Every year, I have athletes ask what we will do in practice to work on their running form. They see other runners floating like gazelles and want to do the same. So do I, fam. So do I. There are certainly ways to work on your form, but after more than twenty years of coaching young runners, I can tell you it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, and it most certainly doesn’t happen overnight.
This week at camp, we focus on analyzing proper running form and providing our runners with helpful cues to enhance their efficiency and power output. Good form is essential for minimizing energy waste and maximizing performance. Making small improvements in form and energy conservation during a long endurance race can lead to significant advantages, making it valuable for our runners to concentrate on.
In Owasso, we've had All-State athletes come in all kinds of various shapes and sizes. Some were tall and skinny and ran like a baby giraffe, while others were short and stocky and looked like a barrel with legs. There were also runners who seemed more suited for the football field (until you saw them throw a football.) Running form isn't the same for everyone, because not everyone is the same. But there are small things our runners can do every day to improve their speed and reduce the strain on their knees and ankles.
I believe that building strength and speed is essential for improving a runner's form. We dedicate a significant amount of time in the weight room performing exercises that mimic the running motion with added weight. I am particularly fond of exercises such as squats, box step-ups, Monster Walks, and hang cleans. These movements directly target a runner's ability to engage their hip flexors, raise their legs, lift their knees, and achieve ankle dorsiflexion. By strengthening a runner's hips and legs, we can help them gain a few extra inches in their stride, reducing the number of steps they take in a long race and ultimately saving them valuable time.
Another way we emphasize good running form is by incorporating daily speed work into our training regimen. When athletes move at high speeds, their hips, knees, and ankle joints naturally align and move efficiently. Even though not all of our distance runners are naturally speedy, they can benefit from practicing sprints, as it helps improve their stride and posture over time. We have regular speed sessions using small hurdles, called wickets, to enforce proper movement patterns and rhythm. Just like a basketball player practicing shooting with someone's hand in front of them forcing them to lift their shot, these mini-hurdles create a barrier that encourages runners to lift their knees and maintain speed without touching the hurdles. Though it rarely looks perfect at first, consistent practice with wickets can visibly improve form over the course of a year. Additionally, running up hills also promotes good mechanics by naturally encouraging a forward lean, and fast movement. And let's be honest, who doesn't love running up hills? No one. No one loves running up hills.
We also incorporate plyometrics (jump drills) to help teach runners how to lift their feet off the ground quickly. Spending too much time with their feet on the ground can make the race longer. Many of our runners are not naturally explosive athletes. Running involves repetitive movements that can lock them into the same patterns. While this can be advantageous to a certain extent, it is not beneficial if it reinforces poor mechanics with every step. Plyometrics helps add explosiveness to their legs and, if used correctly, can enhance their strength and power, resulting in a faster cadence and less time on the ground.
In addition, we teach our runners techniques such as cues and visualization to help them maintain efficient form while running. One important cue we emphasize is to 'Run tall.' As runners get tired, they tend to slump, which shortens their stride and puts extra pressure on their joints. By straightening their back and bringing their head up, runners can land their foot strike under their center of mass, evenly distributing the impact of their landing and reducing the force on ankle and knee joints.
Another cue we use is 'Hold the butterfly.' We ask athletes to imagine holding a butterfly lightly in their hands, then placing the butterfly in their pocket and bringing it up to their chin. This cue helps prevent runners from tightening their fists and bringing their arms across their bodies as they get tired. The tightening of their fists leads to a tightening effect up their arms and into their neck. Running tightly does not mean running fast. When you watch professional runners in the Olympics or World Championships, they look like they are floating because they are so loose and relaxed. 'Hold the butterfly' means keeping your hands loose and arms swinging from hips to chin, in order to avoid any wasted movement across the body.
Our final cue is 'Nose before toes.' When runners lean slightly forward and place their 'nose before toes,' it aligns their hips, knees, and toes to evenly distribute impact and utilizes gravity to move the body forward. If runners lean too far back, their foot typically lands in front of their hips, placing undue strain on their feet and ankles, rather than striking the ground under their hips. While most runners are natural heel strikers, our goal is to minimize this impact as much as possible.
We encourage our runners to take the time to watch professional runners and visualize themselves running the same way. Studies show that when we visualize ourselves doing something before we actually do it, our chance of success increases. When I was growing up watching Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, I would go out to the driveway and pretend I was them. I would shoot like they did, and I might have been the best driveway shooter of all time! Maybe I still am. It’s the same principle here. When our athletes watch professionals Eliod Kipchoge and Aunt Jenny Simpson and imagine themselves running the same way, their brains start to make a connection, which can lead to improved running performance without actually taking a step. Visualization can be a powerful tool when our athletes buy into it.
Improving running form is not a quick fix. It requires time and repetition, involving both physical exercises and mental techniques. We begin focusing on better mechanics with our young runners from the first day of camp and continue to work on their form every week throughout their time with us. While improved mechanics do not occur overnight, we have witnessed significant improvements in our athletes from the time they begin running until they graduate from our program. We still have giraffes, barrels, and Tight Ends but over time everyone can be a little bit more of a gazelle.
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