How to Run Properly

Our run form will not perfectly match what is said to be “the perfect way to run.” Everyone has idiosyncrasies that 1. make us who we are and 2. allow us to adapt to correct running form and find a natural, healthy way of running long and fast. So do not worry if your form doesn’t fit perfectly to the “mold.” We’re all different and all want to improve. Train the cues and you will improve.

Midfoot striking: typical runners land on their heels, or just allow their foot to fall wherever it may land giving no thought to it. Others may try to land on their toes, which can also cause issues long term. The true sweet spot to improve speed, performance, and longevity is the midfoot strike. Running and allowing your foot to fall just under you with a slight bend in the knee will allow for consistent midfoot striking.

Lean Forward: maintain a slight forward lean while keeping your chest forward. If you are standing still, press forward onto the mid-foot to the balls of the feet, almost to the point of falling. That is the sweet spot that will propel you forward when running and maintain momentum.

Increase your cadence: 170-190 Steps per Minute is the goal cadence. This will come with time and practice. An easy method to judge your cadence is to start your watch for 15 seconds and count every left foot strike. Multiply that number by 8 and you have a rough average of your total steps per minute. Following these cues will allow for faster cadence. But additional practice to improve cadence includes knee drives and butt-kicks often seen in football practice warmups. Before running, jog 50m, then do 50m of butt-kicks. Do the same for knee-drives. When you are running, think of flicking your heel back the same way you do a butt-kick, and after the heel flick drive the knee forward. These small cues will improve cadence greatly.

This may seem like a lot, but if you practice one cue at a time, then two, then start putting them all together they will fall into place. You will notice that keeping your chest upright will be conducive to maintaining a slight forward lean in your stance. This forward lean will cause forward momentum propelling you forward with each step. And this forward lean with momentum will cause your foot to fall just under your body. Keeping a short stride with mid-foot strikes will allow for a fast cadence. See? This is not rocket science. Just a physical skill that needs to be practice. Nobody starts out as good runners, and many never learn proper form.