Before we get in to the three reasons, I want to give credit where it is due. I am a huge fan of the “Chi Running” method and I highly suggest that any distance runner give the book a read: Chi Running by Danny & Katherine Dreyer. Now, let’s dive in…
Prevent Injury
While running is a natural activity for humans and everyone has their own specific gait, it is extremely important to work on your running form. If you run in a way that stresses your muscles, bones, and ligaments, you are sure to encounter pain when you run at best, and actually have an injury at worst. So, take this seriously. Good running form can help eliminate shin splints, back pain, and knee pain.
Run Efficiently
As any distance runner knows, the goal we all have is to run longer and faster while burning as little glycogen as possible. This pushes the dreaded wall out further and further. Therefore, running more efficiently is an absolute priority as it provides gains in speed and endurance, allowing us to exert less energy with maximum results. That’s great bang for the buck!
Confidence
This last one is very underrated in my opinion. When I am starting to hurt really bad and I’m searching for ways to keep going, I lean on form; hard. Let’s say I have six miles to go in a marathon, I can start to assess my form and make adjustments that will help improve my efficiency and hopefully help me get to the finish line. I start to look at everything from my feet to my head. Am I leaning forward and bending at the ankles? Am I aligned and tall allowing for my breathing to be easy and not forced? Is my head up or down? Am I falling forward using gravity to my favor? After I’ve gone through this process, I almost always feel better. Even if I haven’t made any real changes, if it helps my head, it helped.
Trust me, these three reasons alone are plenty of reason for you to work on your running form. Professional athletes work on form in almost every sport, so if they can still improve, us weekend warriors surely can!
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