sponsored: #RUNNOVATION – Proper Form
That Was Then
Good running form meant focusing on the mechanics parameters of foot fall, stride length, an erect body and using arms for power. In his 1971 book “The Track and Field Omnibook,” Ken Doherty advises: “Do what comes naturally as long as naturally is mechanically sound. If it isn’t, do what is mechanically sound until it comes naturally.”
This is Runnovation.
Solid mechanics, an efficient stride and good energy are all still important when it comes to running form, but the strict adherence to a specific set of standards has become less so. A 2011 study found that runners actually reduced running economy when they increased cadence and lessened bounce beyond their natural stride. New thinking suggests that the best way to improve as a runner is to run and to do so without trying to consciously alter form. Matt Fitzgerald, co-author of “The Runner’s Edge” suggests that runners will “automatically find the most economical way to run for them individually given the present realities of their body structure and biomechanics constraints.”
