roy palmer - improve your running technique
TRANSCRIPT
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 1
ROY PALMER
www.fitness-programs-for-life.com
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 2
Legal Disclaimer
Below is the legal disclaimer and terms of service for using www.fitness-programs-for-life.com and all its publications and content.
Legal Notice and Disclaimer-
Neither www.fitness-programs-for-life.com nor any of its owners, trainers, affiliates, or associates of this website and all its publications, emails, forum postings, ebooks, and/or newsletters assume any liability for the information contained therein.
The information contained therein reflects only the opinion of the owners, trainers, affiliates, or associates and is in no way to be considered medical advice. Specific medical advice should be obtained from a licensed health care practitioner. Consult with your doctor before you begin any fitness program.
www.fitness-programs-for-life.com cannot guarantee that this site will always be available, error-free, uninterrupted, timely or secure.
Terms Of Service-
The contents of this website and its newsletters, emails, articles, forum postings, ebooks and all publications are fully protected by copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution will be a violation of copyright law and all violators will be prosecuted.
There is no guarantee of results from www.fitness-programs-for-life.com and/or any of its owners, affiliates, publications, content, and contributors.
Additional Legal Disclaimers, Notices and Terms of Service
These terms and conditions may change at any time. It is your responsibility to check for updates regularly. This site and all of its content and publications are to be used solely at your own risk. You understand that www.fitness-programs-for-life.com expresses no guarantees or warranties about any of its publications, products, content and any other item stemming from www.fitness-programs-for-life.com.
By accessing this website or its products, you agree to the legal notice, disclaimer, and terms of service stated above. If you do not agree with any part of it- discontinue use of this site and its products immediately, its publications and any other information related to www.fitness-programs-for-life.com
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 3
Video & Podcast Instructions
This ebook is contains a number of videos and podcasts so you will need to be
online to get access to these extras. The videos require Adobes Flash Player,
if you not currently have this installed on your PC you can download it for free
from a link on the video pages.
The podcasts can be downloaded directly to your PC via the links throughout
this program. These can then be copied to your mp3 player and taken on your
run if you wish.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 4
Introducing The Program
Okay, hands up all those who were taught to run? Not many eh! If you were
seriously taking up golf, tennis or a martial art we wouldnt consider doing it
without instruction. Yes I know most of us assume we can all run because its
just like walking only quicker, its only putting one foot in front of the other
right?
Well you would have thought so, but from my own experience and from
working with many runners I believe few adults run naturally, that is, most of
us have at least one bad habit interfering with our running.
A poor running technique may not be immediately obvious but eventually the
aches and pains start to turn into irritating injuries and if you are not careful
these turn into great big injuries that stop you running!
What I hope to achieve with this program is to show you how to identify poor
habits that may be making your running harder than it should be. A good
running technique will not only dramatically reduce the risk of injury, it will
also help to improve your speed, stamina and most importantly, your
understanding and enjoyment of this most rewarding activity.
Right! Lets get started.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 5
1. Running Technique
(or Falling forward with style)
Your running technique is very important. Get this wrong and you will severely
limit the benefit you get from running; it could eventually lead to an injury
that could prevent you participating in any physical activity believe me, I
know this because Ive done it! But get this right and running will become a
very enjoyable, rewarding lifelong activity and not just from the fitness
angle. I hope that has got your attention because very few runners give this
enough serious thought.
I am not going to insist you run in a particular style because there is no one-
size fits all technique. The approach I take is to eliminate poor movement
patterns that interfere with all activities and not just running. Once you can
rid yourself of patterns that lead to poor movement your natural running style
will emerge.
Stop doing the wrong things and the right things
will take care of themselves!
Most people incorrectly assume that they know how to run; after all, we could
do it as children. But it may have been sometime since you last ran and do you
still have the same body? Years of sitting at a desk, dealing with a stressful job
or being inactive will have changed your body shape.
We will start by looking at the basic building blocks of running so we can break
down the action. Perhaps your current experience of running is not a happy
one. Perhaps you are suffering from recurring injuries or your times and
distances are static, well now its time to move on and see what can be
achieved with a completely new mindset. (Yes running technique is not all
about the physical stuff!)
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 6
I want you to think of running as the movement of your limbs to push the
ground away in order to propel yourself forward at a speed of your choosing.
Get your technique right and the movement will feel free and light and
consequently a real joy.
Much of the activity during running requires little or no effort relying instead
on the momentum from earlier activity, the location of joints and the contact
with the ground. Many runners can benefit from learning to let go at the right
time to reduce interference, save energy and develop an efficient style.
The following activities over the page will help you to appreciate how to
reduce effort in your style. You may think that surely the whole idea of running
is to use effort and burn calories. However, for the majority it is misapplied
effort that causes injury and prevents them from staying active! Not a good
way to keep in shape. When you are more experienced you can exert yourself
more but an efficient running style is essential if you want to keep on running.
We want to focus on the joy of running and not the effort.
See next page for the first activity.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 7
Activity #1: Pendulums
I mentioned earlier that much of the activity of running requires less effort
than you think. One of these is the leg swing, a movement that makes up a
considerable amount of the action.
1. Sit on the edge of a table so the whole of your upper legs down to the
knees are in contact.
2. Bring back your left leg until it is underneath the table and then let it go
so it will swing forward. It is important to let it go and not to swing it
forward yourself.
3. Let alternate legs swing with minimal effort (just give them a little
nudge) and think of each leg as a pendulum. If you are experiencing the
need to make them swing by using your hamstrings or quadriceps, think
of the space at the back of your knee joint and let go from there.
Lets try a similar experiment with you arms.
1. Stand and think of a line from the tip of your shoulders through the
biceps, down the arm to your thumbs. Or just think long arms.
2. As with the legs, see if you can get your arms swinging straight and by
your side with a minimal effort without lifting your shoulders.
3. Now let you arms bend at the elbow, place your thumb lightly on your
index finger, keep your fingers relaxed and again swing your arms
without the shoulders lifting. Your hands should be relaxed, nether
clenched into a fist or fingers held straight. These actions of your limbs
will help to propel you forward whilst running but require less effort
than most runners use.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 8
Activity #2: Backs to the wall
This is a very useful procedure to help you swing your legs from the right place
to prevent excessive twisting of your pelvis and lower back when running, both
actions reduce the efficiency of your technique and lead to injury.
1. Stand with your back to a wall with your only your shoulder blades and
buttocks making contact. You will need to stand with your heels away
from the wall, the distance depends on the tone in your gluteus
maximus! The back of your head does not touch the wall and should be
resting on top of your spine remember the nodding donkey.
2. Allow yourself to stand tall (just think this, dont do it) and appreciate
the floor pushing back up. Be aware of the location of the hip, knee and
ankle joint of your left leg.
3. Imagine a thread attached to your left knee and allow your leg to
release from the hip and ankle joint and allow the thread to pull the
knee forward.
4. Roll onto the ball of the left foot without taking the weight off it. Your
pelvis should neither drop or lose contact with the wall but dont push
back. If you have pulled forward or dropped the pelvis you are not
releasing from the hip joint.
5. Hold this position for a few moments and be aware of the contact with
the floor and wall. Focus on the support you are getting from the right
foot and think up from the sole up through your right leg, up your back,
right to the top of your head.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 9
Use the wall only as reference to whether you are moving the pelvis to move your leg. You should not push back or lean against the wall.
6. Slowly let your knee come back so your left heel returns to the floor and
be aware of the responding push that comes as your shin bones
straightens and pushes back up through your thigh bone.
Repeat on the opposite side and when you are able to do this without swaying
or losing contact with the wall, start to increase the speed until closer to
walking speed. This activity is very useful for running as it allows you to
appreciate how to all your legs to swing without undue movement of the pelvis.
See btw_video for a video of this procedure.
Okay. Lets start moving see next page.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 10
Activity #3: One small step
The objective with this procedure is to practise a simple movement without
using unnecessary effort to carry it out.
1. Stand with your feet below your hip joints and
let your arms rest by your side.
2. Think of taking a step forward but do not start
to move. Observe what you want to do to get
ready to step forward. Do you lean to one side?
Are you starting to fall forward or hold your
breath?
3. Now think about light coming from your centre
and flowing along your arms, up your spine and
through the top of your head as in the previous
activity.
4. Keep this thought going and release your knee
forward away from your hip and imagine falling
up as you step forward.
This is about appropriate timing and minimal effort.
To take a step forward you have to release and allow
the movement to start with only the slightest effort to
let the knee bend and lift. Its like a car on a hill releasing its brake. Just as
with the Pendulums procedure this will help you to let your legs swing when
running.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 11
Activity #4: Walk the Walk
You are probably familiar with the saying dont run before you can walk and I
can confirm this is very good advice. Although walking and running are
different activities you can learn some very useful lessons from walking that
are applicable to running. You are now going to put together the previous
activities and take them into walking. See also wtw_video for a look at the
activity or wtw_audio for on the spot instructions.
1. Use the same technique from the previous activity to initiate walking
forward.
2. Be aware of the movement in your hip, knee and ankle joints, as learnt
from activity you have just completed, to allow your legs to swing from
the hip and your lower leg to release from the knee. The Pendulums
activity will have shown you how little work is required to swing the
lower legs and arms.
3. See how much effort you can take out of the act of walking and just
allow your limbs to swing.
4. Think about releasing muscles and joints rather than the effort involved.
5. Be aware of the ground beneath your feet and think of walking tall by
using the upward thrust from the ground in response to your body weight
coming down.
6. Start slowly and start to build up speed but not by trying harder. To
increase your speed let your arms swing a little faster but without lifting
your shoulders. If you can leave your legs alone they will increase speed
to match your arms so you will be moving faster without the effort you
probably think is necessary.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 12
Activity #5: Walk to run
Now we are getting down to business! We now want to take the feel of the free
walking movement into running. Also see wtr_video and wtr_audio
1. Start with an efficient walking stride as in the previous activity and build
up your speed by freeing up your shoulders to allow the arms to swing
faster.
2. Think about going into a run and observe what you feel you need to do.
Are you tempted to lift your shoulders? Does your neck stiffen and your
head go back? Or do you feel the need to tighten your lower back to get
the legs moving? You will probably have your own interpretation of what
running involves but remember a number of these actions may be
inappropriate, reduce the efficiency of your technique and will be
carried throughout your run.
3. Avoid doing what you feel you need to do to start running to make the
changeover from walking to running without additional effort.
4. Allow your arms to bend at the elbow and keep them swinging in a linear
motion. Think of the legs swinging from the hips and raise the legs by
thinking of your knees leading the move.
5. Once the knee has been raised, the lower leg can be allowed to swing
through as in the pendulums activity. The kicking action of many
runners increases the workload on the quadriceps, and as we shall see
later, is totally unnecessary.
6. Be conscious of the hip, knee and ankle joints working together in the
movement.
7. As with walking tall, think of running tall to use the force of gravity, this
from a practical point of view is the ground pushing back up in response
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 13
to your feet landing on it. This may sound a little strange initially but
the ground is where the force comes from that moves you forward.
8. Be cautious of trying to hold yourself up to achieve an upright position.
If you can remove unnecessary effort, your body will attain an effortless
upright stance due to the absence of excessive muscular activity.
Your challenge is to prevent yourself from trying to run as this will involve
habitual actions you associate with running. Run for a short distance and then
stop and walk for a few minutes to regain the sense of effortless movement.
Alternate between walking and running whilst preventing any build up of
tension in your neck, shoulders and back.
Activity #6: Releasing the brake
This is a good one for giving you a sensation of using less effort for running.
Also see rtb_video
1. Jog on the spot just lifting your feet a few inches off the floor.
2. Think of a string pulling your knees forward to bring your feet up.
3. Now think of the string attached to the back of you heels pulling them
up towards your thighs.
4. Notice a difference? You are now using your hamstring instead of your
hip flexor muscles.
5. Keep jogging on the spot for a moment longer using as little effort as
possible.
6. Now release the brake and let yourself move forward whilst resisting
the urge to run.
There is much debate about which muscles you should use to move your legs
when running. Many advocate a combination of hip flexors (to get the leg off
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 14
the floor and the quadriceps at the front of your thighs (to kick the legs
forward). Others namely, Dr Romanov designer of the POSE method,
recommend the hamstrings (back of thighs) to lift the foot. I tend to switch
between both sets in a run but try to avoid the kick through. What you have
just tried will allow you to switch by just thinking about either the knee
leading the leg or the heel lifting off the floor. Try experimenting with both
methods and see if you prefer one for hills and another for flat. I wont dictate
which is best because I believe each person has their own efficient way based
on their individual body mechanics.
Some common running faults
Lets look at some of the most common running faults you will see in runners
to help you avoid doing them and spare you the problems they cause.
One of the first faults is that if we believe we are doing something wrong we
assume we know how to correct it. For example, a friend watches you run and
says that your right foot is swinging out to the right as you run. You would of
course try and do something about it and probably concentrate on keeping your
foot from swinging out.
The problem with this approach is that the actions of your right foot are part
of your total running pattern and therefore you cannot just change one
aspect in isolation. You may on the surface appear to prevent the offending
action but this is usually at the cost of doing something else wrong to achieve
it. In the case of your right foot you might tighten your hip joint in an attempt
to correct the fault. This is going to lead to another problem a little further
down the line. My approach is to focus on the areas of your body that are
involved in coordination and movement.
Lets look at some beginners in action and learn from what we see.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 15
Angela
Angela has walked up to base camp on Mount Everest so she is an experienced
walker, very fit and has the right attitude to training. However, when she
started running she experienced pain in her knees and found she soon became
breathless.
From the side
We can see what is causing this problem:
She runs with her head pulled slightly backwards
(a very common habit).
Her knees are coming to the centre.
Her foot is swinging out to the side.
The front foot is also landing flat.
See next page for a view from the front.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 16
The front view
This shows the knees coming into the
centre and the feet turning outwards.
These actions will put stress on the hip,
knee and ankle joints.
Not so obvious is the collapsing of the torso, as
Angela is not making use of the ground. In
other words there is no spring in the step and
the tendency is to sink into the ground. This
causes compression in the torso preventing the
ribs from moving, hence the breathlessness.
I learnt the hard way about running but if you develop a good technique early
in your running career it should not be the case for you. If you are returning to
running after a break I would like you to think as a beginner and not bring the
old running habits into this program.
Check the picture of me on the next page finishing in a half-marathon in 1983.
I was 19 years old, very fit but had a dreadful running technique. My foot and
knee are pointing in opposition directions, my torso is twisted and I am not
using the spring from the ground.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 17
About eighteen months after this race I completed
a marathon but at some cost. It was the beginning
of the end for my running as I was to suffer from
knee and back problems.
Ten years later I met Malcolm Balk, author of
Master the Art of Running see later, he showed
me what I was doing wrong. I have now been
running for over 13 years now without injury and
still run the odd half-marathon.
The main problem for Angela and most runners is
the position of the head. Very few runners and
coaches will address this problem. The temptation
is go straight for the obvious faults and correct
them one by one but never getting the root cause.
The author in 1983 aged 19 finishing a half-marathon
in Birmingham, UK. My poor running technique led to a
serious back problem that took ten years to rehabilitate!
Why should the position of the head matter? From a physical point of view the
weight of the head if in the wrong place will put undue stress on your body. It
weighs around 10 lbs (4.5 kgs), thats heavy, too heavy to have it pulling your
neck backwards see side view of Angela.
The position of the head also activates your reflexes used for coordination. If
the head is dropped back it feeds inappropriate messages to your nervous
system. If you put garbage in, youll get garbage back. So your muscles will
receive the wrong messages about what you are planning to do. The end result
is your muscles are working over time to keep you upright whilst also trying to
run.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 18
So how did Angela improve her running technique without trying to change
what she was doing with her legs? The first thing we did was to look at how her
neck could release to allow her head to sit nicely poised on top of her spine.
Try this yourself.
Question: Do you know where your head sits on your spine?
Check the location of the atlanto-occipital joint in the diagram above its
where the two lines cross. I bet this is much higher and further into the centre
of your head than you thought. And this matters a lot! People will point to
where they probably move their head from and this has a huge bearing on how
much muscle tension they hold in their neck.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 19
Try the activity below and maintain an awareness of this joint when you run or
at any other time of the day.
Activity #6: Head start
1. Place both index fingers in the groove behind your ears and appreciate
the joint is roughly in between your two fingers and almost level with
your eyes.
2. Leaving your fingers there for the moment, look up and think of the
movement from this joint in between your fingers.
3. Then look down, again with the thought of the
pivot point and allowing the movement from here
see opposite x marks the spot.
4. How did you do? Now try using less effort. Think
of your eyes leading the head to look up whilst
allowing your head to tilt back on the pivot point
like a seesaw.
5. Let you head release forward by letting go of the back at the neck and
your head will drop back down without having to pull the head forward.
Your head is heavier in front of the pivot point and if the muscles at the
back are released gravity will do the rest.
6. Keep your fingers there and let your head move side to side.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 20
Appreciate that your head balances at this point and it will go a long way to
helping you coordination. See what difference it made to Angelas technique.
This is half an hour after the first set of photographs. Now we can see that
then her head is not pulled back she has a springier step and getting a good
sense of the ground pushing up. She is no longer collapsing giving her freedom
in the torso so her ribs can move. Breathing became a lot easier and the
breathlessness disappeared. The left leg is still pulling slightly to the centre
but with the procedures she now practises combined with other ongoing
techniques, more on these later, this will soon be corrected. One small change
in Angelas thinking has made a big difference to her overall coordination. It
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 21
wasnt a physical thing rather an adjustment in concept. This may sound a
little confusing but if you can appreciate that your muscles do exactly what
you are asking them to do, then if there is a problem with technique or
coordination, it is your thinking that has to change!
By working on your concept of what it involved in running, or all movement for
that matter, you can make a big difference. As I said your muscles do what you
ask them to do, but do you know what you are asking them to do? So lets
compare the difference.
Before After
Collapsed and sinking Lengthened with a
into the ground. spring in her stride.
Notice the effortless upright poise and the spring in the step. And as promised
she also looks happier because believe me its more fun running efficiently
than poorly! Lets look at another runner in action.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 22
Simon
On the left we can see what happens if the leg lands in front of the head and
body the straight leg has no shock absorbing capacity leading to a jolt going
up the leg and into the back as the full body weight lands on the heel. In
addition to the potential injuries this action also reduces the efficiency of the
stride. We can see this in the photo on the right because when the heel lands
first in front of the body it acts as a brake. Motion is momentarily stopped as
the leg has to recover its spring to bounce back off the floor. The effect is
that you have to work harder to get it going again. Note also the collapsed
spine and position of the head as discussed previously.
Now lets see what happens when we make a few small adjustments to Simons
concept of whats involved with running.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 23
Notice the difference! On the left the ball of the foot is about to land under
the head and body. The head is nicely poised on top of the spine leaving the
neck and consequently the body free from tension. When the leg lands it is not
straight and therefore able to bounce back from the ground to propel him
forward for the next stride see right.
The change was achieved by using the techniques at the start of this chapter to
bring about a change in Simons body sense, that is, an understanding of how
the body can use the floor as a spring and how to allow you body to respond in
the most efficient way. See case1_video for moving footage of this process.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 24
Sarah
We can see a similar problem with Sarah. Landing on the heel with a straight
leg causing a stop/ start run with the result of a much-reduced push coming
back from the floor see left. In the photograph on the right you can also see
an excessive lifting of the leg which uses unnecessary effort and also leads to
the lower leg swinging through ahead of the body.
The technique that made the biggest difference for Sarah was Releasing The
Brake. Once she could experience that with minimal leg lift and effort it was
still possible to run, her technique began to change.
See next page.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 25
Now we can see a much more relaxed, upright style and better leg positions.
The tension is reduced in the neck, shoulders and torso allowing for easier
breathing.
The changes brought about in these three case studies were achieved by
changing the runners concept of their body and what is required to move it.
No work was done to correct the perceived individual faults with actual
running technique without first taking the whole body into consideration. See
case2_video to see this in motion.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 26
You Are What You Do
Changing into your running kit does not automatically change your body! How
you carry yourself in the car, office and at home will have an impact on your
posture and body mechanics. If you are slumped at your desk for 8 hours a
day you will take this into your run. If you try to correct your posture by
making an effort to sit or stand up straight you are more likely to add to the
tension in your body.
Your posture will influence everything you do especially your running! If you
would like to find everyday ways to keep your shape you are welcome to
download my program How To Improve Your Posture Without Exercise and find
that good posture does not have to be hard work! For more details please click
Posture_Program.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 27
Now Its Your Turn!
I would like you to do the activities in this section and to start running with
just a slow pace for very short distances, 20 to 30 meters will do for now. Start
with the walking as discussed already, then move up to a running pace being
careful not to lift your shoulders, tighten your neck or pull your lower back in.
Always maintain an awareness of the ground pushing you upwards and that you
are just letting your legs release from the hips and knees to swing through.
Imagine a beam of light is shining up through your spine and out of the top of
your head up into the sky.
Running checklist
1. Keep your jaw free
2. Dont look at the ground look forward about 30 meters
3. Check you are not lifting your shoulders to swing your arms
4. Dont push forward with your back
5. Keep you legs swing from the hips
6. Let your lower leg swing through
7. Keep your ankles soft
8. Let the ground push you up and forward
9. Let the air flow into your lungs
10. And remember this is supposed to be fun!
See next page to download the audio files to use on your run.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 28
The following podcasts are verbal instructions based on these
techniques. If you have an mp3 or iPod you can use these when
you are on your run.
Walk the walk - wtw_audio
Walk to run wtr_audio
On The Run otr_audio
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 29
2. Wheres Your Head At?
What do you think about when running? This is an interesting question to ask
runners. Of the hundreds of runners I talk to, a large number will think about
everything else except running! This in my view is a shame because this means
you are not really engaged in the activity.
Remember, I would like you to think of running as something more than just a
physical activity. With the right attitude your running will be a way to develop
yourself as a whole. You can set yourself challenges and work out how you are
going to meet them using your experience, intelligence, emotion and obviously
your body. All in all a pretty good way to integrate your total self!
So rather than compiling your grocery list whilst running, why not try to be
present, or as sports people call it be in The Zone. If you want to find out
more about this paradoxical state, click Get_Into_The_Zone.
A survey into what runners thought about when competing and how it affected
their performance identified four categories see over the page for the
findings of the survey.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 30
What Should Runners Think About?
Runners thoughts were divided into four main categories:-
Inward monitoring
focusing on how you feel while running.
Outward monitoring
focusing on aspects of the race such as distance, terrain and tactics.
Inward distraction
having thoughts irrelevant to the race such as solving mental
puzzles or wondering what we are going to do after the race.
Outward distraction
focusing on surroundings irrelevant to the race, such as scenery.
The research concluded that inward distraction should be avoided as it reduces
awareness, resulting in either running too fast and burning out or running too
slowly. Inward monitoring is useful for judging the required pace and also for
being aware of any warning signals such as muscle strain. The researchers
believe that the most attention should be focused outwardly on aspects of the
race, to minimise the influence of discomfort whilst remaining aware of the
race situation.
I would like to add a fifth category; I call it interactive awareness. This is
thinking of how you are running. This is not to be confused with what you are
feeling or doing in the race, but to the actual movement in relation to yourself
and your surroundings. For example, when running are you aware of the
location of your hip and shoulder joints or the active role the ground is playing
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 31
in your movement? Remember all that work you put into your running
technique? This is where it can pay of as you maintain an awareness of your
movement.
This type of thinking is neither inward nor outward; its both, as it requires you
to maintain awareness of who is running, how you are running and where you
are running. For example, if you are aware of the feet landing on the ground
when running, you can appreciate the force opposing your weight as the push
back helps you to move forward. The upward push is translated into a forward
motion by the action of hip, knee and ankle joints in conjunction with the
movement of your arms.
Newtons third law of gravity states that the mutual actions of two bodies
upon each other are always equal and in opposite directions, or more
commonly known as, for every action there is an equal opposite reaction. You
do not have to be pulled down by gravity; yet many runners appear to lose the
battle. Contemplate this law when running and you can allow yourself to go
up - to go forward due to the action of the legs and use this force to your
advantage.
Applying interactive awareness will help you get into The Zone mentioned
earlier. Once you are there you will find yourself thinking about all sorts of
stuff, and it really doesnt matter now what you are thinking about. Your mind
will be set free and youll be amazed at what comes into your head!
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 32
3. More Useful Running Tips
There is no substitute for experience - a runner must have written this phrase!
You will learn many little tricks on your journey over the next few months and
years but here are a few to get you started.
Running up hills unless you run on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah, you
will come across at least a gentle gradient when running. In fact, I recommend
you go and find a few to run up as part of your training.
A mistake I used to make in common with many runners is to use the wrong
muscles when going up hill. I would grit my teeth, tighten my neck, lift my
shoulders and attack the hill so I could get up it faster and look to recover on
the flat. I still believe it is a good tactic to attack the hill but it doesnt
require the stiff jaw etc.
As you approach the hill think loose! Let your jaw, shoulders and hips release
and just let your arms swing a little more. I imagine I am running with ski poles
that will drive me up the hill okay it may sound a little strange but I know
many runners who find this works really well!
Think tall as in the running technique instructions and check you have not
pulled your head back. Stay loose and just lift your knees and let the lower leg
swing through without kicking. I think of learning just very slightly forward and
push the hill away from underneath me.
Running down hills a gentle down gradient is a joy to run down but the
steeper the hill the more stress will be placed on your ankles, hips and
especially your knees. Check that you are not braking as you run down a
slope. By this I mean tightening up in fear of falling over. This will only add
more tension to your legs. Stay relaxed and just let my lower legs swing
through. Keep your ankles soft and you will absorb the shock a lot easier. Do
not allow your legs to straighten, this will send a shock wave right up your
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 33
body. Keep your legs slightly bent. If it is a very steep hill I lean very slightly
backwards and let the legs go.
When not to run Just as important as running is. not running. Your body
will need periods of rest as it uses this time to consolidate the benefits. Do not
run two long distances on consecutive days, ultra-marathon runners may do
this but they are a special breed! Alternate distance and sprint but also set
aside days when you dont run at all.
If you have an injury, cold or feeling a little unwell maybe consider a
comfortable walk instead. It is also a good idea not to run on your anniversary
or partners birthday! Keep it in perspective and you will get the full benefits
of running. You probably do not want to become a very lonely distance runner.
When to step up the pace We have talked a lot about training sensibly,
keeping an eye open for injury and playing safe, but there is a place for you to
push yourself a little harder. Unless you do this you run the risk of reaching a
plateau, getting frustrated and giving up.
If you are running well and you have no injuries or pains it can be an
interesting experience to set aside a go for it run. I will set out a target in
advance to set myself a challenge. I then spend a little longer warming-up and
then go for it. It may be looking to set a personal best in a sprint, 400m, mile
or 3 miles etc. The difference with this session is that I go out faster and
accept it will get a little uncomfortable. However, I will stay in the moment
and be fully focused on how I am running more than ever so I can spot any
early warning signs. I will say to myself that I am going to go that little extra
distance into the unknown and see how I can cope with it.
This is a good way of learning what you are capable of and it will prevent
plateauing. Be sensible, apply the skills you have learnt and see where you can
go today! Do not make the mistake of thinking that more effort results in a
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 34
better performance. For many runners I see more effort simply means wasted
energy! Run smart and efficient and your performance will improve.
For more running tips visiting my Running_Pages. I add articles here on a
regular basis.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 35
4. Returning To Running After Injury
If you do suffer an injury dont despair. All is not lost. If done in the right way
the rehabilitation period can be used to strengthen your resolve and increase
your skill and understanding of running.
On your return to training following an injury go back and assess your technique
or send me another video. By going back to the start again you can assess
whether your basics were right. One advantage of recovering from an injury is
that it can provide you with instant feedback concerning your performance. It
is like an alarm bell that rings if you are doing it in your habitual manner, i.e.,
wrong again. If the bell rings, STOP! Stop immediately what you are doing and
give yourself a few moments to run some checks to see if you are holding any
tension in your neck, shoulders or back. When you have achieved this, maintain
your awareness in the moment for a while longer before starting your activity
again. Immediately you recognise something that tightens your body and
prevents a feeling of lightness in your movement, stop and go back to the
beginning. It is tempting to carry on with the niggles or aches and pains I
know Ive done this enough in the past, but as mentioned earlier, all you will
achieve by doing more of the same thing is the same end result the injury.
Be patient otherwise you will go straight back to the situation that got you
injured in the first place. Learn from your injury and you will return stronger,
wiser and better placed to progress your running.
An excellent source of information on all types of sports injury on the web can
be found at www.sportsinjuryclinic.net
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 36
5. Online Support
If you have any questions or require support
please do not hesitate to email_me
see next page for advice on getting your technique assessed
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 37
6. Video Analysis
If you purchased the Gold Program when you are ready to have your running
technique analysed please email the video to [email protected]
If you didnt purchase this feature as part of your program but would like to do
so now you can do so by clicking request_video_analysis
Tips on getting the most from your analysis:
If possible please include footage taken from the front, side and behind.
Take the recording from as close as possible its difficult to assess a
runner on the distant horizon :0)
Video yourself following a warm-up and short run.
I know its difficult but try not to be aware of the video camera.
I will analyse your technique and send you my assessment within 7 days in most
cases. I will suggest changes only where appropriate.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 38
7. More Programs & Books
If you would like to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, the eZone please click below
subscribe_to_ezine
If you have found this program useful you might want to check out my other programs see below
Fitness_Programs_on_eBook
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 39
8. Zone Mind, Zone Body
"This book will be a very useful addition to the tool kit of any coach or
performer." Greg Chappell MBE, Former Australian Cricket Captain
and current Indian National Team Coach.
A book for anyone serious about their fitness and sport."
Available in paper back or eBook with added features, my new book
Zone_Mind, Zone_Body is the result of ten years experience of
working with sports people of all abilities.
Discover how you can get into The Zone and take your
fitness and performance to the next level!
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 40
9. Recommended resources
The following are resources and products I have either used or come highly
recommended by colleagues.
For more great books on running, fitness and health
I can recommend please visit my Bookstore.
If you are looking for a treadmill, rowing machine or
bike and not sure which would suit you, please see my
reviews at my Fitness_Equipment page.
You may want to consider a complete program of exercise,
diet and lifestyle changes. I can recommend Lynn Van
Dyke's Melt the Fat program.
For more information click Melt_the_Fat
If you find cramp becomes a problem this program has all the
answers. With over 100 hundred pages of advice on nutrition,
exercises and hydration you will find the solution to prevent
runners cramp.
For more information see Running_Cramp_Relief
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 41
10. About The Author
Runner, cricket coach, martial artist and published author, Roy
Palmer has over 25 years experience in competitive sport and has
spent the last 10 studying performance enhancement. Like many of
us, he often had annoying injury problems, coupled with backache and fatigue,
but thought they were just normal. Until, that is, he realised he was actually
causing them himself. Conventional therapies would work temporarily but only
as long as it took for him to repeat the same injury-causing habit.
After developing better movement through the Alexander Technique, he began
to enjoy sport again and gave up a career in telecommunications to complete
his three-year full-time training to teach the Technique. He now achieves
greater performance in his own sports than he did 10 years ago!
Roy works with people in many different sports and activities. He is an active
contributor to regular sports forums around the world, including Greg
Chappells Cricket Academy. He also applies his knowledge to help children
with learning difficulties, challenges with handwriting and co-ordination,
behavioural problems and dyslexia.
Roy is available for one-to-one sessions, group workshops and bespoke
corporate programmes.
My experience of The Alexander Technique
One of my ambitions in my late teens was to run a marathon and for many
months my life revolved around achieving it, to the extent of overlooking one
vital aspect that seemed so obvious with hindsight. I followed a strict diet and
training timetable but made one big mistake - I neglected to assess my running
technique because in common with most people I assumed I knew how to run.
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 42
Each day on returning from work I would put on my running kit, warm-up and
head off for my run. I eventually achieved my ambition by finishing a marathon
in 1984 but not before aggravating a condition that would frustrate me for the
next ten years. Shortly after the marathon I began to experience back pain
whilst running which became gradually worse until I felt some level of
discomfort in most of my activities.
At the time I blamed running so I promptly gave up and moved onto martial arts
to satisfy my need for physical activity and competitive sport. I consulted a
fitness coach and took advice on exercises to improve my condition. For a while
this seemed to help but as I progressed in karate I began to experience
difficulties again. The decision to change sport turned out to be misguided as
the culprit was not the running itself, but how I ran. This problem was waiting
to happen and existed before I began training. The build up to the marathon
accelerated the condition due to more vigorous activity, changing my sport was
not going to solve this problem as this time it was how I applied myself to
karate.
For my back pain I received treatment from an osteopath on a weekly basis for
about six months. The benefits would last for several days before the aches and
pains returned. I went on to consult a physical therapist and chiropractor with
much the same result. Thanks to the treatment I received from these therapists
I gained a welcome relief from my symptoms but the cause of my problem was
a little closer to home it was me! As soon as I left the treatment room I began
to undo the results achieved by the therapist as I resorted to my usual harmful
habits. I also had been using these habits to do the exercises as advised by my
fitness coach - serving only to re-enforce the poor habits.
After a number of years of this cycle I had reached the point of being prepared
to try anything and this is how I came to hear about The Alexander Technique. I
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 43
read an article in a newspaper and was intrigued by what it had to say. I
promptly found a teacher in my area and booked a course of lessons. Soon after
starting I began to appreciate the different approach required to address my
predicament: instead of complaining of my back hurting me I began to ask
what am I doing with myself to cause this pain? Later I came to realise that
the back pain itself was just a symptom of a more fundamental problem I had
lost the ability of natural movement partly due to, paradoxically, my
preoccupation with exercise and sport. Whilst I had thrown myself into every
new sport with enthusiasm and vigour I had not considered whether I knew how
to use my body well enough to be able to do this. This had not been assessed
by my fitness coach who could only assess whether I performed the exercises
correctly but not how I moved generally. Participation in a new sport put
additional stress onto my body as I continued to use myself badly whilst
attempting different or more complex techniques.
An added complication was that the more I used myself in this way, the worse
my condition became, as my movement deteriorated through repetition of
poorly executed moves. Each training session helped only to consolidate the
habits that were at the route of the problem. In short I became more proficient
at moving badly and was totally oblivious to the degradation until the pain
began.
Through Alexander lessons I began to unlearn bad habits and eventually
returned to running and started again. I began to appreciate my teacher as an
expert fitness coach able to assess my performance and make changes at the
most fundamental level.
For the last ten years I have continued to experiment with The Alexander
Technique and fitness and found just how much can be achieved by first
learning how to do less and not more. It has opened up a whole new
-
Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance
copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 44
perspective to how I approach my training and fulfil my role as a fitness coach
by adding some much needed intelligence!
Coverlegal DisclaimerVideo & Podcast InstructionsIntroducing The ProgramRunning TechniquePendulumsBacks to the wallOne small stepWalk the WalkWalk to runReleasing the brakeCommon running faultsHead startNow It's Your Turn!Audio downloads
Where's your head at?More useful running tipsReturning to running after injuryOnline supportVideo AnalysisMore programs and booksZone Mind Zone BodyRecommended resourcesAbout the author