Have you ever had a hip flexor tighten up on a run, or do you maybe even suffer from a chronically tight hip flexor? The feeling of it tugging every time your leg is behind you may make you yearn to stretch it out, and you might even find yourself giving it an extra little … Read more
As Peres Jepchirchir and Ababel Yeshaneh raced towards the finish line of the 2022 Boston Marathon, one of the announcers observed Jepchirchir’s form looked, “like she’s about to fall over.” A short time later she left Yeshaneh behind for the last time and broke the tape. So did Jepchirchir win despite her form or because … Read more
For many of us, whether we’re able to run is just a question about how we like to get our exercise. Are you a runner or are you the type who does yoga daily and says with a laugh that you only run, “If something’s chasing me.” For others, though, running is a fundamental job … Read more
You may hate me for this, but I’m going to say it anyway. The best core workout for runners is one that strengthens the core in the specific ways it’s used for running: upright, weight-bearing, with coordinated movements of the abdomen/back, pelvis, and hip joints, not to mention everything above and below those areas as … Read more
In our popular YouTube video, my colleague Julia Pak says: “Never run through pain. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong with the way you run. If running hurts, it’s time to start looking into changing your form gradually.” In the very lively comments section for this video, runner after … Read more
Once my clients feel happy with their running it sometimes dawns on them that they don’t know how to walk properly. Trying to apply what they’ve learned about running to walking just confuses them as what felt so right in running ends up feeling strange and wrong for walking. That’s because there are some significant … Read more
The stability vs. mobility question is fundamental for any runner who wants to feel better and run smoothly. The two main areas of your body where runners are told to be concerned with stability are: the feet, where you might be advised to wear stability shoes and/or orthotics the midsection, where you might be advised … Read more
Hobble into any doctor’s office with pain on the outside of your knee and you’re likely to hobble back out with a diagnosis of Iliotibial Band Syndrome, or ITBS. In short order you’ll have a foam roller, a new set of orthotics, and some physical therapy sessions or Pilates classes. The situation might seem dire, … Read more
Lately as I’ve interviewed runners who want to work with me, I’ve heard a lot of stories that end with the phrase “…and then, WHAM!” It’s a funny, not-so-funny coincidence. Here’s how the stories go. They tell me things started to go wrong with their running but they could kind of manage it. For instance … Read more
If you want to learn how to run on ice, you need only look at a bipedal species that’s adapted to icy environments: the penguin. Yes, I know you were hoping to run faster than this famously slow bird, but by applying a key technique that penguins use for good traction, you can run much … Read more
The responses to my last two posts on how to run well on a treadmill have made it clear that runners of all kinds and levels agree on one thing: running on a treadmill is incredibly boring. Hence the temptation to make treadmill running your TV time. I totally understand that temptation, but I’m here … Read more
As I worked my way through a series of blog posts on tight quads over the last three weeks, a reader asked me to write about tight/sore calves next. It’s a great suggestion, since the tight-calf-in-running problem is really common and has a massive effect on the entire body. In fact, in my post last … Read more
Data on your running has become easy to get. But it remains hard to act on, especially when it comes to using wearable tech (such as sports watches) to improve your gait. Alex Hutchinson recently wrote about a 4-stage framework for using the training data from wearable tech. The stages are: descriptive–what happened diagnostic–why did … Read more
Get started right and you will avoid SO many problems later! These 4 steps are based on my nearly two decades of experience helping runners from beginner to Olympian improve their form to feel better and perform better. The internet abounds with advice, but this isn’t the usual set of tips for new runners–and it … Read more
