In article said:Since I've been reading this group I've begun taking note of my and
other's running style and form. I was sitting in traffic a few minutes
ago and a young (high school or college age) runner ran past.
Fascinating to watch her stride. She appeared to have springs under the
balls of her feet - it looked as if she made first contact on the ball
of her foot and then her heel would just barely touch down before she
was launching off from the ball area again. She didn't appear to have
any wasted movement or bounce to her gait - very fluid looking.
Just had to tell someone... the wife wouldn't have any interest in
running form and would likely chide me for watching a young woman
running... not that that wasn't enjoyed as well... I'm not dead yet!
You are learning what many of us here at rec.running have been sharing for years. Look up 180 steps/minute. Google groups: rec.running then search Drills for turnover/cadence. Google rec.running: Cadence "Robert Grumbine" You'll find a nice thread about what you can do to begin to run as lightly as the young woman you saw running.
Here's something I wrote about what you observed:
How To Run Lightly And Quickly Over Terra Firma
The balls of your feet may be sore from being slapped. If you are landing on
the back of the heel of the shoe it can cause a trigger effect that slaps
the ball of your feet down...the faster you run the faster and harder the
slap of the ball of the foot against the ground. In this article you may be
able to find some folklore to help run lightly, quickly and quietly.
Running Quietly & Lightly Over Terra Firma: A Response to Jessica's SLAP
SLAP
c. 2000 Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D.
Those of you who were avid fans of Kung Fu remember David Carridine as a
young Shaolin monk having to walk across the rice paper without tearing it.
When he could do that then he would be able to leave the monastery, as he
would have learned the lessons he needed.
Those of you who have watched the Discovery Channel and various series on
predators will note that all the predators are very light of foot and their
prey is even lighter of foot. Even watching the charging of a bull elephant
one realizes that the elephant for all its weight runs lightly over the
terrain upon which it charges the camera. Rhino, water buffalo, horses,
lions, cheetahs, Olympic 5K and 10K runners move over the surface of the
earth.
What that means in the kineseology of running is that there is very little
vertical displacement (up and down movement) in running. In weight lifting
there is very little if any horizontal displacement (forward or backward
movement). Any movement other than movement in the plane in which you are
moving is detrimental.
Simply put, you are running and you weight 150 pounds. Every step you lift
yourself vertically 1/2 inch more than necessary while running forward. This
would mean that every 24 steps you have lifted yourself 150 foot-pounds.
That is, you have lifted your 150 pounds one foot and gotten no energy
benefit in the direction in which you want to move. Along the horizontal.
You've just lifted yourself up one foot and wasted valuable energy. While if
you could get rid of that extra 1/2 inch vertical displacement that energy
could be used or saved in helping you run in the direction you intend. Along
the horizontal
Then add to that a toeing out (\ /) of the each foot 20 degrees which means
a lost of distance on each stride to the tune of:
Size 9 loses 18 yards per mile or 471.6 yards lost/ marathon
Size 10 loses 20 yards per mile or 524.0 yards lost/ marathon
Size 11 loses 22 yards per mile or 576.4 yards lost/ marathon
Size 12 loses 24 yards per mile or 628.8 yards lost/ marathon
The slap of most runners' feet is due to the overstride. This means the
planted foot is landing in front of the runner's center of gravity. The slap
comes when the foot strike hits so that the runner lands on the back of the
heel "of the shoe." It creates what is similar to the snap bar of a mouse
trap. It effects the front of the foot as it slaps down on its unaware
victim...the earth's surface. The only problem is that the helpless
victim-the earth-sends the shockwaves back up the foot as the leg compresses
and is jarred as it hits the unforgiving earth.
Again from the martial arts Bruce Lee's inch punch can hit a tissue in front
of a vase or a piece of tile with the tissue just touching either. With the
punch the vase or tile shatters and the tissue remain untorn. Bruce or the
martial artist's fist hits the surface of the tissue with such force but
stops at the surface of the tissue touching the object.
The runner with good form and style touches the surface of the earth but
does not allow the entire weight of the body to collapse upon the foot. The
center of gravity is already over the foot as it lands. When the ball/heel
or midsole plant takes place the foot touches down for however short the
millisecond. The difference is that the bottom of the foot neither slides
back nor slides forward and is the point from which the body is launched
forward. As soon as the launch of the upper body takes place from that
unmoved spot, the momentum of the lead leg and body going forward pulls the
plant foot off the ground.
Two techniques I've used to teach the quick touch down of the foot without
allowing the full weight of the body to follow the vertical displacement:
1. Imagine you're running on a hot grill, yelling "Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah with each
step. You're so interested in not getting burned, you don't think about
putting your feet down...gravity does that. You are worried about picking
them up as quickly as possible to keep them from getting burned on the
grill.... or Tucson summer hot pavement.
2. Stand with one knee up and get ready to pop a Styrofoam cup with the foot
of the lifted knee. As your foot goes down to pop the cup, instantly lift up
the leg upon which you've been standing on. If you can lift it up as fast as
the other leg is going down to pop the cup, you will have counterbalanced
the cup popping foot. The foot lands and pops the cup but the leg you were
standing on by going up as rapidly as the cup popping foot was going down
allowed your center of gravity to have minimal movement. You popped the cup
but your foot stopped at the surface of the earth because your center of
gravity had minimal vertical displacement on the cup popping foot.
3. When you see a cyclist coming toward you seated on his/her bicycle, you
notice that the knees and lower leg are going up and down. It is only when
it passes you from the side, do you realize that the foot is scribing
circles as it pedals. Now Tom Miller from Utah had people train for 10K's by
riding on stationary bicycles while standing up. Notice that you can peddle
you stationary bicycle standing up and notice that your body can be held
such that it doesn't go up and down. You may now be getting a little sense
of what I've been teaching so that I can get average runner to become
stealth runners.
They never hit the ground. Their foot touches the ground and the falling
body along the horizontal allows for minimal vertical movement. Therefore no
slapping.
Loud running is unhealthy for the human body and can cause severe damage not
only to the body but the mind and spirit as well.
Running is falling and catching yourself. You can do it clumsily or
gracefully. Go for the grace!
Again for those who want one of the books I've used to make sense out of
what good form and style (e.g. Chapter. 5 The Mechanics of Correct Running
Form. pp. 51-53 )are in running:
Send $15 to Int'l Assoc. Of Marathoners for John Jesse's
"Hidden Causes of Injury, Prevention and Correction
for Running Athletes and Joggers, © 1977
To: IAM-attn Ozzie
2903 29th Street
San Diego, CA 92104-4912
