This is part one in a two part series on running form analysis and ways to improve running form. You can find part two HERE.

This summer, shortly after my spring marathon I made an appointment with the physical therapist. It was, in my mind, preventative. I'd experienced some high-hamsting tendonitis earlier in the year and although it didn't bother me at all during the marathon, I wanted to make sure it dealt with it so I could have a summer of racing shorter distances. Unfortunately right after the marathon I experienced tendonitis in my calf (popliteal tendonitis) that lingered for most of the summer and kept me in PT until this fall. The hamstring tendonitis subsided and resolved, but the popliteal tendonitis seemed to persist until I decided to rest it completely.

One aspect of my initial PT evaluation was a running form analysis. It's a service that Willem Verweij & Associates, my PT provider, offers. It was the first time I'd ever had my running form analyzed and the before and after results are quite interesting.

For a while I've known that I had issues with overstriding and heel striking. The overstriding came as a result or reading long ago that increased stride length led to faster running. What I didn't know at the time (probably 10 years ago) was that that increased stride length needs to come from more powerful glutes not from reaching your leg out further in front of you with every stride. And the heel strike is a natural consequence of having your leg land too far in front of your body.

I knew these were issues, but it was another thing to see them on video. Other things that came to my attention during the analysis: a pronounced hip drop on the left side (the same side I had experience hamstring tendonitis) and a very awkward, splayed-out arm swing.

After my initial analysis I spent three weeks working on my form, cadence and hip and glute strength and the resulting changes were really positive. Here's a look at some of the "before" and "after" analysis:

LEFT LEG CONTACT

As you can see from the top photo, my contact point is about 13 degrees ahead of vertical. Which is less than ideal. Landing out in front of vertical really means that you're breaking yourself every time your foot hits the ground. It can also lead to knee injuries. In the bottom photo you'll see that there was about a four degree improvement: my foot lands only 9 degrees ahead of vertical.

RIGHT LEG CONTACT

My right side is considerably better than my left contact and is probably due to the fact that this is my stronger side. During my initial assessment my left glute was considerably weaker than my right and probably the reason for the big discrepancy between the two sides (and also the reason for the tendonitis in my hamstring, which was compensating for a weak glute). These shots show that my right contact point before was 8 degrees ahead of vertical and just about 5 degrees after, an improvement of three degrees.

LEFT HIP DROP

You can see the from the photo a 10 degree drop on the left side. A hip drop of only a few degrees is optimal. After strengthening my left hip for three weeks there is considerable improvement: a drop of only about 4 degrees.

RIGHT HIP DROP

If you compare the hip drop between the right and left side, you'll notice that my right side was initially much stronger than the left with a drop of only about 6 degrees. That improved by a few degrees with some focus on hip strengthening and became more balanced with the left side.

[Tweet "A pronounced hip drop in runners can lead to injury. Could a running form analysis help you get stronger?"]

ARM FLARE

Though not a huge issue, but it's something the PT mentioned in my assessment. It seems that my arms flare out to the side quite a bit when I run. The excess rotation of having my arms way out to the side as you see in the first picture is not conducive to fast running. I consciously tried to improve my arm swing to a more front to back motion and tried to keep my "wings" tucked in a bit more.

HEEL STRIKE

One of the things that made the most dramatic improvement was the heel strike. You can see here a very pronounced heel strike in the top (before) photo of about 10 degrees and a much flatter foot in the second photo.

The whole experience was really informative and while it's hard to change your form quickly I think it can be done. If your goal is to run faster, avoid injury and be an overall stronger runner getting a running form analysis may just help you do that. In the long run, my goal is to continue to improve my form, strengthen my weaknesses and correct the imbalances in my body so that I can be more efficient and faster. Continuing with the drills and exercises that the PT gave me on a regular basis is a huge part of making that happen.

[Tweet "A look at before and after pics of running form analysis. Could it help you become a better runner?"]

In the next post I'll be sharing the exercises I did over the three week period (and continue to do) to improve my form.

Have you ever had a running form analysis? Do you know what your weaknesses are when it comes to running and running form?

All images used with permission from Willem Verweij & Associates. This is not a sponsored post, but if you're in the New Hampshire seacoast area and are interested in having your form analyzed contact Willem Verweij & Associates at 603-335-4700.

I am not a physical therapist or doctor, the information in this post should not be taken as medical advice.

--Sarah

Sarah is a certified running coach with the RRCA and USATF. She and her husband Mark Canney, CPT CSCS collaborate in coaching clients of all ages and abilities to help them reach their running goals. You can learn more about their coaching services HERE.

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