DEVELOPING WORLD-CLASS RUN MECHANICS


By Jesse Kropelnicki USA Triathlon Level II certified coach


by anabolic. This is in direct contrast to the catabolic carriage, which is evidenced by a crumbling posture and negative state of mind. Obviously, it is unlikely that any of your athletes are going to cross the finish line of their next triathlon looking like Usain Bolt, but that should certainly be the ideal that we have them strive for. Close attention to running mechanics is our fastest ticket in getting there. Let’s consider the most common areas of deficiency seen in


runners and triathletes. While we’re at it, we’ll discuss how these can be fixed before they derail the fitness that we have worked so hard to produce.


POOR EXTENSION This is measured by how far behind the body the runner’s leg (i.e. femur) extends during the recovery phase of his or her running stride. I typically like to see a minimum of 16 degrees of femur extension off of the vertical. This quality is critical in good running posture, because it typically leads to a higher running cadence. By extending the femur further behind the body, the lower leg


tends to recover much higher and closer to the rear end. With this higher recovery, the lever created from your hip, down has less rotational mass and is therefore in a position to recover forward, faster. This faster forward recovery leads to a higher running cadence and, most times, a better strike location relative to your upper torso position. By now, most runners have realized that a higher running cadence


distance where many of the supporting muscle groups become so fatigued late into the race. These inefficiencies typically combine with an already slowing engine and lead to very slow marathon splits, relative to the athlete’s open running ability (greater than 12 percent decouple). This occurs on a regular basis at both the elite and age group levels, and can often be avoided by paying run mechanics the same level of attention afforded by swim technique and bike fit. The goal of Ironman running is to bring as much of your athlete’s


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open running ability into the race as you possibly can. I like to see no more than a 12 percent decouple between an Ironman run split and an open run time. To this end, it is important to maintain an anabolic mental state. Anabolic? You bet! Chest out and head up, like a sprinter exploding across the finish line. That is what I mean


is critical to reducing fatigue, increasing speed and reducing the possibility of injury. Due to this realization, many runners have begun running with a higher cadence simply by heading out the door and thinking about the need to run with a faster cadence. This approach typically leads to hip flexor injuries due to an increased load on the hip flexors. The key to a proper increase in running cadence is good upper torso position and hip flexor flexibility, which greatly improves femur extension.


unning mechanics is a topic that many athletes feel is of little consequence. But running mechanics can mask an athlete’s true fitness and speed potential, especially at the Ironman


UPPER TORSO POSITION This is the position of the runner’s body from the waist to the ear, relative to the vertical position. Ideally, I like to see the upper torso at a forward angle of about 5-10 degrees off of vertical. Upper torso position is critical to improving running cadence and a foot strike that falls beneath the body. This improved foot strike position reduces braking forces and vertical bounce. A good upper torso position also permits the upper quad and psoas muscles a bit of slack, allowing for good extension, as discussed above. While creating a good upper torso position is very much cognitive


in nature, it also requires good soleus flexibility. Many triathletes lack this flexibility, leading to poor running mechanics, and many times, Achilles tendonitis and/or planter fasciitis. Extreme vertical bounce in a runner’s gait quite obviously leads to slower-than- necessary run times, as the balance of time moving vertically is NOT


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