Running Efficiency Checklist

“Forward” Center of Gravity: Foot strike should occur towards the middle front of shoe. Think of your center of gravity as a dot that hovers in front of you - you should be constantly pushing that dot forward.

“Downhill” Running: Slight forward lean that will naturally occur as you shift your center of gravity forward.

“Kick-Butt”: Heels kick up towards butt with each step, resulting in less energy spent flexing and extending the knee - begin with an overexaggerated heel to butt kick, then gradually lower the height of the kick.

“Fast Feet”: 90RPM or more = 30R foot strikes in 20 seconds. The best runners in the world have a quick cadence.

“Hot Potato”: Minimize ground contact time by popping feet up quickly from the ground with each step - a natural result of quick cadence.

“Square Arms”: Elbows bent at 90 degrees with hands beside, not front, of body (but don't tighten or squeeze back shoulder blades).

“Loose” Jaw: Relaxed head, neck, shoulders, hands. It oftens helps to press the tongue against the roof of the mouth to relax the jaw.

“Piston” Knees: Straight up and down, meaning very little internal/external rotation.

“Proud” Posture: Keep chest pushed forward and head high, thinking about a "tall" running gait.

“Rolling Ball”: Imagine yourself running as a ball would roll, with constant forward motion, and as little up and down vertical movement as possible.

Rather than attempting to incorporate all these cues at once, pick 1 or 2 to practice with each run. While too many thoughts during your run can result in "paralysis by analysis", focusing on a few gait characteristics can be invaluable. One of the advantages to training with Pacific Elite Fitness is the gait analysis that can be performed for any triathletes who are training with the package. At any point during the season, you can send in a videotape or DVD of your run, and receive a detailed analysis of your efficiency.

Until next time, train smart!
Ben Greenfield
M.S. PE
NSCA-CPT, CSCS