Gait Analysis
Each year I drill down a little more on becoming a better runner. Body comp, interval work, technique, shoes, stretching, reading, etc. And each year I improve slighty.
Friday I went ot U Va.'s "Speed Clinic" and had a gait analysis done. While I've already improved my cadence, and shortened my stride, I was still landing out front instead of slighlty behind me. A lightbulb went off when the analysis showed me how I was driving my knees. In doing so, my quads were doing all the work and I was getting no heel lift with my stiff calves and ankles. So the analysis read: "Not Kenyan". 
Also, weak feet and poor overall stability. Strong quads, tight hams, glutes not engaged. It was a couple of hundred dollars very well spent.
I did my brick run yesterday focusing on technique, and yes indeed, it is different and will probably make a major difference in my times because of greatly increased efficiency. I think improving upon form is possible. I'm motivated by fear and greed and I fear he run and i'm greedy for easier. Like drilling a swim stroke, improving technique ups the joy. I hope.
Comments
I'm actually thinking about going back to them again to see if they can help me understand this calf thing.
Thanks for the info Chris. I don't think I utilize my gluts either. Tight hamis too. May have to take a trip to UVA for a gait analysis. I didn't know they had anything like that
Wonder if there is anything up in the NE for that. Sounds like money well spent.
Following RnPs advice and some of Chi Running, I think I have become more efficient, but I have a loooong way to go.
Yes.
The biggie is running in place lifting, flicking heels, not way high but no forward driving of the knees. Sort of kick them up as though attached to ropes your lower arms are pulling that run over your shoulders. You've seen a million distance runners warm up this way. Then slight lean forward (not bending from the waist) and you're rolling. Designed to have you run with your feet under and slightly behind and use your hip flexability versus your quads and lifters in front. Sprinting, short bursts, yes to the driving knees. "Power" running is the Chi Running guy's term. But for efficient distance, no.
Props to R Strauss as we did this same stuff several years ago at Wisc camp. But I didn't then get the heel flick and foot back position, just cadence and a shortened stride. Was still lumbering.
At first it feels like you're going to fall flat on your face (stay tuned for the post about the broken face) but I did my 2x intervals yesterday concentrating on this specific form and while I was no faster, my rpe was lower I think. Hard to tell with the wind, rain, cold and fatigue already built in.
My biggest concern has always been foot fall, but as Jay put it, that's only one part of the process. I've always run on my toes so now I've overcompensated and not utilized my forefoot at all. Very, very stiff ankles and calves. Recommended lots of calve stretching, one foot stablizing practice using big toe and forefoot, hamstring stretches and glute triggering exercises. He's not an advocate of diving straight into barefoot running, but def spend more time with less shoe to help strengthen the feet and let them relearn to do their thing.
Very cool, Chris. And, man, do I need that.
Nemo--sounds like a terrific idea to go back.
Vince
If there is no good Gait Analysis lab in your area, I wonder if you could skip the gait analysis and focus on running form drills,,,
One of the things I like about Chi Running is the concept of doing "loosener" drills before running (not stretching muscles, but loosening/freeing the lower extremity joints). This, combined with some concepts from Evolution Running has worked really well for me, both in my own running and helping some of my PT clients improve their running form and decrease injury risk.
From Evolution Running, I love the idea of the heel flick actually coming strictly from the momentum of the thigh moving backwards in relation to the body (which, since the foot is on the ground, actually propels the body forward), and as soon as the thigh makes the switch from moving backward to forward (the start of swing phase), as long as the lower leg is relaxed enough, that momentum actually is what drives the heel back/upward. Really hard to explain just with words, so sorry about that. But the concept is to be as efficient as possible and not over-work the hammies any more than you need to. Imagine the leg as just as an isolated object for a moment... with 2 longitudinal segments (thigh and lower leg), attached to each other by a relatively free hinge joint (the knee) that only allows movement from straight to bent in 1 direction...if you pendulum that object forward & back around an axis at the top (the hip joint), the lower segment will automatically bend (and the bottom of the lower segment will rise like the heel flick should) as you move the pendulum from backward to forward. Yeah, I know still hard to visualize. But it really helps me when I'm trying to focus on my form.
I think coach P does some gait form analysis. If not go to ttbikefit.com Todd Kenyon does run analysis if you send him a video. He is not just a great bike fit guy. If you haven't seen his site you should check it out.
Michele...I followed you. Makes perfect sense but just to clarify what you said (in anatomical terms) to see if I understand: NON-cognitive activation of the hammy or toe-off is what I'm seeing here...just momentum of the femur going into extension from glute and low back firing with the tib/fib being carried into flexion and the foot into plantar flexion also followed by flexion of the hip and reverse the order of the chain?
Is the entire sequence then fired up by body position (ie: gravity) and primarily use of the glutes?
I'm unfamiliar with Evolution running is why I'm asking.
Vince
Exactly. Pretty much everything falls into place (if only it were really that easy!) with the correct body position (tall column angled slightly forward from the ankles) and using the glutes as the main driving force. Of course other factors are important too, like stride length...already pulling the leg in a backward direction (again, think glutes) in the instant just prior to foot strike, so the foot contacts the ground directly under the body. This automatically means you end up with a mid-foot strike without thinking about it...ie: without over-doing it and frying your calf muscles. By using the elastic recoil of the *relaxed* foot/achilles structures, you get automatic cushioning and force dissipation naturally. But if you concentrate on specifically landing on fore- or mid-foot, it's easy to develop an overuse injury to the calf muscles...ideally the fore/mid-foot strike is a naturaly by-product of the forward body lean and timing of the glutes.
And of course hip abductor strength is a huge factor in getting it right, due to the many problems that happen as a result of too much frontal plane contralateral pelvic drop at foot strike...but that's worthy of a whole separate discussion.
I could talk about this stuff all day, but unfortunately have to get to a meeting. Do want to point out, though, that my run technique beliefs really come from many sources...Chi Running, Evolution Running, Irene Davis, Bryan Heiderscheit (UW Runners' Clinic), and spending lots of time analyzing run videos of myself and clients. But you can check out http://www.evolutionrunning.com/ for more info about Evolution specifically.
Thanks for the synopsis. I read Chi running and use that style mostly along with "feel". When I was young and fast I remember how it felt. While I no longer run sub-5 min miles it feels similar now when I run at my IP functionally...just slower :-).
I will cruise EVrunning.
Vince