I have written previously about this topic in an article entitled, over-striding and injuries<\/a>.\u00a0You want your leg to land closer to your body, just forward of your center of gravity. I had to work on my running stride, as I grew up as a classic over heel striker. To clarify, most runners will land heel first and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s healthy and natural. However, my leg would pendulum way too far forward from my center of gravity and strike the ground really hard. A running style like this will slow you down and will also increase your chance of injury. At times, I advise runners to march on the spot, military style. That\u2019s what your leg should feel like as it moves toward the ground. This means that you might have to shorten your stride and take more strides in order to run slightly quicker. You want to aim at approximately 180 landings per minute.<\/p>\n Run Tall.<\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t want to run leaning backward with your belly leading the way. You also don\u2019t want to bend too far forward as you run. If you bend forward, your hip flexors will shorten. Get stuck in that position and you will have to pull your head up in order to see where you are going. Running like this will put a huge strain on your lower back and neck.<\/p>\n You ideally want to run tall with a slight forward lean. Running, sitting and standing tall is important. This is very different from the typical military stance that you think of. A ramrod-straight back with your chest sticking out is both unnatural and very tiring. The concept of sitting, standing and running tall means that you do not allow your body to collapse on itself. If you are sitting now, try\u00a0to sit taller. This should not put you into an abnormal position, but rather into a position where your rib cage does not rest on your abdomen and where your stomach does not collapse onto your legs. Got it?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t Cross the Midline.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s first define your midline. Your midline is the line that separates your left from your right. Think belly button, nose etc. Let\u2019s imagine that you are running down the middle of the road. (Please don\u2019t try this). Allowing your foot to land on your midline is often a compensatory action caused by weakness of lateral muscles such as your glute medius. I have written about the chain reaction caused by a weak\u00a0glute medius muscle.<\/a><\/p>\n Also, don\u2019t swing your arms from side to side. You don\u2019t want your hands to cross the midline either. This is running for goodness’ sake, you are not dancing to an oompah band.<\/p>\n Hang Loose Mother Goose.<\/strong><\/p>\n Keep your jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, hands relaxed. This is not a cage fighting event. You are out there to allow your body to flow over the course. I don\u2019t even believe that you should run with your keys in your hands, as that hand will be tense for the entire run. Rather hide your keys or put them in a pocket. Just make sure that you don\u2019t drop them and have to run your entire route again to find them. I have been there and done that.<\/p>\n Make sure that your Feet are Facing Forward.<\/strong><\/p>\n Feet turned in or out indicate that you have some kind of muscle imbalance or tightness. Get your feet facing forward, your feet and calves will love you for that. I am able to assess that during our runner’s leg assessment.<\/a><\/p>\n Hope this all helps you with your running form.<\/p>\n Regards,<\/p>\n Mike Roscoe.<\/p>\n![\"Trail-Runner\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbrsport.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/trail-runner.jpg?resize=581%2C416&ssl=1\")
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\nWould your feet land: A – on the white painted line, or B, \u00a0on either side of the white line? Hint \u2013 you want to answer B on this one.
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![\"me](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbrsport.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/me-easter-run.png?resize=173%2C175&ssl=1\")
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