How Can I Run Faster with Less Effort?

Question

What modifications should I incorporate to my form so that I can increase my overall speed while running with less effort and risk of sustaining injuries?

Answer 1

To achieve more speed while using less effort and preventing injuries, there is one common fundamental error which most of the runners commit and that is overstriding. Overstriding is when as your heel makes contact with the ground, it is ahead of your knee, which is less advantageous and may add stress to the shin and knee joints. The cure for this involves focusing on particular running mechanics such as the running cadence and the stride length which includes sucking in your limbs higher off the ground to decrease the length of the swing leg lever making it easier for the hip flexors to pull the leg forward. It is this adjustment which enables one to appreciate landing his or her foot beneath a flexed knee, making the foot strike softer and allowing faster and more efficient running motion.

Comments

James, as always your content makes a lot of sense. Pendulum analogy is so easy to understand. I found your link in my email. One area I struggle with is when I’m trying to run in Zone 3 or Zone 2, I find myself forcing to drag my feet to keep that HR low. How can I keep a low heart rate when trying to pick my feet higher.

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Great content. I think the problem is people like the Lynda example also always told you don’t want any vertical oscillation as well so they end up sucked to the ground and can’t make use of their elastic system to spring them up AND forward effortlessly with longer stride length as a natural consequence. So only option is that long pendulum to drag them forward and get the stride length which as you say, ends up massively overworking the big muscles.

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My personal „simple“ change would be loosing 50lbs

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Never done an IronMan have you?

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The faster the more harmful!✨✨✨✨