Three Tips for Easy Simple Form Work: CHP
The following three tips are the major aspects of from work which helps improve any running style once the basics have been mastered to improve the mechanics of movement.
!. Chest Up. Lift your chest. Take a deep breath and hold that forward position as you exhale. Lydiard says to imagine you have a pulley attached to a harness around your chest. The other end of the pulley is attached to a three-story building a block away. As you run, lift your chest up and forward; it leads the way. Don’t lean forward, just get your chest up and out. It will give you extended lung capacity. Don’t change your shoulders or arms at all. Work only with your chest and you’ll achieve better posture and lung efficiency.
2. Hips Forward. When you pull your chest up it helps pull your hips forward automatically. Before you start running, get your chest up; then put your hands on your butt and push forward. Your shoulders, hips and feet should all be lined up. In this position you can extend your legs for maximum power. Lydiard contrasts this with the typical runner’s position, which he calls :sitting in the bucket.” When your hips are under and forward you’ll the muscles of the calf been used and hardly any exertion in the hamstrings. You should feel light on your feet and run quieter when hips are forward.
3. Push Off strongly with your foot. With your ankle brought into position by a forward chest and hips, a small amount of work from the calf muscle can produce a major effect in push-off power from your feet.
Most runners lean slightly back as they run and must overcome gravity with each step. A wear spot on the the shoe heel indicates this. It’s fine to land on your heel, but don’t stay there. It’s harmful to the knees. The knee cap is pulled tightly into the knee, grinding the cartilage against the bones. When your ankle does the work, this knee tension is reduced considerably.
If you naturally land on your heel, don’t try to shift suddenly to your forefoot. after landing, shift your weight to the midfoot and let the ankle exert its leverage. Gradually make your running an ankle reflex action, which will give you a feeling of floating more than pounding.