In the first part of this series, we covered some running techniques that will improve running form and stave off injuries. This week, we will see how to incorporate those techniques into our running regimen. I will start with a disclaimer . If you have been running for a while and are injury free, then you should stay the course and there is nothing to examine or change. It is important to recognize, everyone’s running form is different and what works for one might not work for others.
Understanding current running form
It’s a no brainer that running is a high impact sport. Reducing the impact will go a long way in staying injury free. So, how do we reduce the impact and land softly? The first step is to understand how you run now and for that a few options are available.
The simplest way to examine your landing is to have someone observe your running and provide feedback. The second option is to get your running form examined in a running store. Several stores in most major cities have this facility. They have specialized equipments and software to examine your running form.
The third option is a combination of the above. For this, I seek the help of my running buddies (and their smart phones). I ask them to ‘shoot’ my running in slow motion from multiple angles. We do this outdoors, so the running tends to be more natural than confined store environs. Also, I get the luxury of ‘shooting’ multiple times till we get it right and do it over a period of time track progress.
But one does need experience to self analyse and incorporate corrective measures. This is akin to self medication which could go wrong, so do the last option with caution and consult experienced runners or coaches
Another trend that is fast catching up is wearable technologies. These cool toys (specialized socks, insoles or body wear) constantly communicate with an App in your smart phone, which in turn provides real time feedback about your heart rate, cadence, pronation and the whole nine yards.
Cadence measurement
Another important aspect of running is how many times your feet touches the ground in a minute. There are plenty of tools available to collect this data. From a simple stopwatch to smart watches like Garmin, there are a plethora of devices that will help measure your current cadence. Once you have a fair understanding of your current running form and cadence, the next step is to take corrective actions as suggested by your running coach, running buddies or identified by yourself.
Cadence - A quick google search will tell you the number to be around 180. The easiest way to get to that cadence is with a help of a metronome, a simple device that beeps at a set frequency. All a runner needs to do is to synchronize landing with the beep sound. Initially, you might find yourself shuffling faster to match with the beep sound, but try to reduce your stride length and stick to the rhythm.
Breathing - A simple, but effective way to do this is to run at pace where you can also have reasonable conversation with a running buddy. This also means, you try to run slower pace and not run out of breath quickly. This will make distance running lot more enjoyable .
Swinging Gently - Studies have shown what we do with our arms during running is an important ingredient of injury free running. While there isn't a single thumb rule that will apply to everyone, some basic techniques listed below will help reduce fatigue and improve overall running efficiency.
1. Reduce tension in shoulders and hands. Avoid rigid shoulders and try and keep them down. Avoid clenched fists and let hands move freely from shoulders.
2. Swing arms freely from shoulders and in the opposite direction of your leg movement.
3. Occasionally loosen arms by dropping or lifting them and shaking vigorously for a few seconds.
Running Tall
Just like we were told ‘sit straight’ in our school days or in yoga sessions to balance our body properly, it is important to ‘straighten’ our body while running as well. Practice running tall by simply looking well ahead and by simply telling yourself to run tall.
