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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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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.]]
==Imbalances ==
An imbalance or weakness can produce bad Running Form as well as causing injuries. One of the most dramatic examples is where one of the leg bones is a different length, which misaligns the feet, legs, hips and back. Other problems such as tight or weak muscles are more common, but also cause bad Running Form and injury.
=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.
* '''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.
* '''Imbalance'''. By far the best approach to detecting and resolving imbalances is to get an evaluation by a good sports doctor. They will check your range of motion and strength of various muscles and in many cases can resolve these problems. =Analyzing Running Form=With the exception of [[Cadence]], most aspects of your Running Form are not easy to check yourself, so here are a few techniques you can use.==Listen to Your Feet==The sound your feet make when they land can tell you a lot about your running formRunning Form.
* '''The pat'''. A good running form will have a sound like your feet are gently patting the ground. Generally speaking, the quieter your feet land the better.
* '''The scrape'''. If you hear a scraping sound it means your feet are still moving horizontally when they touch down. If you hear this scraping sound, try to feel with your feet if your foot is pushing forward against the ground on contact or backwards. The most common situation is that your feet are pushing forward due to [[Overstriding]].
* '''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=Visual Inspection==The simplest way of having your running form analyzed is to get someone to watch you run. HoweverHaving them watch you run on a treadmill is easiest, but be try to notice if your Running Form changes between outside running and the treadmill. Some things the observer should look out for.* First, check the runner's [[Cadence]].* Looking at the runner from the side:** Check for Overstriding by looking for where the foot makes contact in relation to the hip; is it directly below, or ahead.** What is the angle of the foot on first contact? This is a good indication of [[Foot Strike]], and a hard heel strike, where the forefoot is elevated and they land on the extreme back of the heel is a bad sign. ** How much are the hips rotating? Are the hips rotating equally for the left and right swings? * Looking from the rear:** Is there a large Step Width, with the feet landing far apart, or do they cross the midline slightly?** How much are the hips swinging and are they swinging symmetrically? (Too much swing may indicate weak glutes.)** From the rear, do the legs look straight or are the knees buckling inwards? ==High Speed Video Analysis==Visual inspection of a runner is good, but 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.
=Running Movements=
The images below show the sequence of movements that make up running, along with notes describing the action and muscles involved<ref name="Ounpuu-1994"/>. The descriptions focus on the right leg, shown in red and show a complete cycle.
