use poor technique this results in two problems:-
Running at a slower pace
Increased risk of injury
There are a variety of things that runners will do that cause one of the two problems above, here we try to address some of the common ones that stop runners running properly.
Heel Striking - This acts as a braking action to your running as you will be striking in front of your centre of gravity. You then have to work on getting your weight back over this rather than using the "claw back" momentum of your foot to propel you forwards. It also increased the stress on joints as you will tend to land heavily as you do this.
Leaning Backwards - Ideally, your whole body leans slightly forwards (not bending at the waist), if you don't you again brake your action and put strain on your lower back.
Lateral Arms - Your arms should swing through in the direction you are travelling, not across your body. If there is excessive lateral movement you will be twisting your whole body, through your shoulders and causing problems for your joints. The height at the front and back of the arm swing will depend on the speed you are running.
For sprinting, you should bring your arms up to about chin height at the front and so your upper arm is almost parallel with the ground at the back. The angle of your lower to upper arm should be around 90 degrees (just less at the front and just more at the back). For longer distances the range of movement is simply, again decreased, with the emphasis being on relaxation and balance, as opposed to drive.
Sitting as you run - If your hips are not held high enough you will tend not to extend your stride as you should. Also, it is harder to get significant knee lift and you'll probably run fairly flat footed, relying primarily on the strength in your quadriceps and not using hamstrings and calves to their full ability.
Pendulum Legs - This is where you don't lift your feet far off the floor as you don't use your hamstrings much initially. This makes knee lift virtually impossible, resulting in a short stride length and in the later part of the action as your leg is relatively straight, you will actually put more stress on your hamstrings.
