On my (apparently) poor running form/stride

 I ran a 3k fundraiser „race“ yesterday organized by my employer (700 people employees just from our Hannover location ran, amazing). I ran hard intervals on Wednesday and doing another hard intervals today so that would mean 3 days of running in a row which is not smart but it was only 3k and for a good cause so I did it. And it was not really a race so I could have just plug along (which of course I did not do, I was the first women, but some did 6k and some 9k so). Anyway, organization was superb and they had some kind of physical mechanics/education/something PhD guy (I saw his business card) with treadmill there. So I asked him to look at my running stride.

So I jogged for a minute or two while he was videotaping me.

Then he asked me whether I used to run track. Yes. And proceeded to tell me that I run like a sprinter.  I kick my heels way too high towards my butt and I run on my toes. And I “jump” upward way to much with each step and instead should use that energy to move forward.

In addition, I kick my right heel way higher than my left one. I saw it on a video. Weird, since that’s the leg that’s is giving me problems so he said he would expect that knee to move in shorter range.

I do not overpronate or oversupinate, so that’s no problem.

However, he said that if I want to be a distance runner that I should run like one.

Swimmers learn how to do 4 different styles almost perfectly. And runners should do that too, he said and there are only 2,5 running styles (sprint, mid-d and distance) so runners have it easier. Therefore I should learn distance runners styles, because maybe my heel kicking, raw power, bouncing, front foot striking is a reason why I have these problems.

He said that I should do my runs in “grandma style”, just slug along very slowly, shuffling my legs, landing mid-foot (I have been working on this for the past 7 months but apparently it is not perfect yet!), learn how to run more efficiently, effortlessly, without kicking and bouncing.

Interestingly, or rather not interestingly, it just proves that I am indeed running this way, CH said exactly the same thing to me in January: I use raw power to run, not efficient, waste a lot of energy and land and stay on my toes. He said he did not think I “jump” too high though.

So, I am going to continue working on my running form. I do not know whether it is a reason for my ITB problem, but if my distance running is inefficient overall it does not matter whether it is causing the injury or not, I should still work on it. Too bad I do not have someone to watch me from time to time and give me some feedback.

On a different note, my trans-Atlantic move is pretty much all planned: bike is packed, clothes are packed, apartment secured, rental car reserved, leaving Germany tomorrow morning to visit my fam for four days and then to the US next Wednesday.

I LOVED Hannover (except for pool situation) and Germany is now on a list of countries to consider when settling down if I cannot stay in the US (along with region Alpes Maritimes and Pays basque in France). And even if I do not end up living here in the future, I will be back. For that Erdinger beer glass!!! Plus I am thinking Wiesbaden 70.3 in three or so years.