Roy Palmer - Improve Your Running Technique

Improve Your Runn ing Techn ique : Reduce In ju r ie s & Enhance Per fo rmance

copyright Roy Palmer www.fitness-programs-for-life.com Page 1

ROY PALMER

www.fitness-programs-for-life.com



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Video & Podcast Instructions

This ebook is contains a number of videos and podcasts so you will need to be

online to get access to these extras. The videos require Adobes Flash Player,

if you not currently have this installed on your PC you can download it for free

from a link on the video pages.

The podcasts can be downloaded directly to your PC via the links throughout

this program. These can then be copied to your mp3 player and taken on your

run if you wish.



Introducing The Program

Okay, hands up all those who were taught to run? Not many eh! If you were

seriously taking up golf, tennis or a martial art we wouldnt consider doing it

without instruction. Yes I know most of us assume we can all run because its

just like walking only quicker, its only putting one foot in front of the other

right?

Well you would have thought so, but from my own experience and from

working with many runners I believe few adults run naturally, that is, most of

us have at least one bad habit interfering with our running.

A poor running technique may not be immediately obvious but eventually the

aches and pains start to turn into irritating injuries and if you are not careful

these turn into great big injuries that stop you running!

What I hope to achieve with this program is to show you how to identify poor

habits that may be making your running harder than it should be. A good

running technique will not only dramatically reduce the risk of injury, it will

also help to improve your speed, stamina and most importantly, your

understanding and enjoyment of this most rewarding activity.

Right! Lets get started.



1. Running Technique

(or Falling forward with style)

Your running technique is very important. Get this wrong and you will severely

limit the benefit you get from running; it could eventually lead to an injury

that could prevent you participating in any physical activity believe me, I

know this because Ive done it! But get this right and running will become a

very enjoyable, rewarding lifelong activity and not just from the fitness

angle. I hope that has got your attention because very few runners give this

enough serious thought.

I am not going to insist you run in a particular style because there is no one-

size fits all technique. The approach I take is to eliminate poor movement

patterns that interfere with all activities and not just running. Once you can

rid yourself of patterns that lead to poor movement your natural running style

will emerge.

Stop doing the wrong things and the right things

will take care of themselves!

Most people incorrectly assume that they know how to run; after all, we could

do it as children. But it may have been sometime since you last ran and do you

still have the same body? Years of sitting at a desk, dealing with a stressful job

or being inactive will have changed your body shape.

We will start by looking at the basic building blocks of running so we can break

down the action. Perhaps your current experience of running is not a happy

one. Perhaps you are suffering from recurring injuries or your times and

distances are static, well now its time to move on and see what can be

achieved with a completely new mindset. (Yes running technique is not all

about the physical stuff!)



I want you to think of running as the movement of your limbs to push the

ground away in order to propel yourself forward at a speed of your choosing.

Get your technique right and the movement will feel free and light and

consequently a real joy.

Much of the activity during running requires little or no effort relying instead

on the momentum from earlier activity, the location of joints and the contact

with the ground. Many runners can benefit from learning to let go at the right

time to reduce interference, save energy and develop an efficient style.

The following activities over the page will help you to appreciate how to

reduce effort in your style. You may think that surely the whole idea of running

is to use effort and burn calories. However, for the majority it is misapplied

effort that causes injury and prevents them from staying active! Not a good

way to keep in shape. When you are more experienced you can exert yourself

more but an efficient running style is essential if you want to keep on running.

We want to focus on the joy of running and not the effort.

See next page for the first activity.



Activity #1: Pendulums

I mentioned earlier that much of the activity of running requires less effort

than you think. One of these is the leg swing, a movement that makes up a

considerable amount of the action.

1. Sit on the edge of a table so the whole of your upper legs down to the

knees are in contact.

2. Bring back your left leg until it is underneath the table and then let it go

so it will swing forward. It is important to let it go and not to swing it

forward yourself.

3. Let alternate legs swing with minimal effort (just give them a little

nudge) and think of each leg as a pendulum. If you are experiencing the

need to make them swing by using your hamstrings or quadriceps, think

of the space at the back of your knee joint and let go from there.

Lets try a similar experiment with you arms.

1. Stand and think of a line from the tip of your shoulders through the

biceps, down the arm to your thumbs. Or just think long arms.

2. As with the legs, see if you can get your arms swinging straight and by

your side with a minimal effort without lifting your shoulders.

3. Now let you arms bend at the elbow, place your thumb lightly on your

index finger, keep your fingers relaxed and again swing your arms

without the shoulders lifting. Your hands should be relaxed, nether

clenched into a fist or fingers held straight. These actions of your limbs

will help to propel you forward whilst running but require less effort

than most runners use.



Activity #2: Backs to the wall

This is a very useful procedure to help you swing your legs from the right place

to prevent excessive twisting of your pelvis and lower back when running, both

actions reduce the efficiency of your technique and lead to injury.

1. Stand with your back to a wall with your only your shoulder blades and

buttocks making contact. You will need to stand with your heels away

from the wall, the distance depends on the tone in your gluteus

maximus! The back of your head does not touch the wall and should be

resting on top of your spine remember the nodding donkey.

2. Allow yourself to stand tall (just think this, dont do it) and appreciate

the floor pushing back up. Be aware of the location of the hip, knee and

ankle joint of your left leg.

3. Imagine a thread attached to your left knee and allow your leg to

release from the hip and ankle joint and allow the thread to pull the

knee forward.

4. Roll onto the ball of the left foot without taking the weight off it. Your

pelvis should neither drop or lose contact with the wall but dont push

back. If you have pulled forward or dropped the pelvis you are not

releasing from the hip joint.

5. Hold this position for a few moments and be aware of the contact with

the floor and wall. Focus on the support you are getting from the right

foot and think up from the sole up through your right leg, up your back,

right to the top of your head.



Use the wall only as reference to whether you are moving the pelvis to move your leg. You should not push back or lean against the wall.

6. Slowly let your knee come back so your left heel returns to the floor and

be aware of the responding push that comes as your shin bones

straightens and pushes back up through your thigh bone.

Repeat on the opposite side and when you are able to do this without swaying

or losing contact with the wall, start to increase the speed until closer to

walking speed. This activity is very useful for running as it allows you to

appreciate how to all your legs to swing without undue movement of the pelvis.

See btw_video for a video of this procedure.

Okay. Lets start moving see next page.



Activity #3: One small step

The objective with this procedure is to practise a simple movement without

using unnecessary effort to carry it out.

1. Stand with your feet below your hip joints and

let your arms rest by your side.

2. Think of taking a step forward but do not start

to move. Observe what you want to do to get

ready to step forward. Do you lean to one side?

Are you starting to fall forward or hold your

breath?

3. Now think about light coming from your centre

and flowing along your arms, up your spine and

through the top of your head as in the previous

activity.

4. Keep this thought going and release your knee

forward away from your hip and imagine falling

up as you step forward.

This is about appropriate timing and minimal effort.

To take a step forward you have to release and allow

the movement to start with only the slightest effort to

let the knee bend and lift. Its like a car on a hill releasing its brake. Just as

with the Pendulums procedure this will help you to let your legs swing when

running.



Activity #4: Walk the Walk

You are probably familiar with the saying dont run before you can walk and I

can confirm this is very good advice. Although walking and running are

different activities you can learn some very useful lessons from walking that

are applicable to running. You are now going to put together the previous

activities and take them into walking. See also wtw_video for a look at the

activity or wtw_audio for on the spot instructions.

1. Use the same technique from the previous activity to initiate walking

forward.

2. Be aware of the movement in your hip, knee and ankle joints, as learnt

from activity you have just completed, to allow your legs to swing from

the hip and your lower leg to release from the knee. The Pendulums

activity will have shown you how little work is required to swing the

lower legs and arms.

3. See how much effort you can take out of the act of walking and just

allow your limbs to swing.

4. Think about releasing muscles and joints rather than the effort involved.

5. Be aware of the ground beneath your feet and think of walking tall by

using the upward thrust from the ground in response to your body weight

coming down.

6. Start slowly and start to build up speed but not by trying harder. To

increase your speed let your arms swing a little faster but without lifting

your shoulders. If you can leave your legs alone they will increase speed

to match your arms so you will be moving faster without the effort you

probably think is necessary.



Activity #5: Walk to run

Now we are getting down to business! We now want to take the feel of the free

walking movement into running. Also see wtr_video and wtr_audio

1. Start with an efficient walking stride as in the previous activity and build

up your speed by freeing up your shoulders to allow the arms to swing

faster.

2. Think about going into a run and observe what you feel you need to do.

Are you tempted to lift your shoulders? Does your neck stiffen and your

head go back? Or do you feel the need to tighten your lower back to get

the legs moving? You will probably have your own interpretation of what

running involves but remember a number of these actions may be

inappropriate, reduce the efficiency of your technique and will be

carried throughout your run.

3. Avoid doing what you feel you need to do to start running to make the

changeover from walking to running without additional effort.

4. Allow your arms to bend at the elbow and keep them swinging in a linear

motion. Think of the legs swinging from the hips and raise the legs by

thinking of your knees leading the move.

5. Once the knee has been raised, the lower leg can be allowed to swing

through as in the pendulums activity. The kicking action of many

runners increases the workload on the quadriceps, and as we shall see

later, is totally unnecessary.

6. Be conscious of the hip, knee and ankle joints working together in the

movement.

7. As with walking tall, think of running tall to use the force of gravity, this

from a practical point of view is the ground pushing back up in response



to your feet landing on it. This may sound a little strange initially but

the ground is where the force comes from that moves you forward.

8. Be cautious of trying to hold yourself up to achieve an upright position.

If you can remove unnecessary effort, your body will attain an effortless

upright stance due to the absence of excessive muscular activity.

Your challenge is to prevent yourself from trying to run as this will involve

habitual actions you associate with running. Run for a short distance and then

stop and walk for a few minutes to regain the sense of effortless movement.

Alternate between walking and running whilst preventing any build up of

tension in your neck, shoulders and back.

Activity #6: Releasing the brake

This is a good one for giving you a sensation of using less effort for running.

Also see rtb_video

1. Jog on the spot just lifting your feet a few inches off the floor.

2. Think of a string pulling your knees forward to bring your feet up.

3. Now think of the string attached to the back of you heels pulling them

up towards your thighs.

4. Notice a difference? You are now using your hamstring instead of your

hip flexor muscles.

5. Keep jogging on the spot for a moment longer using as little effort as

possible.

6. Now release the brake and let yourself move forward whilst resisting

the urge to run.

There is much debate about which muscles you should use to move your legs

when running. Many advocate a combination of hip flexors (to get the leg off



the floor and the quadriceps at the front of your thighs (to kick the legs

forward). Others namely, Dr Romanov designer of the POSE method,

recommend the hamstrings (back of thighs) to lift the foot. I tend to switch

between both sets in a run but try to avoid the kick through. What you have

just tried will allow you to switch by just thinking about either the knee

leading the leg or the heel lifting off the floor. Try experimenting with both

methods and see if you prefer one for hills and another for flat. I wont dictate

which is best because I believe each person has their own efficient way based

on their individual body mechanics.

Some common running faults

Lets look at some of the most common running faults you will see in runners

to help you avoid doing them and spare you the problems they cause.

One of the first faults is that if we believe we are doing something wrong we

assume we know how to correct it. For example, a friend watches you run and

says that your right foot is swinging out to the right as you run. You would of

course try and do something about it and probably concentrate on keeping your

foot from swinging out.

The problem with this approach is that the actions of your right foot are part

of your total running pattern and therefore you cannot just change one

aspect in isolation. You may on the surface appear to prevent the offending

action but this is usually at the cost of doing something else wrong to achieve

it. In the case of your right foot you might tighten your hip joint in an attempt

to correct the fault. This is going to lead to another problem a little further

down the line. My approach is to focus on the areas of your body that are

involved in coordination and movement.

Lets look at some beginners in action and learn from what we see.



Angela

Angela has walked up to base camp on Mount Everest so she is an experienced

walker, very fit and has the right attitude to training. However, when she

started running she experienced pain in her knees and found she soon became

breathless.

From the side

We can see what is causing this problem:

She runs with her head pulled slightly backwards

(a very common habit).

Her knees are coming to the centre.

Her foot is swinging out to the side.

The front foot is also landing flat.

See next page for a view from the front.



The front view

This shows the knees coming into the

centre and the feet turning outwards.

These actions will put stress on the hip,

knee and ankle joints.

Not so obvious is the collapsing of the torso, as

Angela is not making use of the ground. In

other words there is no spring in the step and

the tendency is to sink into the ground. This

causes compression in the torso preventing the

ribs from moving, hence the breathlessness.

I learnt the hard way about running but if you develop a good technique early

in your running career it should not be the case for you. If you are returning to

running after a break I would like you to think as a beginner and not bring the

old running habits into this program.

Check the picture of me on the next page finishing in a half-marathon in 1983.

I was 19 years old, very fit but had a dreadful running technique. My foot and

knee are pointing in opposition directions, my torso is twisted and I am not

using the spring from the ground.



About eighteen months after this race I completed

a marathon but at some cost. It was the beginning

of the end for my running as I was to suffer from

knee and back problems.

Ten years later I met Malcolm Balk, author of

Master the Art of Running see later, he showed

me what I was doing wrong. I have now been

running for over 13 years now without injury and

still run the odd half-marathon.

The main problem for Angela and most runners is

the position of the head. Very few runners and

coaches will address this problem. The temptation

is go straight for the obvious faults and correct

them one by one but never getting the root cause.

The author in 1983 aged 19 finishing a half-marathon

in Birmingham, UK. My poor running technique led to a

serious back problem that took ten years to rehabilitate!

Why should the position of the head matter? From a physical point of view the

weight of the head if in the wrong place will put undue stress on your body. It

weighs around 10 lbs (4.5 kgs), thats heavy, too heavy to have it pulling your

neck backwards see side view of Angela.

The position of the head also activates your reflexes used for coordination. If

the head is dropped back it feeds inappropriate messages to your nervous

system. If you put garbage in, youll get garbage back. So your muscles will

receive the wrong messages about what you are planning to do. The end result

is your muscles are working over time to keep you upright whilst also trying to

run.



So how did Angela improve her running technique without trying to change

what she was doing with her legs? The first thing we did was to look at how her

neck could release to allow her head to sit nicely poised on top of her spine.

Try this yourself.

Question: Do you know where your head sits on your spine?

Check the location of the atlanto-occipital joint in the diagram above its

where the two lines cross. I bet this is much higher and further into the centre

of your head than you thought. And this matters a lot! People will point to

where they probably move their head from and this has a huge bearing on how

much muscle tension they hold in their neck.



Try the activity below and maintain an awareness of this joint when you run or

at any other time of the day.

Activity #6: Head start

1. Place both index fingers in the groove behind your ears and appreciate

the joint is roughly in between your two fingers and almost level with

your eyes.

2. Leaving your fingers there for the moment, look up and think of the

movement from this joint in between your fingers.

3. Then look down, again with the thought of the

pivot point and allowing the movement from here

see opposite x marks the spot.

4. How did you do? Now try using less effort. Think

of your eyes leading the head to look up whilst

allowing your head to tilt back on the pivot point

like a seesaw.

5. Let you head release forward by letting go of the back at the neck and

your head will drop back down without having to pull the head forward.

Your head is heavier in front of the pivot point and if the muscles at the

back are released gravity will do the rest.

6. Keep your fingers there and let your head move side to side.



Appreciate that your head balances at this point and it will go a long way to

helping you coordination. See what difference it made to Angelas technique.

This is half an hour after the first set of photographs. Now we can see that

then her head is not pulled back she has a springier step and getting a good

sense of the ground pushing up. She is no longer collapsing giving her freedom

in the torso so her ribs can move. Breathing became a lot easier and the

breathlessness disappeared. The left leg is still pulling slightly to the centre

but with the procedures she now practises combined with other ongoing

techniques, more on these later, this will soon be corrected. One small change

in Angelas thinking has made a big difference to her overall coordination. It



wasnt a physical thing rather an adjustment in concept. This may sound a

little confusing but if you can appreciate that your muscles do exactly what

you are asking them to do, then if there is a problem with technique or

coordination, it is your thinking that has to change!

By working on your concept of what it involved in running, or all movement for

that matter, you can make a big difference. As I said your muscles do what you

ask them to do, but do you know what you are asking them to do? So lets

compare the difference.

Before After

Collapsed and sinking Lengthened with a

into the ground. spring in her stride.

Notice the effortless upright poise and the spring in the step. And as promised

she also looks happier because believe me its more fun running efficiently

than poorly! Lets look at another runner in action.



Simon

On the left we can see what happens if the leg lands in front of the head and

body the straight leg has no shock absorbing capacity leading to a jolt going

up the leg and into the back as the full body weight lands on the heel. In

addition to the potential injuries this action also reduces the efficiency of the

stride. We can see this in the photo on the right because when the heel lands

first in front of the body it acts as a brake. Motion is momentarily stopped as

the leg has to recover its spring to bounce back off the floor. The effect is

that you have to work harder to get it going again. Note also the collapsed

spine and position of the head as discussed previously.

Now lets see what happens when we make a few small adjustments to Simons

concept of whats involved with running.



Notice the difference! On the left the ball of the foot is about to land under

the head and body. The head is nicely poised on top of the spine leaving the

neck and consequently the body free from tension. When the leg lands it is not

straight and therefore able to bounce back from the ground to propel him

forward for the next stride see right.

The change was achieved by using the techniques at the start of this chapter to

bring about a change in Simons body sense, that is, an understanding of how

the body can use the floor as a spring and how to allow you body to respond in

the most efficient way. See case1_video for moving footage of this process.



Sarah

We can see a similar problem with Sarah. Landing on the heel with a straight

leg causing a stop/ start run with the result of a much-reduced push coming

back from the floor see left. In the photograph on the right you can also see

an excessive lifting of the leg which uses unnecessary effort and also leads to

the lower leg swinging through ahead of the body.

The technique that made the biggest difference for Sarah was Releasing The

Brake. Once she could experience that with minimal leg lift and effort it was

still possible to run, her technique began to change.

See next page.



Now we can see a much more relaxed, upright style and better leg positions.

The tension is reduced in the neck, shoulders and torso allowing for easier

breathing.

The changes brought about in these three case studies were achieved by

changing the runners concept of their body and what is required to move it.

No work was done to correct the perceived individual faults with actual

running technique without first taking the whole body into consideration. See

case2_video to see this in motion.



You Are What You Do

Changing into your running kit does not automatically change your body! How

you carry yourself in the car, office and at home will have an impact on your

posture and body mechanics. If you are slumped at your desk for 8 hours a

day you will take this into your run. If you try to correct your posture by

making an effort to sit or stand up straight you are more likely to add to the

tension in your body.

Your posture will influence everything you do especially your running! If you

would like to find everyday ways to keep your shape you are welcome to

download my program How To Improve Your Posture Without Exercise and find

that good posture does not have to be hard work! For more details please click

Posture_Program.



Now Its Your Turn!

I would like you to do the activities in this section and to start running with

just a slow pace for very short distances, 20 to 30 meters will do for now. Start

with the walking as discussed already, then move up to a running pace being

careful not to lift your shoulders, tighten your neck or pull your lower back in.

Always maintain an awareness of the ground pushing you upwards and that you

are just letting your legs release from the hips and knees to swing through.

Imagine a beam of light is shining up through your spine and out of the top of

your head up into the sky.

Running checklist

1. Keep your jaw free

2. Dont look at the ground look forward about 30 meters

3. Check you are not lifting your shoulders to swing your arms

4. Dont push forward with your back

5. Keep you legs swing from the hips

6. Let your lower leg swing through

7. Keep your ankles soft

8. Let the ground push you up and forward

9. Let the air flow into your lungs

10. And remember this is supposed to be fun!

See next page to download the audio files to use on your run.



The following podcasts are verbal instructions based on these

techniques. If you have an mp3 or iPod you can use these when

you are on your run.

Walk the walk - wtw_audio

Walk to run wtr_audio

On The Run otr_audio



2. Wheres Your Head At?

What do you think about when running? This is an interesting question to ask

runners. Of the hundreds of runners I talk to, a large number will think about

everything else except running! This in my view is a shame because this means

you are not really engaged in the activity.

Remember, I would like you to think of running as something more than just a

physical activity. With the right attitude your running will be a way to develop

yourself as a whole. You can set yourself challenges and work out how you are

going to meet them using your experience, intelligence, emotion and obviously

your body. All in all a pretty good way to integrate your total self!

So rather than compiling your grocery list whilst running, why not try to be

present, or as sports people call it be in The Zone. If you want to find out

more about this paradoxical state, click Get_Into_The_Zone.

A survey into what runners thought about when competing and how it affected

their performance identified four categories see over the page for the

findings of the survey.



What Should Runners Think About?

Runners thoughts were divided into four main categories:-

Inward monitoring

focusing on how you feel while running.

Outward monitoring

focusing on aspects of the race such as distance, terrain and tactics.

Inward distraction

having thoughts irrelevant to the race such as solving mental

puzzles or wondering what we are going to do after the race.

Outward distraction

focusing on surroundings irrelevant to the race, such as scenery.

The research concluded that inward distraction should be avoided as it reduces

awareness, resulting in either running too fast and burning out or running too

slowly. Inward monitoring is useful for judging the required pace and also for

being aware of any warning signals such as muscle strain. The researchers

believe that the most attention should be focused outwardly on aspects of the

race, to minimise the influence of discomfort whilst remaining aware of the

race situation.

I would like to add a fifth category; I call it interactive awareness. This is

thinking of how you are running. This is not to be confused with what you are

feeling or doing in the race, but to the actual movement in relation to yourself

and your surroundings. For example, when running are you aware of the

location of your hip and shoulder joints or the active role the ground is playing



in your movement? Remember all that work you put into your running

technique? This is where it can pay of as you maintain an awareness of your

movement.

This type of thinking is neither inward nor outward; its both, as it requires you

to maintain awareness of who is running, how you are running and where you

are running. For example, if you are aware of the feet landing on the ground

when running, you can appreciate the force opposing your weight as the push

back helps you to move forward. The upward push is translated into a forward

motion by the action of hip, knee and ankle joints in conjunction with the

movement of your arms.

Newtons third law of gravity states that the mutual actions of two bodies

upon each other are always equal and in opposite directions, or more

commonly known as, for every action there is an equal opposite reaction. You

do not have to be pulled down by gravity; yet many runners appear to lose the

battle. Contemplate this law when running and you can allow yourself to go

up - to go forward due to the action of the legs and use this force to your

advantage.

Applying interactive awareness will help you get into The Zone mentioned

earlier. Once you are there you will find yourself thinking about all sorts of

stuff, and it really doesnt matter now what you are thinking about. Your mind

will be set free and youll be amazed at what comes into your head!



3. More Useful Running Tips

There is no substitute for experience - a runner must have written this phrase!

You will learn many little tricks on your journey over the next few months and

years but here are a few to get you started.

Running up hills unless you run on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah, you

will come across at least a gentle gradient when running. In fact, I recommend

you go and find a few to run up as part of your training.

A mistake I used to make in common with many runners is to use the wrong

muscles when going up hill. I would grit my teeth, tighten my neck, lift my

shoulders and attack the hill so I could get up it faster and look to recover on

the flat. I still believe it is a good tactic to attack the hill but it doesnt

require the stiff jaw etc.

As you approach the hill think loose! Let your jaw, shoulders and hips release

and just let your arms swing a little more. I imagine I am running with ski poles

that will drive me up the hill okay it may sound a little strange but I know

many runners who find this works really well!

Think tall as in the running technique instructions and check you have not

pulled your head back. Stay loose and just lift your knees and let the lower leg

swing through without kicking. I think of learning just very slightly forward and

push the hill away from underneath me.

Running down hills a gentle down gradient is a joy to run down but the

steeper the hill the more stress will be placed on your ankles, hips and

especially your knees. Check that you are not braking as you run down a

slope. By this I mean tightening up in fear of falling over. This will only add

more tension to your legs. Stay relaxed and just let my lower legs swing

through. Keep your ankles soft and you will absorb the shock a lot easier. Do

not allow your legs to straighten, this will send a shock wave right up your



body. Keep your legs slightly bent. If it is a very steep hill I lean very slightly

backwards and let the legs go.

When not to run Just as important as running is. not running. Your body

will need periods of rest as it uses this time to consolidate the benefits. Do not

run two long distances on consecutive days, ultra-marathon runners may do

this but they are a special breed! Alternate distance and sprint but also set

aside days when you dont run at all.

If you have an injury, cold or feeling a little unwell maybe consider a

comfortable walk instead. It is also a good idea not to run on your anniversary

or partners birthday! Keep it in perspective and you will get the full benefits

of running. You probably do not want to become a very lonely distance runner.

When to step up the pace We have talked a lot about training sensibly,

keeping an eye open for injury and playing safe, but there is a place for you to

push yourself a little harder. Unless you do this you run the risk of reaching a

plateau, getting frustrated and giving up.

If you are running well and you have no injuries or pains it can be an

interesting experience to set aside a go for it run. I will set out a target in

advance to set myself a challenge. I then spend a little longer warming-up and

then go for it. It may be looking to set a personal best in a sprint, 400m, mile

or 3 miles etc. The difference with this session is that I go out faster and

accept it will get a little uncomfortable. However, I will stay in the moment

and be fully focused on how I am running more than ever so I can spot any

early warning signs. I will say to myself that I am going to go that little extra

distance into the unknown and see how I can cope with it.

This is a good way of learning what you are capable of and it will prevent

plateauing. Be sensible, apply the skills you have learnt and see where you can

go today! Do not make the mistake of thinking that more effort results in a



better performance. For many runners I see more effort simply means wasted

energy! Run smart and efficient and your performance will improve.

For more running tips visiting my Running_Pages. I add articles here on a

regular basis.



4. Returning To Running After Injury

If you do suffer an injury dont despair. All is not lost. If done in the right way

the rehabilitation period can be used to strengthen your resolve and increase

your skill and understanding of running.

On your return to training following an injury go back and assess your technique

or send me another video. By going back to the start again you can assess

whether your basics were right. One advantage of recovering from an injury is

that it can provide you with instant feedback concerning your performance. It

is like an alarm bell that rings if you are doing it in your habitual manner, i.e.,

wrong again. If the bell rings, STOP! Stop immediately what you are doing and

give yourself a few moments to run some checks to see if you are holding any

tension in your neck, shoulders or back. When you have achieved this, maintain

your awareness in the moment for a while longer before starting your activity

again. Immediately you recognise something that tightens your body and

prevents a feeling of lightness in your movement, stop and go back to the

beginning. It is tempting to carry on with the niggles or aches and pains I

know Ive done this enough in the past, but as mentioned earlier, all you will

achieve by doing more of the same thing is the same end result the injury.

Be patient otherwise you will go straight back to the situation that got you

injured in the first place. Learn from your injury and you will return stronger,

wiser and better placed to progress your running.

An excellent source of information on all types of sports injury on the web can

be found at www.sportsinjuryclinic.net



5. Online Support

If you have any questions or require support

please do not hesitate to email_me

see next page for advice on getting your technique assessed



6. Video Analysis

If you purchased the Gold Program when you are ready to have your running

technique analysed please email the video to [email protected]

If you didnt purchase this feature as part of your program but would like to do

so now you can do so by clicking request_video_analysis

Tips on getting the most from your analysis:

If possible please include footage taken from the front, side and behind.

Take the recording from as close as possible its difficult to assess a

runner on the distant horizon :0)

Video yourself following a warm-up and short run.

I know its difficult but try not to be aware of the video camera.

I will analyse your technique and send you my assessment within 7 days in most

cases. I will suggest changes only where appropriate.



7. More Programs & Books

If you would like to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, the eZone please click below

subscribe_to_ezine

If you have found this program useful you might want to check out my other programs see below

Fitness_Programs_on_eBook



8. Zone Mind, Zone Body

"This book will be a very useful addition to the tool kit of any coach or

performer." Greg Chappell MBE, Former Australian Cricket Captain

and current Indian National Team Coach.

A book for anyone serious about their fitness and sport."

Available in paper back or eBook with added features, my new book

Zone_Mind, Zone_Body is the result of ten years experience of

working with sports people of all abilities.

Discover how you can get into The Zone and take your

fitness and performance to the next level!



9. Recommended resources

The following are resources and products I have either used or come highly

recommended by colleagues.

For more great books on running, fitness and health

I can recommend please visit my Bookstore.

If you are looking for a treadmill, rowing machine or

bike and not sure which would suit you, please see my

reviews at my Fitness_Equipment page.

You may want to consider a complete program of exercise,

diet and lifestyle changes. I can recommend Lynn Van

Dyke's Melt the Fat program.

For more information click Melt_the_Fat

If you find cramp becomes a problem this program has all the

answers. With over 100 hundred pages of advice on nutrition,

exercises and hydration you will find the solution to prevent

runners cramp.

For more information see Running_Cramp_Relief



10. About The Author

Runner, cricket coach, martial artist and published author, Roy

Palmer has over 25 years experience in competitive sport and has

spent the last 10 studying performance enhancement. Like many of

us, he often had annoying injury problems, coupled with backache and fatigue,

but thought they were just normal. Until, that is, he realised he was actually

causing them himself. Conventional therapies would work temporarily but only

as long as it took for him to repeat the same injury-causing habit.

After developing better movement through the Alexander Technique, he began

to enjoy sport again and gave up a career in telecommunications to complete

his three-year full-time training to teach the Technique. He now achieves

greater performance in his own sports than he did 10 years ago!

Roy works with people in many different sports and activities. He is an active

contributor to regular sports forums around the world, including Greg

Chappells Cricket Academy. He also applies his knowledge to help children

with learning difficulties, challenges with handwriting and co-ordination,

behavioural problems and dyslexia.

Roy is available for one-to-one sessions, group workshops and bespoke

corporate programmes.

My experience of The Alexander Technique

One of my ambitions in my late teens was to run a marathon and for many

months my life revolved around achieving it, to the extent of overlooking one

vital aspect that seemed so obvious with hindsight. I followed a strict diet and

training timetable but made one big mistake - I neglected to assess my running

technique because in common with most people I assumed I knew how to run.



Each day on returning from work I would put on my running kit, warm-up and

head off for my run. I eventually achieved my ambition by finishing a marathon

in 1984 but not before aggravating a condition that would frustrate me for the

next ten years. Shortly after the marathon I began to experience back pain

whilst running which became gradually worse until I felt some level of

discomfort in most of my activities.

At the time I blamed running so I promptly gave up and moved onto martial arts

to satisfy my need for physical activity and competitive sport. I consulted a

fitness coach and took advice on exercises to improve my condition. For a while

this seemed to help but as I progressed in karate I began to experience

difficulties again. The decision to change sport turned out to be misguided as

the culprit was not the running itself, but how I ran. This problem was waiting

to happen and existed before I began training. The build up to the marathon

accelerated the condition due to more vigorous activity, changing my sport was

not going to solve this problem as this time it was how I applied myself to

karate.

For my back pain I received treatment from an osteopath on a weekly basis for

about six months. The benefits would last for several days before the aches and

pains returned. I went on to consult a physical therapist and chiropractor with

much the same result. Thanks to the treatment I received from these therapists

I gained a welcome relief from my symptoms but the cause of my problem was

a little closer to home it was me! As soon as I left the treatment room I began

to undo the results achieved by the therapist as I resorted to my usual harmful

habits. I also had been using these habits to do the exercises as advised by my

fitness coach - serving only to re-enforce the poor habits.

After a number of years of this cycle I had reached the point of being prepared

to try anything and this is how I came to hear about The Alexander Technique. I



read an article in a newspaper and was intrigued by what it had to say. I

promptly found a teacher in my area and booked a course of lessons. Soon after

starting I began to appreciate the different approach required to address my

predicament: instead of complaining of my back hurting me I began to ask

what am I doing with myself to cause this pain? Later I came to realise that

the back pain itself was just a symptom of a more fundamental problem I had

lost the ability of natural movement partly due to, paradoxically, my

preoccupation with exercise and sport. Whilst I had thrown myself into every

new sport with enthusiasm and vigour I had not considered whether I knew how

to use my body well enough to be able to do this. This had not been assessed

by my fitness coach who could only assess whether I performed the exercises

correctly but not how I moved generally. Participation in a new sport put

additional stress onto my body as I continued to use myself badly whilst

attempting different or more complex techniques.

An added complication was that the more I used myself in this way, the worse

my condition became, as my movement deteriorated through repetition of

poorly executed moves. Each training session helped only to consolidate the

habits that were at the route of the problem. In short I became more proficient

at moving badly and was totally oblivious to the degradation until the pain

began.

Through Alexander lessons I began to unlearn bad habits and eventually

returned to running and started again. I began to appreciate my teacher as an

expert fitness coach able to assess my performance and make changes at the

most fundamental level.

For the last ten years I have continued to experiment with The Alexander

Technique and fitness and found just how much can be achieved by first

learning how to do less and not more. It has opened up a whole new



perspective to how I approach my training and fulfil my role as a fitness coach

by adding some much needed intelligence!

Coverlegal DisclaimerVideo & Podcast InstructionsIntroducing The ProgramRunning TechniquePendulumsBacks to the wallOne small stepWalk the WalkWalk to runReleasing the brakeCommon running faultsHead startNow It's Your Turn!Audio downloads

Where's your head at?More useful running tipsReturning to running after injuryOnline supportVideo AnalysisMore programs and booksZone Mind Zone BodyRecommended resourcesAbout the author

Roy Palmer - Improve Your Running Technique

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Transcript of Roy Palmer - Improve Your Running Technique