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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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==Arm Position==
{{Main|Arm Position}}
A high cadence will naturally keep your [[Arm Position|arms high]].Your arms should swing naturally, acting as a counterbalance to your running motion. You don't need to consciously drive your arms; just let them move naturally and freely. Your shoulders should be relaxed rather than hunched up. You may need to check for tension in your shoulders periodically and consciously relax them. Your hands should be relaxed and neither bunched into a fist or overly straightened.
==Foot Strike==
{{Main|Foot Strike}}
Most runners will naturally run with their feet landing close to the midline of their body. One study showed that runners generally prefer to have their feet land about 1.4 inches (3.6cm) from the midline, and changing to a wider landing pattern increased the energy cost of running by up to 11%<ref name="Arellano-2011"/>. This is probably not something that most runners need to worry about, but there are small percentages that have an unusually wide step width. This may be due to have a large muscle or fat mass on the inner thighs that interferes with leg movement, in which case [[A review of graduated compression wear| compression clothing]] may help.
[[File:Step Width.jpg|none|thumb|300px|The blue line is the center line of the body and the red line indicates the center of the foot placement. The distance between the two lines is the step width.]]
=Changing your running form=
With the exception of [[Foot Strike]] and to a lesser extent step width, most aspects of Running Form are reasonably easy to change and have relatively low risk.
* '''Cadence'''. This is one of the easiest and best aspects of Running Form to change. It's trivial to check your current cadence and to monitor your progress. I believe improving your cadence provides the greatest improvement for the least effort and risk. It also seems that improving your cadence will often naturally improve other aspects of Running Form, including overstriding and foot strike.
* '''Overstriding'''. Reducing overstriding is reasonably easy and low risk. Significant overstriding can often be felt or seen by someone watching you run, and is not difficult to correct. Sometimes all that is needed is to avoid consciously reaching forward with your feet, and often overstriding is corrected with a higher cadence and a forward lean. Don't try to correct overstriding without correcting your cadence. [[High Speed Video Analysis]] is the best option for verifying your overstriding.
* '''Forward lean'''. The right forward lean is easy to learn, and goes hand in hand with avoiding overstriding.
* '''Run Tall'''. Avoiding a hunched back may take some effort, as runners who have this problem are often not aware of it, and tend to revert when they get tired. The mental exercise of imagining a thread pulling your head upwards can help.
* '''Arm Position'''. Improving your arm position is related to cadence, as a higher cadence needs a higher arm position. Having your hand too low will create a pendulum with a slow swing that makes having the right cadence tough. It should be simple to avoid consciously driving your arms harder, but keeping your shoulders, arms and hands relaxed requires a periodic check. We are rarely aware of how much tension is in our bodies, and it can help to occasionally drop your arms down and gently shake out your hands and arms.
* '''Foot Strike'''. This is by far the highest risk aspect of Running Form to change. Dramatic changes in foot strike from Rear Foot Strike to Forefoot Strike have been known to cause stress fractures and tendon problems in the foot. I would generally recommend gradual changes in foot strike, and improving cadence and reducing overstriding will often naturally move the initial strike location forward on the foot. If you do choose to make a dramatic change in your foot strike, I would suggest that you also dramatically reduce your mileage. It may be appropriate to go back to learning to run again, using a simple run walk pattern as noted in [[Starting to run]]. The more experienced you are and the higher your mileage, the greater the risk of a dramatic change in foot strike. This is because a change in foot strike is compounded by the miles you spend in the new style. Someone who runs 20 miles/day has 10 times the stress from a change compared with someone running 2 miles/day.
* '''Step Width'''. Changing your step width should be done carefully and gradually, as it will change the stress on your legs and hips.
=Listen to Your Feet=
The sound your feet make when they land can tell you a lot about your running form.
* '''The slap'''. A hard slapping sound often indicates a high impact is occurring. This can occur for various reasons, and it's best to get someone to watch your running form or use [[High Speed Video Analysis]].
* '''Symmetry'''. Your feet should sound the same, nds any difference indicates an imbalance that should be corrected. This imbalance could be in flexibility, strength, leg length or some other factor.
=Analyzing Running Form=
The simplest way of having your running form analyzed is to get someone to watch you run. However, the movements of running occur quickly and it's tricky for even the most experienced person to catch the details. [[High Speed Video Analysis]] is a far better option and can be done reasonably cheaply.
