Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

Jim Vance is a multisport coach providing consulting services specializing in coaching and shares some of his thoughts with our readers in his column
|
||||
| Lean Forward for Faster Running |
If you asked many triathletes how much technique matters to running, they'd probably tell you not much. I find this thinking very obvious when I look at the attendance differences between swim clinics and running clinics. People recognize clearly that swimming is technical-based, but very few seem to believe that running has technical demands as well.There seems to be a prevalent line of thinking that you're either a runner or you're not, nothing in between. If athletes just took the time to understand the physics involved in running, perhaps they would see how much technical improvements can really matter to their run performances. If you stand up straight, the return force goes straight up your leg, which is still angled behind you, and then breaks to change directions going up the body toward the head. This results in more up and down oscillations, and is illustrated in Picture 2.
Notice how he leans forward with a matching center-line to the force applied from the contact point on the ground. The straight line shows a reference of what straight-up would look like. If you're looking for a way to make a big breakthrough in your running, here is a simple BUT EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE way to improve your running. At first, it will seem very weird, and you'll notice your cadence increase quite clearly and dramatically. It will require a focus and attention to your pace and lean until it You will need to experiment and test different lean amounts, until you understand how much lean is enough, and how much is not. You will clearly know when you have it right, but you must experiment to understand that point. It should be pointed out that "forward lean" does not mean bending over or hunching over. It is more like a ski-jumper, and falling forward, where there is no break at the hip between the angle of the leg and the angle of the upper body - Picture 5. Give this a try and I'm sure you'll begin to see some big improvements right away! Best of luck!
|
Jim Vance is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach, a professional triathlete and a two-time Amateur World Champion in ITU and XTERRA. He is also the Regional Managing Coach for TrainingBible Coaching in Southern California. His athletes have won National Championships, and qualified for many World Championship races. Jim uses his knowledge of the sport, training theory, and education with his teaching experience to be a high performance coach.
Jim holds a BS in Physical and Health Education, K-12, from the University of Nebraska, where he ran track and cross country. He was a school teacher for 6 years, before committing to triathlon full-time. Jim is also a Level 2 Certified Coach for USA Triathlon, hosting many clinics, talks, camps and other events throughout the sport. You can read his complete biography here:
Jim Vance Biography
Jim is an Elite Coach for TrainingBible Coaching, who services are detailed at his blog, CoachVance.blogspot.com
Web links:
Coaching Services: www.TrainingBible.com
Blog: CoachVance.blogspot.com
Personal Website: www.JimVanceRacing.com
Jim is available for personal consultation and coaching. If interested, please contact him here for rates and terms.
Contact Jim Vance for personal consultation
Purchase one of Jim's premium training plans at Training Peaks and get 5% off! Just type in FLMS in the discount/promo code box on the order page when you check out!
Enjoy!
| | . | . | . |