Getting feedback on your form while you run…

Posted In: ChiRunning May 13th, 2017 divider No Comments »

I haven’t written a running tips post in a while so I came up one while being in my happy place yesterday, you guessed it: nature.

A lot of the runners who have taken my workshop say they wish I could run with them all the time since it’s so easy to run with the constant feedback I provide during those sessions. The trick is that there is feedback all around, you just have to look for it and build that awareness.

Here are some of the best running feedback loops, if you ask me:

• Noise: That’s the biggest and easiest feedback loop. If a big guy like me can run rather silently, I think most people can as well. Remember the more energy you put into the ground when running, the more pounding your body takes.
• Injuries/soreness: Looking back at injuries and where I used to get sore after my runs gave you some insight as to what you’re most likely using too much. You know what they say, hindsight is 20/20!
• Pony tail: Obviously you need longer hair for this (I miss my man bun!) but if your pony tail is all over the place, you know you’re using too many muscles or doing too little arm swing. I see this quite often.
• Wear pattern on shoes: What is the wear pattern like on your well-used shoes? The pattern on the top and bottom will most give you some serious hints as to how you’re running.
• Foot imprints: I try to get people not to pay too much attention to their foot strikes while they’re running but if you’re running on sand, mud or snow, looking back at the imprints after the fact is great way to get feedback. Hint: They should be near perfect if you’re running relaxed.
• Video analysis: This one is rather obvious but I find it weird that not many clients take me up on it. See above for an example (more than 85k views on YouTube!) of all the info you could get from spending 20 minutes with my iPad and myself.

I hope these help. Did I miss any?