benson's eps - basic movements in running

4/10/2014 Benson's EPS - Basic Movements in Running

http://www.benson.com.au/default.asp?contentID=625 1/5

Basic Movements in Running

Tony BensonNational Consultant - Track & Field

There are two views on running technique.One school of thought believes that propertraining improves technique and no additionaltime needs to be spent on it. The other schoolof thought is that many runners do not achievethe results they should because theirtechnique does not let them exploit theirfitness to the maximum. Far too many formerand current Australian coaches fall into thefirst category. On the other hand the greatAustralian coach Percy Cerutty believed thatall else being equal the athlete with bettertechnique would prevail. I agree with Ceruttyand the others who say technique is importantbecause the world record holders and therunners with a better finishing sprint areinvariably the ones with the better technique*.I have also been interested to note how theequally great New Zealand coach ArthurLydiard, who originally could have beencategorised as being positioned somewhere inthe middle as regards technique has nowemphasised its importance a lot more in hisrecent books.Left: Vasala & Keino - Munich 1972. A classic photo of

body position in a finishing sprint.

Right: 2003 World 5000m champion Eluid Kipchoge

(807) with Kenenisa Bekele and Hiccham El Guerrouj.

His coach Patrick Sang credited the techniques he

learned from Tony Benson at the 2002 IAAF Level 2

Coaches course with Eluid's abil ity to sprint - something

he appeared to have neglected in 2004/05.

Editor's note: From an Australian perspective Craig Mottram is a wonderful example ofcorrect running form. Once he learns to use his arms correctly throughout the finishingsprint he will be an Olympic Gold medal candidate

Is there such a thing as an “ideal” style? The answer is not really but faster runners do exhibit certaincommon “characteristics”. These relate to both the upper and lower body movement - as well asknowing how to breathe correctly.

The Head. This should be carried in the same position as when you are sitting with good posture.You watch the ground by moving your eyes down and you watch for overhanging branches whenrunning through bush by raising the eyes. You do not move the head to any significant degree. Heldtoo far forward it will cause your upper body to come too far forward – which will cause your butt tomove backwards. Held too far backwards it will cause your upper body to arch backwards causingexcessive heel strike. The only time you may move your head dramatically during a race or on a runis when you need to ‘look’ around you. Your head will be in the correct position if you can see yourknees coming up - and feet pointing forward - simply by dropping your gaze. Your natural line of visionwill be toward a point about three metres in front of you.

The Shoulders. The best runners move forward with very little shoulder sway. Excessive shouldersway is probably the worst fault you can have when running and it normally occurs as a result of

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restricted arm movement at the elbow. Your shoulders should appear slightly rounded, not held in themilitary attention position. It is only in this position that your arms be fully utilised. It will beimpossible for you to engage naturally in any activity (try golf, boxing, tennis etc!) with your shoulderspulled or held back. The military shoulder position will also cause a less than optimum foot plantbecause pulling the shoulders back also pulls the elbows in. This has the tendency to make the feetturn out! Unfortunately the military shoulder position is a common sight at any running or triathloncompetition.

The Back. With the butt pushed ever so slightly forward (see Pelvis below) and upward (seeVasala/Keino photo) this should be reasonably straight. This may occur naturally or strengthening isrequired. A back the shape of a question mark cannot bear heavy loads!

The Arms. These should swing naturally in a relaxed manner from your shoulders. With the armshanging naturally from slightly rounded shoulders your elbows will hang about 7.5 to 10 cm (3-4inches) out from your body and pass by your body in that plane when running. The slower the runningpace the more your arms will move across the body as their main function is stability. The faster thepace the more your arms straighten up to move parallel to the hip. In most distance races the handwill move in a line between the hip and a point virtually in front in the solar plexus. The faster thespeed the greater your arm movement but while you may drive your elbow further back as the speedincreases your hand should never cross the centre line of your body. The arms however are not oneunit. Proper movement at the elbow will stop excessive shoulder sway (the cardinal running ‘sin’) andprovide extra power to your running. Many elite runners almost appear to ‘throw’ the arm, particularlythe forearm, via a ‘snap’ of the wrist*, towards the ground to initiate the ‘pulling back’ action in amanner similar to the way a swimmer changes their hand position as they catch then pull the waterat the beginning of a stroke. In fact there are many similarities between the two actions, eg, you mustpull the arm backward to generate forward movement. The last point in relation to the arms is thatthey are NEVER pushed forward on the return to the front. Rather the arm ‘gets back’ because of therebound effect generated by the tension created in the shoulder by the pull back and the hand getsup to the correct forward position by allowing the rebound of the upper arm to cease but themomentum of the forearm to continue. This is not something that can easily be described and youwill need expert advice. However the ability to avoid forward thrust of the arms is what allows thefaster runners to stay relaxed and appear to float over the ground rather than to be working hard toachieve speed.

The Hands. Hold your hands in a “loosely clenched” position with the thumb resting lightly on thefirst knuckle joint of the first finger. When running the wrist should not break or be flopping about. Thisis generally the sign of a weak or tired runner. Your hands should also be carried in a position that isabout 67 degrees to the vertical, not vertically or horizontally as is commonly seen, because thesepositions put more stress on your forearm- which is then transmitted up into your shoulders. Asspeed increases your hands should move forward in the 67 degree position but as they reach themost forward position they should be rotating to perhaps 35-40 degrees and by the time you havepulled the hand back to your hip your palms may be almost facing down. Your hand should thenrotate back up to 67 degrees as it returns forward. Again this movement is natural to swimmers yetmany triathletes do not exploit this technique when running. Done correctly there is a ‘snap’ likefeeling as the hand drives the arm back which coincides with the landing of the opposite foot – and isnormally felt more on the right hand to left foot combination than the reverse. Again this is notsomething that can easily be described and you will need expert advice.

The Pelvis. This must be aligned naturally, ie, inclined slightly upwards to allow the upper leg tomove upward easily as the leg swings forward. Simply standing still and noting how high you canraise your knee when your pelvis is tilted down, held level or tilted slightly up will demonstrate this foryou. This can only happen if your back is fairly straight. To be straight the muscles of the lowerabdomen and back must be strong. If they are not strong strengthen them.

The Legs and Feet. Before we discuss how the legs and feet operate we need to differentiatebetween “ground contact” and ‘landing’. An aeroplane makes contact when the wheels touch theground but a landing has not occurred until all the wheels are firmly on the ground and fully supportingthe plane’s weight. The means the legs are merely the connection between the upper body and thefeet. Correct technique requires you to “feel” for the ground with your foot in exactly the same way asa plane’s wheels ‘feel’ for the ground prior to touchdown. The best running coaches make thefollowing points about the way the legs and feet operate.

1. Toni Nett, well known (West) German sports scientist, points to the fact that all (good)runners at all distances make first contact (not ‘land’) with the ground on the outside edgeof the foot. The foot will then roll inward so it is planted flat directly under the centre ofgravity or as close to it as possible. This rolling action provides the ‘shock absorber’effect. It is at this point that you have actually ‘landed’. The precise point of contact varieswith the speed of running. Sprinters contact the ground on the outside edge, high on theball, near the joints of the little toe. When running at 800m-1500m paces, the foot isplanted on the outer edge of the sole at the metatarsal arch. At 1500m to marathon pacefirst contact is by the outside edge of the arch between the heel and the metatarsus, ie,the outer more forward edge of the heel.



2. Percy Cerutty stressed that the foot should land relatively lightly (ie with minimal noise),3. Bill Bowerman said the foot, lower leg and thigh should be swept backwards at the time of

landing - creating an active striking action – and that “the point of contact should bedirectly under the knee”.

4. Dr Manfred Scholich, a (East) German scientist states the landing should be as close tothe centre of mass, ie, as close to under the body in both the longitudinal (head to toe)and transverse (side to side) plane as possible, and will followed by an elasticamortization to lower the body weight on the full sole of the foot in the middle of thesupport phase” and that the landing must avoid the braking effects that accompany a fullheel landing caused by an exaggerated forward reach of the foot. (The reader will note themany magazine photos of runners and triathletes doing this).

As Cerutty constantly said running should be a free uncomplicated movement. Before you worryabout times, distances, intensities, etc, you should focus on relaxation. Practice your upper bodyaction in front of a mirror. Seek relaxation at slow speeds before trying to run at high speed. Jog moreand strain less. If you cannot run relaxed at 10 minutes per kilometre you cannot properly at 2:30 or3:00 per km.

It is this ability remain relaxed while moving with what might be termed dynamic relaxation at allspeeds that distinguishes faster athletes from slower ones. By exerting and relaxing rhythmically theblood has an easier time moving into and out of the muscle fibres during the relaxation phase whichmeans a greater volume of blood will reach the muscle fibres. The greater the volume of bloodreaching the muscles the better the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and the moreefficiently waste products will be removed.

So where do we begin? First we need to practice getting the landing right. Start by jogging on thespot and ‘feeling’ the natural landing position. As long as you keep your body vertical you will stay ‘onthe spot’. If you want to move forward simply push your butt forward (don’t arch your back!) so youare leaning from the heel not the waist and you will move forward (actually you will accelerate forward)naturally. Now find a straight line (ie, as on a track) and start running along it. Have someone checkyour landing. Your right foot should cover half the line when it lands and your left should also coverhalf the line on landing. If your feet are not landing in this way or your heel is ok but your toes arepointing out you are not landing under your centre of mass. If you are landing in this way the outeredge of the foot will make contact first (re-read Toni Nett’s description above) because the foot has anatural tendency to hang that way when relaxed while the backward pulling action will automaticallyalign the foot into the correct position. The landing will also be relatively light because the foot is notlanding all at once. To run along a line attempting to land flat footed would mean you actually have toextend the inner edge of the foot down! If your landing is not under, or as close as possible to underyour centre of mass it will mean your body falls slightly to the left when the right foot lands andslightly to the right when your left foot lands. This means you are basically zig-zaging along the road -which is all costing time.

If you are landing correctly the foot, lower leg and thigh will have be swept backwards at the time oflanding because if your landing is not active the heel will hit first and the braking effects thataccompany a full heel landing will occur.

To be successful in achieving a correct landing position you will need to develop the power to becapable of applying a millisecond of downward force (remember I said some elite athletes appear to‘throw’ their arm towards the ground?) as the lead arm is pulled backwards. The correspondingdownward drive of your opposite leg then causes your body to rise. This means your foot has moretime to swing back into a position directly under your body. Initially I recommend you think only ofapplying force with the right arm. Once the technique is mastered the left will copy this actionautomatically.

Landing under your body means your foot spends less time on the ground than if you land on yourheel with the foot out in front of your body because you do not spend unnecessary time pulling yourbody forward to get into a position to push off into the next stride. More importantly if you have everbeen told to “lift your knees up” or to “run tall” ignore these poorly stated directives because, as perNewton’s law, to focus on lifting the legs will cause the hips and indeed the whole upper body to drop.

By eliminating partial or worse full heel landings you will benefit in other ways as well. The first is thatthe muscles in the feet will be able to absorb some of the shock. If you are running barefoot,regardless of your speed, you will avoid landing heavily and squarely on your heel. Try jogging on thespot on your heels if you want to test the shock absorbency of the heels! Aside from poor techniquea major reason many runners land on their heels is related to the shoes they use. Shoes that arepromoted as being capable of absorbing the shock of this unnatural way of running but often, becauseof their thick soles, actually accentuate the problem. Unfortunately studies have shown the shock willstill be transferred into the legs and the heel landing will ensure your times are slower than you couldotherwise run.

According to Frank Dick (the former UK Director of Coaching and President of the European AthleticsCoaches Association ) success in running (and obviously also in triathlon) starts with the feet. Hestates (see ‘Sports Training Principles’) “the toes may be flexed, extended, adducted and abducted in



much the same way as the fingers” and “the foot is well equipped (due to its 26 bones) both instrength and mobility to adapt to any type of terrain”. He also states that “if the heel and no other partof the foot hits the ground first there is no chance for the foot to accept the initial ‘loading ofmomentum” (the forces inherent in the landing) and no chance for the foot to dissipate the shockbecause the roll of the foot is over the weak metatarsal arch area rather than over the strong ball ofthe foot. This means a dissipation of effort and an increased risk of injury.

To develop the necessary foot strength you should consider doing special exercises, like toe walking,and/or spending more time bare foot. If you are a triathlete you need to be more comfortable runningwithout shoes than a runner because you have to run bare foot– sometimes for a considerabledistance – during your actual race.

At this point however it is critical to state that you do not point your foot down in an attempt to landon your toes or on the ball of your foot because preventing the heel from contacting the ground as theweight is transferred during the inward rolling phase will cause excessive stress on the calves,possibly due to forward pronation, and result in shin splints.

Superior technique also ensures the calf muscles assist with shock absorption and provide propulsivepower. Generally speaking the faster you run the higher you will carry yourself because you have ahigher stride frequency and you will strike the ground with more force as well. This increase in stridefrequency also assists you in developing a powerful “kick” finish. Conversely the slower the runner thelower they carry their hips, and naturally their body in general. The foot therefore lands ahead of thebody because the runner cannot get their foot back fast enough to get it under their centre of mass.The further ahead of the body the foot hits the ground the more the foot lands on the heel and thelonger the time on the ground.

It is this increased leg speed that is responsible for the continual improvement in world records. It isrelatively easy to demonstrate that today’s runner do not possess greater stamina than runners of the1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s or 1980’s. Rather they are faster than their predecessors. Marathon runnerstoday have the speed of 5k and 10k runners of the past and today’s 5000m and 10,000m runners areas fast as yesterday’s middle distance runners.

If you are a slower, heel landing type of athlete you must concentrate on pushing down with yourthigh for a millisecond every time you take a step. You would be advised to slow your pace to developthe concept of feeling for the landing while you are out on your easy runs. You are also advised tointroduce the use of new techniques into your running in small amounts to reduce the possibility ofmuscle soreness.

Finally is there anyone reading this article would not like to improve their 5k, 10k or marathon timeswithout having to train any harder and/or longer to do it? It can be done. Everything I have spokenabout in this article has two major aims. They are to get you to put more force onto the ground in thetime you spend on it and to reduce the time you spend on the ground. Studies of top runners showthey spend less time on the ground than their slower opponents. Developing the capability to exertmore force will require training but decreasing your time on the ground need not. The gains that comefrom reducing ground contact time can be quantified using the following examples.

Example 1. John runs 10k in 40 minutes and his stride length is 1.5 metres. This means he takes6,667 strides. This in turn means the average time for each stride is 0.360 sec. If John coulddecrease this time by 0.003 sec (three one thousandths of a second) he would improve his 10k timeby 20 seconds. This is a 0.83% improvement that would equal to 15 seconds for a 30 minute10,000m runner.

Equally developing the power to improve stride length without compromising stride frequency andtechnique will dramatically improve your times.

Example 2. If John could improve his stride length from 1.5m to 1.51m (a 0.7% improvement) hewould take only 6,625 strides to run 10k. Provided each stride remained at 0.0360 seconds he wouldrun 10k in 39:44. For the 30 minute 10,000m runner this equates to 29:48 – a 12 second benefit.

If John could improve stride frequency by .003 seconds and stride length by 0.01 metre he wouldimprove his 10k time by a total of 36 seconds and a 30 minute 10,000m runner would improve by 27seconds!

This paper was presented to coaches at the IAAF Regional Development Level I Course in Nairobi,Kenya in 1991 and updated for the IAAF Regional Development Level II Course in Nairobi, Kenya in2002 and 2003. Other papers of a similar nature may be found at http://eps.rccbs.com andwww.benson.com.au

Tony Benson was an 1972 Olympic 5000m runner and the Head Coach of the 1992 Olympic Track &Field Team who has coached athletes to Olympic, Commonwealth and World Championship levelwhile the EPS team he directs has coached triathletes, including Sean Foster (below) & duathletes toWorld Championship level. A Level 3 Run & Triathlon coach and an International Amateur AthleticFederation lecturer he has recently returned from Kenya where he directed the first All Africa Level 2Middle & Long Distance course for coaches from English speak ing African nations. With a 10k road

benson's eps - basic movements in running

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