Improve Your Running Stride  

OK It’s been a rough week, and I think I milked my congratulatory post for Charisa for all I can. It’s now time to get on with some other thoughts and musings.

Feast your eyes on this article from Active.com by Matt Fitzgerald. The article is entitled Improve Your Stride Without Trying. The article is not about running in your red long underwear. It is meant to be a recommendation on how you can easily and effectively improve your running economy, but it starts out as a rant against two of the popular running methods out there, Chi Running and the Pose method.

Fitz claims that there is no scientific proof that these running methods represent the best way to increase stride power and efficiency and reduce the stride anomalies that cause injuries in most runners. In fact, he states quite the opposite, and backs it up with the results of 2 studies.

One of the studies on 16 elite triathletes yielded negative results, and a second conducted at the University of Cape Town, South Africa was haulted because of reported calf injuries.

I have 2 problems with his criticisms. The first is that the University of Cape Town study reported a common issue with the POSE method, that being calf strains. I experienced them too when I first started working on changing my stride, but I don’t anymore. I also experienced shoulder soreness when my masters swim coach started working on my catch and stroke. Eventually my body became more accustom to the new movement and I didn't feel discomfort.

The second problem I have is that the 2005 study was done on high level athletes who most likely already had fairly good running strides. This would be akin to trying to teach Michael Phelps Total Immersion. What’s the point.

In my opinion to be valid, a study should be done on a group of athletes with poor running form, who typically are heel strikers, and who may suffer from common hip and knee impact injuries, and follow them for a full year to see if they show signs of improvements in running mechanics, and a reduction in these impact injuries.

For me, the point has already been made. I have read The POSE, and I am part way through CHI. About 10 years ago was a heel striker, and suffered shin splints while training for the TELY 10. I completed the race in about 100 minutes. 2 years later, after transforming my stride using the POSE method, I finished the same race in 75 minutes, injury free.

And if you can get past the article introduction, there are some recommendations for improving stride economy.

Interesting stuff in this post.

Congrations Charisa

Active.com

Matt Fitzgerald

Improve Your Stride Without Trying

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running