Everyone suffers from left-right imbalances. The condition is most noticeable in the arms and is the bane of all left handed pianists. Eyes suffer the same thing. As a photographer I prefer to focus with my left eye and struggled with my old 35mm rangefinder camera that was clearly designed for right eye use; my nose was always jammed against the back of the camera.
My legs are clearly asymmetrical. Lefty is strong, loves to work hard, but clumsy. Righty has finesse but hates to work hard. On the bike this imbalance is easily masked, but while running it really stands out due to the difference in the sound of my footfall. Think sound effect for house walking -- clip clop clip clop.
Once I became aware of how differently my feet strike the ground I began to feel subtle differences in how my legs articulate. One big difference: my left knee wants to pop backward as the leg loads. My right foot prefers to land on the outside edge. The left leg always wants to turn out. There is also an upper body difference, my left arm swings more fore and aft while my right arm swings slightly more side to side, the hand moving at an angle so that when farthest forward it is closer to the center-line of my torso. Whether this is a cause or an effect remains to be seen.
Once I became aware of how differently my feet strike the ground I began to feel subtle differences in how my legs articulate. One big difference: my left knee wants to pop backward as the leg loads. My right foot prefers to land on the outside edge. The left leg always wants to turn out. There is also an upper body difference, my left arm swings more fore and aft while my right arm swings slightly more side to side, the hand moving at an angle so that when farthest forward it is closer to the center-line of my torso. Whether this is a cause or an effect remains to be seen.
Before I go any further I must point out that many expert running coaches caution against trying to change one's gait. They claim that picking out a group of world class runners with similar styles and making that a model of form perfection that all runners should aspire to is a mistake. It is important to take into account the many significant differences between bodies. What works for one person may very well not work for another. Torso to leg length ratio, hip angle, ankle dorsiflexion and supination -- there are hundreds of such data points that contribute to how a runner moves. It should not come as a surprise that how we run is as personal as how we look.
Associated with this view is the idea that the best way to discover ones ideal form is to get out there and run. The more we run, the more opportunities our muscles and nerves get to learn how to move efficiently. This may sound like good advice, but I disagree. Form -- how we run -- is a skill that can be learned and constantly improved. In other words, there is a happy middle ground between trying to run just like this or that elite, and just letting go and paying no attention to technique.
A great method for exposing rough spots in bike pedaling technique is slow pedaling on the indoor trainer. I learned this from Dorian Cuccia. With minimal tension, try to pedal extremely slowly but without any skips or clunks. Deceptively difficult, but worthwhile.
I use a similar technique as a running drill. Actually it does not need to be a separate drill, it fits in great on any segment calling for zone 1. I find I am too stiff to do this at the start of a morning run, so I save it for the end. Say I am doing what Matt Fitzgerald calls an RF run, say RF6: 5 minutes in Z1, 35 minutes Z2, 5 minutes Z1. Pretty basic. I walk two-three minutes quick enough to be in Z1, then run as slow as I can until the five minutes are up; this usually drifts into low Z2. At the ending Z1 segment I practice my slow running. Still running, not walking, but as lightly as possible. Since I use a Stryde power meter I can monitor this effort as I go. This is a great technique builder to smooth out the foot strike, because a harsh, pounding foot strike will produce a ton of fatigue.
Not to confuse things, but the goal is not to tread lightly. The goal is a smooth yet strong push, without any crash. Enough push to load the muscle tendon "springs" that a split second later will release their energy as your body passes over. If treading lightly is the goal you end up only using muscle, pulling your body down the road with mostly your quads. A very inefficient way to run. You want to use the springs in your legs, but not crush them into pulverized bits of collagen.
Here is a great video by my favorite run coach Bobby McGee in which he talks about this spring action.
A great method for exposing rough spots in bike pedaling technique is slow pedaling on the indoor trainer. I learned this from Dorian Cuccia. With minimal tension, try to pedal extremely slowly but without any skips or clunks. Deceptively difficult, but worthwhile.
I use a similar technique as a running drill. Actually it does not need to be a separate drill, it fits in great on any segment calling for zone 1. I find I am too stiff to do this at the start of a morning run, so I save it for the end. Say I am doing what Matt Fitzgerald calls an RF run, say RF6: 5 minutes in Z1, 35 minutes Z2, 5 minutes Z1. Pretty basic. I walk two-three minutes quick enough to be in Z1, then run as slow as I can until the five minutes are up; this usually drifts into low Z2. At the ending Z1 segment I practice my slow running. Still running, not walking, but as lightly as possible. Since I use a Stryde power meter I can monitor this effort as I go. This is a great technique builder to smooth out the foot strike, because a harsh, pounding foot strike will produce a ton of fatigue.
Not to confuse things, but the goal is not to tread lightly. The goal is a smooth yet strong push, without any crash. Enough push to load the muscle tendon "springs" that a split second later will release their energy as your body passes over. If treading lightly is the goal you end up only using muscle, pulling your body down the road with mostly your quads. A very inefficient way to run. You want to use the springs in your legs, but not crush them into pulverized bits of collagen.
Here is a great video by my favorite run coach Bobby McGee in which he talks about this spring action.
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