https://open.spotify.com/episode/7jcOBrdGE0WsoEiafch90g?si=c574e61e0ab446a4
A thoroughly enjoyable podcast with lots of great content – some thoughts I posted after listening . Geoff is a good listen and someone I like hearing from. He is thoughtful and considered in how he speaks which makes for an informative listen. The part on compressed Vs non-compressed foam where fascinating and something I’d love to hear more about. I loved the fact he talked about barefoot running as part of his program and his current approach to both his own & runners he coaches use of super-shoes (probably biased here as I agree and for some runners offer the same guidance)
I do have some thoughts on running form / gait / technique – and this isn’t necessarily something that Geoff would disagree with (and maybe more a result of how he phrased his answer in terms of the question). Looking at changing technique – leading to a greater cost, or worse oxygen consumption for most if not all runners. Quite possibly the first time, but after several structured learning sessions where the gait / form / technique has changed leading to an overall improvement – this I’d be a lot more sceptical of. Whenever we try anything new it takes effort / thought / focus and for the vast majority of people you are rarely going to see an improvement straight away. More likely you’ll see teething problems, a learning curve where the new is integrated with the old. Movement changes being made gradually, neurology, muscles, bones, structures adapting over time. If well planned & well executed I’d argue that you’d see an improvement in running efficiency (as measured by oxygen consumption.
However all of this comes with the caveat IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED and then delivered in a rounded fashion that allows the individual to integrate and change safely and effectively. Rather than a runner who feels it is something they “should do” or want to be more aesthetically pleasing to look at.
My own view on changing someone’s form is this:
- Do they need to? If they aren’t getting injured & enjoy running then it’s more often than not better to leave well alone.
However there are many instances of runners who suffer from injuries that are a result of the way that they run.
Very, very few people are taught to run. It’s something we can do without any instruction. Our bodies / brains are smart and will find a way to run. Which in some instances may lead to greater problems down the line. As we age, pick up injuries, reinforce postural quirks our body / skeleton / nervous system adapts – primarily to keep us safe and move us as safely as possible. What can and does happen to countless adults is that they come back to running later in life, with a system that is set up to work for them in daily living, but isn’t set up to suddenly cope with the increase in force that running puts upon the body. Thus they get injured and blame their poor running technique. The truth is more nuanced – the way I see this is that running magnifies those changes that have happened over time, and highlight where breakdowns are likely to happen due to what isn’t moving.
For example a young child badly sprains their left ankle at the age of 10 (could be a broken wrist / collar bone etc). This changes how they load their left leg (avoiding this) changing the way the pelvis hikes, shifts and rotates, leaving the left side always less willing to load than the right. Their feet change shape due to the change in work. They’re active, move a lot and do well in sport, but drift away for a few years.
They then pick up running in their late 20’s, early 30’s and keep getting injured – right side leg achilles / calf / hamstring problems. Yet never their left hand side. The question then becomes do you not change the way that they run, their form, technique, gait? Do you tell them that running is not for them and they should shift sport? Or is there a way where there body / brain can be re-trained to enable a safer & better way for them to move.
In this scenario (alternatively feet that have become like flippers, neither pronating or supinating, a pelvis that is highly limited or stuck due to immobility in the spine) changing running technique would only be part of the solution, but can be a key part of the solution for those who want to carry on running. Without recognising that introducing movement into the body is never isolated & only focusing on the running is both dangerous and foolhardy. Offering someone a new running pattern is going to change where the load goes in the body – putting added load into a muscle / joint that hasn’t accepted it is as likely to break down as what you are trying to resolve. In my example above of the boy now suffering right leg injuries – if all I did was to watch him run and then suggest changes without thinking about how to load the left side safely then I’d be forcing the problem somewhere else and just kicking the can down the road. It’s almost as if there are 3 avenues to follow here:
- Look at what isn’t happening and begin to create movement in those areas slowly, safely and under little load.
- Strengthen the areas that haven’t been loaded in more general terms to be able to accept the change when it comes
- Look at how this is then translated into running and how what direction can be given to encourage and apply translating what has happened in point 1 above. How can their running form help reinforce better movement patterns to keep their body safe?
So in many instances changing someone’s running technique, as part of a wider mobility program is going to leave the individual to run & move more safely, efficiently and enjoyably.
I’d also argue that there are some basic guidelines that do help – Geoff mentioned one that is really valuable, the head. His advice of keeping your eyes on a point of focus ahead will make a big difference in keeping the head more upright, reducing the desire to over-stride (forward head leaves the brain think we’re falling or the stumble reflex, so reach out with our feet to break our fall – which in running leads to over-striding, braking and makes everything harder) making it a lighter weight to carry, allowing for better breathing mechanics. Equally leading well in front of the body with the hands is sending a message to our feet to get well out in front – again leading to over-striding and the increase in braking force that can result in. Why people may run like this could be never being told or a sign of something else (ie excessive head-lean a result of overly flexed spine and limitations in extension/ movements) – and knowing the something else key here as to how someone can be helped with a change in technique.
BreatheToMove 