Basic Form- Head to toe...

There are different descriptions and metaphors I use to describe Natural Running Form on a daily basis, pulling from my teachers along the way, this is one set of descriptions....

We're going to start from the ground up with five check in points to self regulate as you are running. It is always good to check in with yourself periodically and measure yourself up to one of these five standards to keep from falling back into old habits.

1. Foot landing- If you stand in place, lift your leg and set it back down, you will notice that your foot lands directly below your center of mass. You will also notice that the last part of the foot to leave the ground on lift-off, is also the first to touch the ground on touch-down. This is the metatarsal arch, or forefoot. March in place and feel the natural balance of the movement. Now turn that into a run in place... same mechanics, eh? Now all you have to do is lean forward, and ta-da!! You're running!!

2. Lift through the knees- You will notice in the drill from part 1 that while marching and running in place, you simply lift the knee to initiate the movement. Lifting through the hip-flexors and core, bringing the knees up is the simplest and easiest motion to associate with while running. Forget all the foot angle, foot strike, knee angle science, it gets to be too much information and a waste of energy. We want running to feel light, effortless, easy and natural!

3. Posture- Balance and body positioning are key in performing any movement efficiently. In running we want to maintain a tall erect posture with a neutral spine. Think of a rope pulling you up from the crown of your head and forward from the center of your chest. If you bend at the waist, to far forward or backward, you lose efficiency. The body should remain tall and straight and lean slightly forward depending on the angle of the road and speed you wish to travel.

4. Arm Swing- The biggest mistake here is crossing the center line by twisting the torso and swinging the shoulders, arms and chest side to side. We want all energy to be directed in the direction of travel. The mistake is common in people with large shoulders and/or chests who use their weight to create inertia. We want the shoulders to stay square, without swinging, and let the arms swing straight and back with a 90 degree bend at the elbow and the thumbs pointed up on a loosely gripped hand. It should feel like you are marching again and pushing back through the elbow to initiate the movement. Your fingernails should lightly buff along your waistline each time. The pivot point for the arm swing is at the shoulder so rotating the shoulder would make it impossible to swing the arms correctly without a noticeable waste of energy.

5. Head Position- Having a neutrally balanced head is important because, at ten pounds, it has the ability to throw your posture completely out of whack. You want to look directly ahead with your gaze either at the horizon or approximately 30 yards ahead. If you must gaze down while on the trail, lower your eyes not your head. Lowering the head causes you to bend at the waist(refer to #3). The other biggest problem is looking up to much. Many runners on the treadmill at the gym will develop this habit when looking up at the television. This action hyper-extends the lower back and disengages the core muscles which you need to bring the knee up(refer to #2). Remember to keep the chin level with the ground and feel a pull up through the crown, not forehead.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat.... ;)