Running style (Page 3)

some insight from brett sutton .. (his writing not mine so you will have to decode it )

 mate 

let me tell you 
running is like  a suit .
once size dont fit all .
you got to look at your  individual traits .
that includes what you done for your life span , if you started running fiirst at 40 ,
let me tell you , your motor patterns are in , and trying to give new ones is why we have physios flourishing  in the money business , that and new scientific shoes .
they will kill ya .
so if you have 3 times a week to run say 40 min 2 time and 1h15 one other time 
then your best drill is 
run forrest run .
no matter your technical deficiencies  

If you really want to see a discussion about POSE in the running community, go look at letsrun.  They have beaten that topic to death, and it's gruesome.  You can also go read The Science of Sport blog, and what they have to say about running technique.

I have found that a good way to really work your stride mechanics is to run hills, a la Lydiard.  Here is the description.  Uphill to work stride length and leg strength, downhill to work turnover.  There's also some good stuff in the book "Run Strong".

Maybe you don't log what you're really doing...but, according to what you do log, you haven't run much at all.  So hard to come to any conclusions if that's the case.

I hate to sound like a broken record .... but there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a "heel striker."

Every discussion on it brings up the fact that it cause you to "brake" when the foot hits the heel first.

This is completely false UNLESS THE FOOT IS IN FRONT OF THE CENTERLINE when it contacts the ground.  And I don't care if you are a toe striker, mid-foot striker or heel striker ..... if you land in front of your centerline, you are going to meet resistance and push yourself backward UNTIL your foot is underneath you.

As for what is proper??  Who knows???  But go for a simple walk.  Feel what happens.  Your heel ALWAYS strikes first.  It is the way the human body is designed.

That's just good running practice in general and I wholeheartedly agree with those ideas (other than what I scratched out).

It's letsrun, that's the majority of threads there.  In some ways, it's worse that ST.

If it works for you, then do it.  However, the only general thing is the arms crossing center line.  Foot strike is usually not an issue, and the lean is questionable.

My argument is that most people get caught up with inconsequential details, start worrying about things like cadence and foot strike when the biggest thing they can do is run more miles.

OK.  It seemed like a half dozen runs over 2 months was hard to make any guesses about where 'benefits' to your joints were coming from.

My argument is the typical overstriding heel striker can't run more miles without beating themselves up. Note, this is not what the better runners do, whether they heel strike or not. This refers to the typical new runner who lands on their heel with the foot in front of them. The brunt of the impact forces are absorbed by the bones and joints, making them very sore. So, whether or not they change their foot strike, they need to change where their foot strikes in relation to where their body position is. Some of us have effectively done this by changing to a midfoot strike, others apparently have found other methods to bring their feet under their body. This is really what the debate is about, isn't it? The proper form is to run with the feet landing under the body - or very close, not with the feet landing out in front. What should newer runners be doing to get their feet in the proper place?

Hill repeats .......

Run hills.  Another technique I've seen is to focus on running quietly.  Effectively, you try to land as softly as possible.  This requires you to take short strides, and gets your foot to land underneath you.  This can be incorporated into existing runs.

There are drills one can do as well; there are some good ones listed in the book "Run Strong".

The rest of it is to just get out and run.  Run easy, build miles slowly.  If you find that your feet land out in front of you, focus on trying to get them to land under you.

Running uphill will increase stride length.  Downhill works on turnover.

Run hills? Ha! Good one. I think many newer runners avoid hills like the plague! Unless it's a downhill! Then their overstriding becomes even more pronounced.

I don't have that book. What are some other drills?

My questions are not for me as I already changed my running style several years ago. However, maybe others could benefit from this discussion.

 Drills

Hill running

More drills (may be some of the same as the other set)

I'm not surprised.

My issue with POSE (and Chi) is the attempt to universally apply certain aspects.  The foot strike issue we've covered; the idea that a cadence of 180 is universally best is another.

At the most basic level, the training is all the same:

Run lots, mostly easy, sometimes hard.  Build mileage intelligently.  Mix things up when you can.

Again, I think many people get wrapped up in little details, and lose sight of what the fundamentals are.

Whatever...I have done a 5:45 mile, 12:03 2 mile, and sub 60:00 13k in the military...I would give my LEFT NUT to do a sub 8:00 mile at age 39.  I am busting my a$$ to break 9:00 for 3 miles now.