These pictures were taken by my nephew, Lemuel, during the 2008 Doc Fit “Takbo Para Sa Puso” 10K Run on the roads of UP Diliman Campus. Nice pictures, Lemuel. Thanks!
Do I need to raise my knees to have a higher “kick” with my back foot in order to increase the length of my stride? or Do I have to increase the frequency of my short strides and maintain this “shuffling” motion of my legs and be able to protect my knees? These are the basic factors that you have to consider in order to gain more speed—-the length of your stride and the frequency of your strides. However, every runner must be able to protect his knees, most especially for an old runner like me. But in the end, what is important is to follow the natural form/flow of your body when you are running.
Can you spot if I was experiencing pain on my right foot brought about by “gout”?
Bald Runner 
Ideally, you should be able to maintain 180 strides per minute. This applies to all speeds. As you go faster, stride count should remain the same but length eventually increases. Overstriding in front is a common mistake that leads to injury. Length of the stride goes to the back wherein you see some runners actually having the heel almost hit their glutes. Best way to count strides is to get a garmin foot pod. It works with the 305, 50 and 405.
When running, your hips should be angled as if you are trying to do a deep penetration. Guys can easily figure this out. Dont run with your butt sticking out. Your shoulders, hips, and knees should be in as straight a line as possible. Bill Bowerman (co founder of Nike) taught this to Prefontaine.
Br, I still owe you 2 dvds pala. Its the 2 movies of Prefontaine I got. Hopefully it will inspire you as well. (Prefontaine 1997, Without Limits 1998)
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Hi BR! I envy those (you included) who ran the Doc Fit race; I tried to register but all the slots were taken already. I joined the GCCI Fun Run at the CCP area organized by and for the local cargo/shipping/transport industry instead.
I would like to purchase an entry-level running watch for a beginner like me. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
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mark, nice tips for speed training and the hips being forward will force the runner to be erect and race like “sprinters” which is the ideal one. i don’t know if i can do that consistently. i am reminded again of valdemar cierpinski’s running form when i saw him joining one of our past marathons in the 80s. don’t worry about the DVDs, maybe we can meet someday over a cup of coffee and talk some more about running.
ray, i suggest you buy the Timex Watch with HR Monitor which costs about P 5,000.00 or any of the NIKE Digital Sports Watches with Chrono/Stop Watch function. good luck!
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My dad often chides me for running on my toes all the time. Inasmuch as it is good for speed drills, it’s not exactly sustainable during a loooooong run. :p
But for the life of me, I just can’t seem to be comfortable with any other stride!
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marga, if that is your natural stride, then, go for it! just be sure you have strong calves, be able to stretch them before and after your runs and do some “deep/hard” massage on them regularly. good luck & happy running!
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Hi BR,
Nice form. I got a shuffle like yours, basically because age requires me to protect my knees. As with sports like swimming and cycling, the higher the cadence the faster you get. When I want to speed up, I always increase the stride count versus changing body mechanics. Anyway, once my body starts to move a certain way in an endurance race it tends to want to keep to the same motions until the finish.
Now for the elite, their body mechanics are very different as you mentioned. I watched the entire U.S. olympic trial race and just marvelled at Ryan Hall’s speed and efficiency. Needless to say, the average endurance runners’ form is quite far away from this “ideal”. Here is a video link that will give you a view of Ryan Hall’s running form:
Here’s a suggestion for shorter races–start with a faster pace initially and you’ll get into the finish faster as well. Maybe you get swept by the adrenalin or avoid the traffic. Or maybe the body is already going faster and will want to stay that way until the finish. Have fun experimenting!
Happy running!
Quicksilver
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quicksilver, thanks for the added information & your positive comment about my running form. the “elites’ way” of running are nice to see but they are not matched to our body structure and we are “late bloomers” in running..and becoming to be seniors! i am slowly introducing speed plays again to my running workout and hope it will help in my preparations for the SFM. thanks again.
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