Sal's

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Monday, April 4, 2016

Analyzing Running Form

We all have unique running form. Every "how-to" running article gives advice on improving your form to become more efficient, faster and prevent injury. Change can be difficult though and not all of us can look like this when we run;

Meb Keflezighi
Kara Goucher
Feet off the ground, long natural looking stride, high back kick, kind of floating in the air while moving along at 4:30-5:20 per mile.

Some of us look like this (me):

Yes, this is me at the 2015 Charlie McMullen mile race. At least my leading foot is off the ground and my rear foot is not completely flat. My arm position looks pretty good and body posture is okay, but not near Kara's or Meb's,obviously. And at the end of the mile I was a bit spent. I seem to be trying to suck all the oxygen out of the sky!
Here's another comparison, Jan at the same race;
Flopping hair makes her look fast anyhow. Both feet off the ground, that's impressive. Left arm crosses a bit too much maybe? Very intense expression, but that could also be that by her race a severe thunder and lightning storm was moving in with flashes near the track during the last 2 laps.




2 comments:

Andrea said...

I feel like I look like you when I run. It looks like one of your legs will hit the other in your gasping for air pic (which I clearly do too, where does all the oxygen disappear to?). I have hit one leg with the other and surprised that it's the rocks that take me out and not myself...or is it? :)

Mike said...

For me it can be either rocks or my own legs, or I hit another runner with one of flying legs and they yell and fall. Not good.