DFW running club part 4!! ALL ARE WELCOME!!

becky_rtw

Ukevas wrote: »

Tbh I get more tired when I run at say 9 - 10 min mile pace as I tend to glide less then when im going at 6 - 7 min mile pace.....

Pffft alright not everyone is speedy like you ;)

chickadee

becky_rtw wrote: »

Sorry run didnt go as planned but it sounds good work all the same :D, stride length and technique are interesting things to think about - mine has got a lot better from when I did the shorter intervals - running at speed you have to run well or you fall over! :rotfl:

Yes, it was interesting how many of the group run with their arms going across their body, kind of side-to-side, iykwim? There are also a few 'boob polishers' The group leader pointed out that this wastes energy and the arms should be swinging forwards in the direction of travel. We did a few 100m lengths running backwards as when you go backwards you can't cross your elbows so it forces you to move your arms correctly. All you have to do is remember that motion when you go forwards.

I'm trying to concentrate on stride length because I'm sure it makes for more efficient running. Each step will take a bit more effort but should make up for that in distance travelled. Can our resident guru(s) confirm this at all?

bank_of_slate

QUOTE=beer tins: So it's been treadmill running in the hotel gym for me. Never done it before. Felt slightly dizzy after stepping off. Is that something I'll get used to (treadmill running pros)?


Yes, it feels wierd when you get off the treadmill, almost as if there's a cushion of air between your feet and the floor and you feel like you're losing balance for a few minutes.

We've got a 7.5 mile run tonight (running club) :T

Did hill repeats on Monday which I find very hard but then again I haven't done much on hills at all, a few little ones but not a horrendously steep one over and over again! :eek:

They asked if I'm interested in doing some cross country running, I said I'd certainly give it a go, again I've not really tried!
...Linda xx

becky_rtw

chickadee wrote: »

I'm trying to concentrate on stride length because I'm sure it makes for more efficient running. Each step will take a bit more effort but should make up for that in distance travelled. Can our resident guru(s) confirm this at all?

My thoughts would be yes it does, but you shouldnt force your stride to change as you can have all sorts of problems then with being out of sync and stretching your legs too much - Rich said to me that the best way to improve it was 100 and 200m intervals (but maybe that was to make me do them )...also it can be different on different days anyway I think...(drat wish I could remember the rest of that conversation we had )

chickadee

becky_rtw wrote: »

My thoughts would be yes it does, but you shouldnt force your stride to change as you can have all sorts of problems then with being out of sync and stretching your legs too much - Rich said to me that the best way to improve it was 100 and 200m intervals (but maybe that was to make me do them )...also it can be different on different days anyway I think...(drat wish I could remember the rest of that conversation we had )

Yes that makes sense. Last night we did some reps first lifting up our knees, then flicking back our feet and finally deliberately trying to run doing both. My stride was obviously longer than my usual shuffle, but it felt really odd so I think I'll have a go at doing some sprints. That should feel much more natural and yet do the same job.

Idiophreak

chickadee wrote: »

I'm trying to concentrate on stride length because I'm sure it makes for more efficient running. Each step will take a bit more effort but should make up for that in distance travelled. Can our resident guru(s) confirm this at all?

I'm no guru, but my experience points, broadly, to increased stride length being a good thing, to a point.

It's not really rocket science, when you think about it - if you're trying to increase your pace, there are only two things you can change - the length of of each stride and the number of strides in a set time...if you want to run faster you have to increase one or both of those.

When I was starting out running I actively focused on stride length - I'd see how many kerb stones I covered with each stride and try and increase this over time...so I went from taking 1/2 a kerb stone with each stride, to a whole kerb stone, to 1.5 kerb stones and so on. I kinda stopped when it became what I'd consider to be my "full running stride" - where anything longer seemed more like a series of small long jumps than a run...

These days, however, I just focus on speed work, which, from my observations, seems to increase both my stride length and the frequency of my strides. Doing it this way just seems more "natural" to me, I guess...

redsquirrel80

chickadee wrote: »

Yes, it was interesting how many of the group run with their arms going across their body, kind of side-to-side, iykwim? There are also a few 'boob polishers' The group leader pointed out that this wastes energy and the arms should be swinging forwards in the direction of travel. We did a few 100m lengths running backwards as when you go backwards you can't cross your elbows so it forces you to move your arms correctly. All you have to do is remember that motion when you go forwards.

I'm not sure I'm brave enough to run up the road backwards but that is interesting, going for a run tonight so will have a think about how I use my arms, I think they do go across slightly - I have a bad habit of hunching my shoulders so it's taken me a while to get an arm motion that I can keep relaxed and feels good.

Beertins, I don't like treadmills for exactly that reason, feel very disorientated when I get off!

becky_rtw

redsquirrel80 wrote: »

I'm not sure I'm brave enough to run up the road backwards but that is interesting, going for a run tonight so will have a think about how I use my arms, I think they do go across slightly - I have a bad habit of hunching my shoulders so it's taken me a while to get an arm motion that I can keep relaxed and feels good.

Beertins, I don't like treadmills for exactly that reason, feel very disorientated when I get off!

I have funny arms too - but as a 'making myself feel better' thing - Haile Gebrselassie has terrible arms when running - one is always crooked, because he ran to and from school carrying his books, so it shows that yes it might help to think about it a little, dont go trying too hard to change whats natural as thats how its comfortable for you to run...running style should evolve over time anyway

RichOneday_2

Its an interesting subject.

Watch a video of runners running at a range of speeds and you will find that the frequency (ie strides per minute) is pretty much the same for a 10 min/mile runner as for a 5 min/mile runner, which is why top runners can appear to be jogging even when moving at fast speeds.

Therefore, the difference in speed is almost wholly accounted for by increased stride length.

But that little bit of knowledge has often led to injuries as runners try to purposefully 'overstride', one of the quickest ways to make something go ping.

Stride length will naturally increase as leg strength increases - trying to force it is counterproductive.

And, yes, wherever possible only motion in the direction of travel is 'useful effort'. This means keeping the head still but relaxed, making sure that the feet are pushing off in a straight line backwards and that arms are propelling forwards.

However, overriding all this individual idiosyncracies have developed for a reason and it can often be a mistake to try to 'correct' them...

becky_rtw

Why thank you guru - what I've been trying to say in about 8 posts all there in one