CHAPTER 2
RUNNING EXPLAINED We all run the same way and we all run differently. The simplicity of running is what attracts so many to the sport, and yet if you look at any parkrun or marathon, you will see hundreds of different types of runner. There are those who glide elegantly along and then there are the shufflers, the striders, the hunchbacks and the arm-swingers (and that strange fella who appears to skip every couple of yards). Who’s doing it right? Well, the finer details of perfect running form are keenly debated, but your running style certainly shouldn’t be causing you discomfort or injury, and should allow you to increase your speed. There are basically three ways in which humans move forwards: walking, running and sprinting. We’re all pretty familiar with walking – and it doesn’t demand a huge amount of the body, using forces of roughly 1.5 times your body weight. Running is a ‘spring-driven’ movement utilising the elasticity and ability of the Achilles and other tendons to recycle impact energy – for example, the knee is slightly flexed and requires a lot of effort from the muscles to support the joint while the foot is on the ground (and the force is roughly 2–3 times your body weight). Sprinting uses intense anaerobic energy and is a running style adapted for short-term power. As a runner, you are expecting more of your body than a casual walker. It is required to pivot smoothly, to recycle energy explosively, and sustain repetitive and heavy impact (runners hit the ground with a load of 2.5 times their body weight). It is hardly surprising that over a year up to 50 per cent of runners suffer injuries, with knees, calves, hamstrings, ankles and backs being among the most common, and recurring, problems. Biomechanics is the science of what causes your body to move forwards. You are propelled by momentum, gravity and the force provided by muscles in your lower body, but much of the work your body does is to keep you stable and balanced. Every time your foot strikes the ground you are landing and then briefly balancing on one leg, but as soon as your foot has reached a stable position, it is then lifted and replaced by the other leg. It is the choices we make within these simple movements – our posture, stride length, cadence and
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