The top question I get from my students and clients when I teach something about running form is, “Should I be thinking about this when I’m running?” The answer is NO. While you’re actually running is the wrong time to work on your running form or technique. The reasons are numerous, but here are some … Read more
Armswing can be surprisingly difficult to fix, but when you do it right you’ll get a much bigger improvement in your performance than you probably expected. That’s because if there’s something going wrong with your armswing–such as a large, energy-wasting, and even flailing kind of action–it’s actually the result of a problem elsewhere in your … Read more
What a joy to watch a marathon again. Let’s just dive right in and look at the different movement strategies the runners used and how this related to their performances. As interesting as it is to watch any individual athlete, it’s in comparing athletes that you really see how they’re running. Brigid Kosgei and Ruth … Read more
“Don’t stick your elbows out” is pretty common running form advice, and yet it’s a real struggle to follow. This blog post and video will sort it out completely for you. There are two ways to keep your elbows close to your sides in running, which I explain and demonstrate in the video below. The … Read more
Today for a change I’m not writing about a running injury per se, but about why you may have recently started waking up in the night with pain on the front of one or both shoulders. This is pretty much an epidemic right now. I’ve got friends and family struggling with it, and I even … Read more
Anything that changes your gait on a long run is going to have a big impact, and carrying water is probably the most common culprit. So here’s the key to doing it right. Do It Symmetrically Handheld water bottles are pretty popular because they’re simple and inexpensive and it’s really easy to take a drink. … Read more
Admittedly calluses are not among the most feared running injuries. But they can be annoying and give you the sneaking suspicion that there’s something wrong. That suspicion is correct. Ditto for blisters. It’s true that sometimes you can get blisters or–longer term–calluses from poorly fitting shoes. But if this is a persistent problem for you … Read more
Having one foot toe in when you run isn’t on many people’s radar as a problem, but in my experience it’s connected with more pain and injury than a foot that turns outwards. In fact, chances are good that you have one of each and you’re totally focused on the outwards-pointing “duck footed” one. But … Read more
There are four main effects of having a foot turned outward when you run… but that doesn’t always mean you must fix it. Over the years I’ve had many clients with one or both feet pointing out. In most cases we’ve been able to improve that, but in some it’s simply structural–the way the bones … Read more
You really want to get the right shoes–the ones that fit best, feel best, and give you the support you need. The first two of those factors are perfectly reasonable but that third one, the question of support… that’s where you’re going to get into trouble. According to the excellent American College of Sports Medicine … Read more
If you know you should be leaning forward but you just can’t seem to make it happen, you’re not alone! There are a lot of reasons why you may be struggling with your lean: tight calves, stiff core, not knowing what to do with your head…but a common factor that goes overlooked is short, tight … Read more
It’s pretty common for a runner to come to me feeling asymmetrical, with the right side seeming more dominant and with stronger glutes and quads. It’s possible for a runner to feel the opposite–that the left side is stronger–but that happens much less frequently. How does this happen and how can you fix it? The … Read more
Were your quads sore after your last long, relatively flat run? Do you feel you have trouble “activating” your glutes? These are strong indicators that you’re a quad-dominant runner. This is totally fixable with the right changes in your form. That’s big caveat, though! If you look through the information on the internet about quad-dominant … Read more
Your push off matters–especially if you want speed. But a lot of runners make mistakes trying to maximize their push off because they don’t understand how it works. This can stress your hip joints, back, and neck, as well as actually slowing you down or tiring you out too fast. So let’s look at how … Read more
