Mental Cues and Changing Stride
When I first started running when I was 18, I had no experience (other than laps and suicide sprints from basketball). So I subscribed to Runner's World magazine and started taking advice from the articles there. I recall reading an article about stride and foot strike. The article recommended a "rolling from heel to toe" to minimize impact. So I went out and practice "rolling from heel to toe." I can remember it feeling awkward, but I persisted (good for me!...not so much). As a result I developed a nice heel strike. Later, in my first 10K, someone commented that I had a nice "long stride". I like compliments, so I went out and tried to make my stride even longer by extending my lead leg as far out in front as I could. From early on I was working to develop the two things that, that 12 years later, I learn are the worst combination when it comes to running efficiency and injury prevention: heel strike and over-striding. I first became aware of it about two years ago when I read "Born to Run." That book was my first introduction to the discussion on running form and the idea that traditional running footwear (built-up, cushioned sneakers) might actually be promoting bad form. I bought a pair of Vibrams, not with the intention of switching to them completely, but with the idea that if I incorporated them into weekly workouts that it would help me become a mid foot striker. I was more focused on eliminating the heel strike. I don't think my heel strike is as dramatic as it once was, but I still haven't eliminated it.
This past spring I watched a video from a post on RunBlogger by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella of the Natural Running Center (I later saw him speak at a Multi-Sport Expo at MIT). In the video he spoke of the force vectors applied to the body based on stride length and foot strike. It piqued my interest, the geek in me that loved AP Physics in high school understood what he was talking about and realized that I was an over-strider and that it was detrimental to my running. Not only was putting my lead-leg way out in front of me reducing my running efficiency but it was also increasing my risk of injury. Luckily I haven't had any knee injuries, just some pesky plantar fasciitis and hip flexor tightness (both probably related to my bad form and lack of mobility).
During this pregnancy, since I'm not focused on running times, I've been trying to focus on form. I think I've had limited success. Mostly because I was focusing on trying to mid-foot strike. This weekend I attended a running workshop called "Running for Life: Strategies to Help you Stay Healthy, Avoid Injury and Run Strong" put on by Dr. Peter Larson, author of RunBlogger and professor at St. Anslems College in NH and Dr. Brett Coapland of Performance Health Spine and Sport Therapy. The workshop itself was fantastic and later this week I'll be posting a full re-cap of the information and my thoughts, but what I really wanted to talk about in this post is mental cues and how they can change your stride. One of the techniques that Larson mentioned during his presentation was using small mental cues to change stride, in an effort to avoid drastic changes to stride that can often result in injury.
When I went to the track yesterday (after watching the very inspirational Women's Olympic Marathon) I wanted to apply some of the things that I'd learned the day before in the workshop. Most recently I've been focusing on foot strike and believing that to be the major culprit in my "bad running form," but sitting in the workshop I started thinking about my stride and the fact that I over-stride. It seems to me that if I focus on pulling that lead leg in and lengthening the back leg will actually eliminate both issues.
I arrived at the track with a plan to run mile repeats with a 400 recovery walk, because at 33 weeks pregnant that is the most comfortable way to get in any distance. I started to run and the thought or mantra that I kept repeating to myself was "lengthen your stride through your back leg." If you look at an elite runners stride you'll notice they do have a long stride but the length comes in the trail leg not the lead leg as I mistakenly thought years ago. I ran the first mile repeat in 9:58. I ran one mile in the 9's last week on the treadmill, but besides that my pace has been in the 10's and 11's, and I've felt as if I'd never see 9's until after I had the baby. I walked my recovery and started in on the second mile, repeating the mantra "lengthen in the back leg" as I ran. My stride felt easy, smooth and comfortable. I ran the second mile in 9:17 and had to do a double take, my rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was the same as it is when I've been running 10 and 11 minute miles. I recovered for 400m, then started in on my final mile. I crossed the line in 8:56! I haven't run miles in the 8's since early June. At first I thought my watch was wrong. But I'm convinced that the simple mental cue really did change my stride, making it more efficient, so that even though I was running faster my amount I was exerting myself was the same.
I'm not sure how long it will take to "correct my stride," but I'm glad that I've found a simple and effective way to do so. I still need to be cautious, I don't want to alter things to drastically that I create imbalances and develop injuries in other areas. But I do think that if I can improve my form then I'll avoid some of the hip flexor and plantar fascia issues I've encountered before and become a better, faster runner. I learned the bad form that I have now, so I think its within reason to think I can unlearn it and change my form for the better.
How aware are you of your form? Have you ever tried to change it? What was your experience?
--Sarah