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Common Problems
When runners use poor technique this results in two problems.
Running at a slower pace
Increased risk of injury
There are a variety of things that runners will do that cause one of the two problems above,
here we try to address some of the common ones.
Heel Striking - This acts as a braking action to your running as you will be striking
in front of your centre of gravity. You then have to work on getting your weight back over this rather than using the "claw
back" momentum of your foot to propel you forwards. It also increased the stress on joints as you will tend to land heavily
as you do this.
Leaning Backwards - Ideally, your whole body leans slightly forwards (not bending at
the waist), if you don't you again brake your action and put strain on your lower back.
Lateral Arms - Your arms should swing through in the direction you are travelling,
not across your body. If there is excessive lateral movement you will be twisting your whole body, through your shoulders
and causing problems for your joints. The height at the front and back of the arm swing will depend on the speed you are running.
For sprinting, you should bring your arms up to about chin height at the front and so your
upper arm is almost parallel with the ground at the back. The angle of your lower to upper arm should be around 90 degrees
(just less at the front and just more at the back). For longer distances the range of movement is simply, again decreased,
with the emphasis being on relaxation and balance, as opposed to drive.
Sitting as you run - If your hips are not held high enough you will tend not to extend
your stride as you should. Also, it is harder to get significant knee lift and you'll probably run fairly flat footed, relying
primarily on the strength in your quadriceps and not using hamstrings and calves to their full ability.
Pendulum Legs - This is where you don't lift your feet far off the floor as you don't
use your hamstrings much initially. This makes knee lift virtually impossible, resulting in a short stride length and in the
later part of the action as your leg is relatively straight, you will actually put more stress on your hamstrings.
This is not meant to be a lesson in physiology, but more some practical advice for runners
to help them improve their running - hence some of the terminology may be a little loose for the more scientific reader.
http://www.momentumsports.co.uk/TtRunTechnique.asp | 
