UN FOR IT! 1. IT’S ALL IN THE HEELS: Landing on the heels is one of the most common problems runners have. This creates a large amount of force on our legs which can lead to injuries. Lieberman discovered that runners who land on the front part of their feet suffered less than half the injuries heel strikers did. The cure is simple. If you land on your heels, your stride is too long, so shorten it. If you land on only the toes, your stride is too short. The sweet spot is the ball of the foot, where you will get the best support and most powerful lift into the next stride. 2.CUSHION YOURSELF Once you learn how to land on the ball of the foot rather than the heel, the next step is to make each step gentle, relaxed and compliant according to Lieberman. “It's like when you land from a jump, flexing the hip, knee and ankle,” says Lieberman. “Again, the landing should feel soft, springy, and comfortable. It's probably good to land with the foot nearly horizontal so you don't have to work the calves too much.” 3. POSTURE: STRAIGHT UP 1 Lead with the chest when you run for the more efficient running posture. Some people lean forward with the hips, putting their head too far back. The head should be up, looking forward. This head position should cause your torso and back to naturally straighten, which improves stride, according to runnersworld.com. Good posture will help the runner breathe better as well. One theory behind side stitches, or side aches, is that bad posture is the culprit, according to the New York Times. 4. ARM CONTROL Keep your elbows close to your sides when running. Your arm motion should feel like a pump as you push down and back behind you, according to Terrence Mahon, founder of Mammoth Track Club in Mammoth Lakes, California. Also pay attention to the arc of your swinging arm as you run. Swing arc should increase with your speed. A simple trot should have a small arc going from the height of your belly button to the height of your front pocket. Irene Davis, PhD, director of the Spaulding National Running Center said that she has been able to significantly lower impact forces in runners by helping them improve form. In some cases better form even resolves chronic injury problems, Davis said to runnersworld.com. "We're able to retrain gait patterns and significantly reduce a runner's pain," she said. Changing form is generally best for those who have recurring pain and injuries from running. “For certain chronically injured runners, regardless of ability level, changing form might well be a cure,” a runnersworld.com article said. “It is possible that many modern runners, in modern shoes, have learned a maladaptive style of running, one that causes them to run Facebook.com/HealthyUT inefficiently and predisposes them to injury.” Running specialists warn, however, that trying to change form too quickly can cause injury as well because your body needs time to adjust. In some cases, form shouldn’t be adjusted. But the benefits are there for people with bad form, which could be you. Author of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall, said that improved form is not only a performance-enhancer, but a liberating feeling. “Once you focus on mechanics and you're not in pain, you can go farther, faster,” he said. “It's about posture, breathing, connection between mind, muscle, and ground contact. It's freeing.” < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < HEALTHY UTAH OCTOBER 2012 19