Better Running Styles for Long Distance Running

fitness

By Tots Reyes

When I first started running, I had no idea of what good form was, or even if there was any such thing as a good running form. Nike would be proud, as like so many newbie runners, I just went out there and did it. I was a lot heavier back then, had the wrong shoes for running, and flailed around madly at the treadmill for what felt like eternity, but in reality was a thirty minute (max) gasping session. End result: barring any actual big broken bones, I got almost every leg related running injury you could possibly imagine,

I eventually found out that there’s more to running than just putting one foot in front of the other. It may work for shorter times and distances, but if the goal is to run for more than an hour, or even thirty minutes, there are various things to consider, especially when it comes to form, to maximize endurance and speed and reduce the likelihood of injury. For long distance running, it’s imperative to get the proper form – in running long distance, you should appear as if you are gliding and not bouncing around.

Posture

Keep your head erect and look straight ahead. This will automatically help your body keep the torso straight, allowing more oxygen into your body and thereby avoiding my gasping-fish routine. Your shoulders should be relaxed and your elbows bent at about a ninety degree angle. Don’t lean too far forward or you’ll move your center of gravity and get back pains as a result. If your torso is straight, it allows your stride to open up. As you run, your foot should land under your hips. This places it where your center of gravity is.

Footstrike

There’s a lot of controversy as to proper footstrike: Should you land heel first or ball-of-foot first? I’ve personally found that when I land on my heel first, I tend to get injured via shin splints. However, I know plenty of runners who strike heel first and have been using this style without any problem, and I’ve read that former NY Marathon Champion Alberto Salazar is a heelstriker. Regardless of the literature, when it comes to footstrike, the general consensus is to go with what feels comfortable for you, and what causes you the least injuries.
Stride

As you run, short and quick strides are best. If you over stride, your running efficiency will decrease. When speeding up, rather than taking bigger steps, which tend to throw you off your rhythm, it’s more efficient to increase your stride by opening the stride. You should be moving forward instead of bouncing up and down. If you are making a pounding noise or notice you are bouncing up and down, you are over striding. Apart from being prone to injury, runners who bounce up and down like ping pong balls while running tend to waste more energy, as they are moving up and down instead of forward.

Shoes

Aside from having the right form, make sure you are wearing the proper shoes when running. Although the movement for a freer, more natural way of running – as in, minimal support on the foot, such as wearing Nike frees or Vibram Five Finger soles – is gaining traction, it isn’t a style that newbies can easily adapt to. For one, unless your running style is nearly a hundred percent biomechanically perfect, running with no support at all, especially in the beginning, will tend to take some getting used to.

So for us regular mortals, it is important to start off running with the correct footwear. I cringe whenever I see people running in Crocs or Havaiianas – ouch. You must give your feet the proper support. Not all running shoes are made the same. If you have flat feet, purchase socks and shoes or shoe inserts that have good arch support. If your foot tends to roll inward, and usually this is seen when the wear tread on your shoes is much more on the inside of the shoe (on the side of the big toe) than on the outside (the side of the little toe), then you may be an overpronator, and need shoes with stability support on the your instep. If on the other hand, your foot tends to roll outward while running, your shoes will have a wear pattern on the outside (the side of the little toe) more than on the instep, and you are most likely a supinator, as I am. In that case, I tend to get shoes that are more flexible, and for neutral footstrikers, so I can even out my footstrike a bit and hit the ground a bit more squarely and centered. Magazines such as Runner’s World have online sites that can help you determine what kind of shoes you need.

Make sure you stretch properly before running and your muscles are nice and loose. Run in a safe area and be aware of your environment as you do. Running is an excellent way to stay fit but do it properly so you can enjoy it without risk of pain or injury.