Explore

Drills for Running

There are a number of things one can practice to improve his or her running technique. Once such drill is to take the shoes off and run barefoot around the house or a track. When running barefoot one can notice that the running technique and form will immediately change. This is because running on one's own feet without shoes allows one to feel what pressure each part of the feet is under.

Run upright but with the shoulders pitched forward and hands in close to the body along with the elbows back and chest thrown forward, just enough to feel the momentum that helps take one forward. Techniques are not learned over night and like any other sport need to be practiced daily and constantly refined and adjusted to ones needs and the physique. Many times these techniques can be practiced in the comfort of one's home without going outside. Not everyone has the ability to run outside year round and if a person cannot practice his or her techniques in the house then he or she can prepared by going to the track in the spring to begin actual running routines on a daily basis.

Posture is the key and the one of the deciding factors that will help one's overall running and help the body to withstand the constant beating it can take from running. Along with the posture, a person also needs to control his or her breathing.

Posture when Running

When distance running it is always important to have good posture. If one witnesses professional long distance runners, it is easy to see that they run with an upright position with their shoulders slightly in front of their hips maintaining a forward momentum and their spine and its natural curvature is perfectly positioned over the pelvis, which are also pitched forward.

If one were to stand up and lean the shoulders forward then it would feel the natural pull of gravity and have a sense of moving forward. Most runners will agree that a heel foot strike is not good and they will suggest that if one follows this, then the momentum is not moving forward and you are over compensating since the shoulder is not forward and the momentum is not what it should be.

Posture also affects greatly the amount of force that is being applied to the feet and toes and if one is leaning forward the full weight will not be applied to the feet and it will be easier spring off your toes and also quicker. Therefore it is best to always leaning forward with the shoulders just in front, which helps the spine to perfectly be in line between the pelvises and this way the whole body will be working together. The shock of over three times the weight of a person's body will not be pounding down on the legs, knees and feet.

Cross Country and Off Road Shoes

When running off road one does not need the number of spikes found on track shoes but one does need a certain number of spikes to help protect from falling while running on wet surfaces or in uneven areas. There are usually no more than six to eight spikes on a cross country shoe and they are similar to those of distance spikes. But since there is a large number of different surface encountered on off road our cross country running, the sole must be very durable and supportive in the mid foot area to provide for more support than what is needed in track shoes.

The shoes that are used for off road running need to have great traction and grip in order for the runner to maintain their balance and not fall and get injured and they need to be much more durable than any of the other running shoes. Runners will use these shoes to fun in mud, dirt, through streams and they need to hold up against any element like rain or snow.

Most of the off road running shoes will have hard rubber soles that also run up the side of the shoe in order to protect against the uneven terrain that one always finds when running through wooden areas and fields. The uppers are usually made with a strong canvas that allows for breathing of the foot but not too much in case of encountering very wet situations while running.

Track Shoes

There are a number of different track shoes available and they differ according to their use. Sprint spikes for example have stiff spikes giving the sprinter extra traction and also have the largest number of spikes on the sole of the shoe. The spike are also tapered more on sprint spikes that other spikes. There is an obvious lack of heel support in sprinter spike since sprinters spend the majority of their time on the balls of their feet. This allows for a very lightweight shoe that helps the sprinter. The sprint spikes also have to be very tight since no slipping can be tolerated.

Shoes for long distance runs have spikes that are more flexible and less tapered with fewer in total on the sole of the shoe. Since the races are longer there needs to be much more support in the shoes from the heel through to the mid foot. Therefore the long distance spike have a much softer sole that is more durable and in particular in the heel area. Even though a snug fit is important they are generally less tight that those of sprinter spike.

Middle distance shoes have a hybrid spike that is a mix between the long distance and the sprint shoe with a taper that is less than a sprinter spike but more than that of a long distance spike. The rigidity of the plate is not as much as the sprinter but less than the long distance and many hurdlers like to use the long distance spikes to run their races.

Heel First and Forefoot First when Running

Elite runners have the best technique that is refined after years of practice through numerous marathons and other competitions. Many debates have been started and many panel discussions have centered around the question of what is the best technique for landing the foot while running. For many years experts and felt that heel striking was the best technique for long distance running and that was probably because the majority of runner did that. But over the last few years there has been a change away from that thinking and that is due to the fact that many of the elite runners of today are not landing heel first and therefore a number of people are advocating forefoot landing instead. This change is not because of any medical studies but because of watching the elite runners with their forward posture and forefoot landing.

Sprinters on the other hand are proven to increase their speed by using this same technique of forefoot first. They must rely on huge leg raises and have much of the body leaning forward making it imperative they are landing on their toes and springing off them to get even more forward momentum.

Foot strike patterns are very important for both sprinters and distance runners and more studies that are performed the more informed coaches, trainers and running will become so techniques can better be used to make runners run better. Remember that techniques have to be repetitive and done the same way over and over again. Repetition is the only way to get better.

Road Running Shoes

There are a myriad of different shoes one can use for running on roads and what kind one chooses must depend on the level of running. Road running shoes usually have very shallow treads and ones that wear very well and there is a great deal of cushioning and support to absorb the constant impact for the long distances that are common with road racing and the surfaces that are very unforgiving. The impact that the feet take while running on road is roughly equal to three times the person's body weight.

The road shoes one uses are dependent upon the type of runner a person is. The majority of runners do not hit the ground squarely when they run. They usually end up hitting the first with the heel and then roll in a forward motion diagonally. This is called the pronation action and will lead to injury if you run long periods of time on roads without the proper protective footwear. Shoes have extra support for this method of running that help to reduce the motion. Generally there are three types of categories that shoes fall into. Most runners need to look for Motion Control shoes that will compensate for the over pronation motion. For those that have under pronation there are Neutral/Cushioned shoes and for those that have a neutral pronation there are the Stability shoes. The feet swell when running, hence one needs to fit them snug at the rear near the heel and have a least a thumbs weight of space at the big toe area.