Your Guide to Perfect Running Technique
COUCH POTATO TO MARATHON CHAMP: YOUR GUIDE TO PERFECT RUNNING TECHNIQUE
It’s always a good idea to run with perfect running technique. Read this 3-step guide to the perfect running technique and make every step count.
First, let’s define a couple of terms:
Running Technique is the Standard set of Instructions to learn and follow, and to correct back to, if we encounter Deviations from that Standard.
Running Form is the description of the movement of running, or the set of words use to describe qualitatively how we look, e.g. light, fast, smooth, effortless, hard, slow, clunky, effortful.
By running with proper Running Technique, then your Running Form will be great!
With these instructions in mind, you’re well on your way to running success. From a tempo run to a fartlek, there’s no type of run you won’t be able to tackle.
Is running innate? It was hardwired into our species for survival and most of us picked it up naturally as kids—no coaching required.
Nonetheless, a quick Sunday morning drive will show you plenty of giraffe-like gaits and shuffling zombies who illuminate the fact that many humans are, plain and simple, bad at running.
Maybe they’re running with dogs, are just plain tired, or don’t even realize their hands flopping around. All the same, one thing is for sure: their technique is bad.
Elite runners and novices both need to learn how to run properly. With good technique, running will feel less tiring and more enjoyable—something everyone can get behind. We’re here to give you the breakdown on how to run properly in just 3 simple steps.
If you want to learn how to run faster, more efficiently, and with minimized risk of running injuries, these 3 steps are the ticket to get you there.
The correct running technique is easy to learn and you have nothing to lose, so let’s check those excuses at the door and see what you can gain by making a few tweaks to your stride.
Proper Running Technique
We’re going to take a look at the proper running technique from the ground up. Keep in mind that in order to learn how to run correctly, you’ll need to integrate each of these 3 elements together, building on proper running technique as you go.
Try identifying and correcting each element of your stride one piece at a time—versus all at once—so you can isolate the problem and establish new muscle memory before giving your body too many tasks to process.
Pose
Fall
Pull
1. Pose
The Running Pose is the starting and ending position of running. Our job is to arrive precisely in the Running Pose as soon as we are on the ground, after spending as much time as possible Free Falling through the air. The Running Pose is the fundamental position of power and the most ideal position to be in to fully transform Gravitational Potential Energy (when balanced on the ground in the Running Pose) into Kinetic Energy (maintaining the Running Pose while Free Falling weightlessly through the air). By maintaining the Running Pose, we can fully harness Gravitational Torque in order to displace our General Center of Mass past our Point of Support to cause motion to run.
The Running Pose looks like when we are in an S-like figure, or stance, with one foot (our Support Foot) on the ground directly underneath our hips, with the other foot (our Swing Foot) off the ground, positioned also directly underneath our hips.
This is the Standard that our body needs to be positioned in whenever we get back on the ground when we are running.
Several Points of Performance are necessary to achieve to properly assume the Running Pose when we are running:
Our Bodyweight Pressure should be precisely placed and perceived through the Ball of the Support Foot
Our Support Knee is bent
Our Swing Foot is positioned directly underneath our Hips (the height at which our Swing Foot will be is dependent on how much we are Free Falling, i.e. how fast we are running)
Our Swing Foot is relaxed/loose/floppy/dangling
Our Arms are relaxed and positioned balanced to our legs
Our Head, Shoulders, Hips, Knees, and Ankles should all be aligned, with our General Center of Mass (our Hips), balanced directly over our Point of Support (Support Foot)
2. Fall
We run by Free Falling. We do not run using our muscles. Our muscles are used when we run. Our muscles only exist in order to serve our Bodyweight. So when we run, we interact with Gravity by letting ourselves Free Fall in the direction where we want to go. Our muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments are used only when we are on Support (on the ground). By spending more time in the air Free Falling when we run, then our muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments are doing less work. Our muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments also just do the right amount of work (and no more than necessary) when we finally arrive on the ground on balance for the split seconds we are there for, before we start Free Falling again.
If we are running in the forward direction, then we shift our Bodyweight Pressure from the Ball of our Support Foot towards our Toes, by displacing our General Center of Mass (our Hips) past our Point of Support (our Support Foot), in order to lose Balance, then Free Fall forward.
By doing that, there is very little, if any, muscular effort done to cause our forward motion to happen. We simply have to “let go” in order to move and run.
When we are Free Falling, we need to maintain the Running Pose for as long as we can, before Changing Support by Pulling our Support Foot up from the ground.
While we are running, and not holding any tension in any of our muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments, one set of body parts that will be loose and will help tremendously to feel more effortlessly when we run, is our shoulders. By keeping our shoulders and neck relaxed and loose as we run, then we take advantage of what is called Unweighing. Watch more here.
3. Pull
When we have finished Free Falling while holding the Running Pose as long as we can, then it is time to Change Support. We do that by Pulling our Support Foot from the ground. Once that Foot is up in the air, then that Foot turns in the Swing Foot when we arrive in the Running Pose again.
The intent of the action of Pulling our Support Foot from the ground is to break contact with the ground.
When we Pull our Support Foot from the ground, then we reduce as much impact as possible with the ground.
When we are running, the Pulling action turns into a reflexive action; every time our feet touch the ground, then then our feet are almost instantaneously being removed from the ground.
By Pulling our feet up from the ground as soon as they touch the ground, then we are spending more time in the air Free Falling.
We Pull our Support Foot up from the ground in order to arrive in the Running Pose accurately and precisely, with that newly designated Swing Foot directly underneath our General Center of Mass (our Hips).
How high we Pull our feet up from the ground depends on how much we are Free Falling, i.e. how fast we are running. The more we are Free Falling (the faster we are running), the higher our feet will be pulled up. The less we are Free Falling (the slower we are running), the lower our feet will be pulled up.
How quickly we Pull our feet up from the ground (step cadence) should be at a minimum of 180 Pulls per minute. At this minimum threshold we can take advantage of what is called Muscle-Tendon Elasticity. Read more here and here. The more we are Free Falling (the faster we are running), the higher our cadence is going to be. The less we are Free Falling (the slower we are running), the lower our cadence is going to be (but not slower than 180 Pulls per minute).
With these instructions of the Standard in mind, you’re well on your way to running success.
By mastering and running with proper running technique, then you will reduce, reverse, and prevent running-related pain and injuries, like Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis/Sprains/Ruptures, Ankle Sprains, Calves Strains, Shin Splints/Stress Fractures/Compartment Syndrome, Runner’s/Jumper’s Knee, IT Band Syndrome, Hamstrings Strains/Tears, Hip Fractures, and Low Back Pain/Injuries.
By mastering and running with proper running technique then you will run farther and faster, for longer.
Mastering proper running technique isn’t difficult; execute these 3 elements by making some simple adjustments to feel an-all new efficiency in your stride that you have to experience to appreciate.