Why is form so important? Well, good running form leads to improved running efficiency. In other words, if you have two runners of equal ability, the runner with good form can do as much work with less energy expendiiture as the other runner, giving that runner an advantage as the race goes on. We all have biomechanical issues that may prevent us from having perfect form but with a few drills we can all make some changes.

There are 4 phases, in relation to the weight bearing leg, in the running cycle. (1) Initial contact, (2) foot flat, (3) midstance, and (4) toe off. Some authors include a 5th phase of pre-loading, which accounts for the muscle activity that occurs in the swing leg just before it makes initial contact. This muscle activity prepares the leg to accept the load which it is about to take.

Ideally, at initial contact, you want to land on the ground with your foot under, or very close to, in line with your knee (note I said knee, not hip; we will get to that shortly). Think to yourself, land softly. If you land with your foot too far in front of your knee, you may be overstriding and may increase the impact forces which can lead to injury. When possible, try to focus on landing on your forefoot or midfoot, rather than your heel. Heel striking can be an indication of overstriding. Also, when landing on the forefoot or midfoot, you unconciously shorten your stride and increase your cadence which results in increased speed.

At foot flat, your foot is now generally in line with your hip (I said we would get to this). This means that your hip is now moving to the front and beginning to drive the running motion. The knee begins to flex and the quads and calves begin to contract and store energy in anticipation of the extension to come. Your shoulders should be in line with your hips and your spine should be upright and not arched to maintain efficiency.

From foot flat, the transition to midstance is only milliseconds. Your upper body posture remain unchanged. This is where all that core work you have been doing really pays off. The knee reaches maximum flexion (bend) and the quads and calves are ready to explode into extension. Your swing leg is able to drive forward rather than up, again maximizing running efficiency.

Now you reach toe off. Upper body posture is still upright and shoulders over hips. Your hip, knee and ankle all achieve terminal or maximum extension as the quads, calves, and glutes (it's all about the glutes these days!!). These muscles will power you into your next step, where you repeat the cycle all over again. Flexibility counts here as well. If your hip flexors (the muscles at the front of your hip) are tight, they will pull your pelvis down and cause you to arch your spine, impacting your efficiency.

The pre-loading phase is where the muscles prepare for initial contact. If the communication between your brain and your muscles is slow, then the muscles will be slow to respond and efficiency will be reduced. Try plyometrics to help improve the communication brain and muscles. Arm swing is important in running efficiency as well. Arm swing assists with trunk stabilty and improves efficiency by reducing upper body rotation. Try to swing your arms forward and backward and avoid crossing them over your chest.

See Talking Form (Part 2) for examples.

Run well. Play hard.