WHAT IS BAD RUNNING FORM

When we talk about running technique, there inevitably comes a question about good and bad running technique. If we can’t distinguish one from the other, than there is no way to correct what is wrong and to learn what is good.

This problem existed, in one way or another, in all spheres of our life, throughout entire history of humanity. It was always resolved, in every field, by developing a standard at each step of historical development. Application of this standard made it possible to recognize any deviation as an error or mistake and make a step to a higher level of the standard.

In running no understanding or definition of the standard of technique was ever established, either in coaching or science community, so no reasoning about good or bad running technique had ever any solid, commonly accepted base.

Mostly, understanding of running technique (form) was a prerogative of personal preferences and opinions, based on non-systemized selected facts from experience and science research. Therefore understanding of a bad running form, which is our main topic of discussion, was unclear not only for everyone around, but for the presenters as well.

So, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of running form got no real foundation and was up to the preferences of a presenter. This situation existed from the beginning of the last century up to date. The reasoning behind the bad running form was always an eclectic combination of quantitative and qualitative parameters depending on one’s personal point of view.

A descriptive analysis of a bad running form was mostly popular among coaches and was related to some visible details of movement such as

• Excessive muscular efforts and tension
• Out of proportion movement produced by arms and legs
• Over striding (legs movement too far forward)
• Over kicking (legs too much behind)
• Feet position on the ground deviated from the straight line
• Arms moving across saggital plan of the body
• Clinched fists and tense face
• Too much up & down vertical body oscillation
• Slow rate of step cadence
• Trunk bent forward or backward
• Head position deviated from the vertical line of the body
• Shoulders tense and raised up

Overall this list of bad form features is based on a common sense approach and a major foundation for it is a comparison with a good running form of elite athletes, but there is no real science behind it. Needless to say, that this approach is not too fruitful for learning and teaching purposes. It has too many details not connected with each other by any general idea. In short, there is no system in it.

In the Pose Method® a bad running form means a deviation from the standard in space, time and efforts, the standard being the Pose stance on the ground. The major premise behind this standard is that a forward movement of the body happens by itself, by gravity pull, during the support time on the ground, when the body deviates from the vertical line to the terminal point of leaving the ground. Therefore, everything interfering with this pull, in time, space, or efforts, produced by any body position or additional movement, is considered a bad form.

As you can see, there is clear logic here in identification of elements of bad form and systemizing them. There are no personal opinions or preferences, and no ambiguity, but only one main thing is taken into account – its relation with gravity. If any given movement is soliciting gravity, it is a good form, if not, then it should be considered as a bad form. It is a simple matrix for use and it applies to any running or runner, no matter of their specialty and level.

Dr.Romanov