Analyze her technique

I don't get this focus on form. It is a reverse causation in that fast running produces good form not good form causes fast running. For example if I go out and do a tempo run or strides I will naturally land more mid/forefoot. But if I go out for a easy jog I will naturally land more heel first. The most important thing when it comes to running form is to stay relax and smooth.

Remember, relax is smooth, smooth is fast.

Libertarian vegan wrote:

I don't get this focus on form. It is a reverse causation in that fast running produces good form not good form causes fast running. For example if I go out and do a tempo run or strides I will naturally land more mid/forefoot. But if I go out for a easy jog I will naturally land more heel first. The most important thing when it comes to running form is to stay relax and smooth.

Remember, relax is smooth, smooth is fast.

Like all good lies, there is a kernel of truth in there. However if you watch bad or inexperienced runners, you will find them doing the wrong thing at all speeds and teaching them good mechanics early on solves many problems.

Libertarian vegan wrote:

I don't get this focus on form. It is a reverse causation in that fast running produces good form not good form causes fast running. For example if I go out and do a tempo run or strides I will naturally land more mid/forefoot. But if I go out for a easy jog I will naturally land more heel first. The most important thing when it comes to running form is to stay relax and smooth.

Remember, relax is smooth, smooth is fast.

That’s an excellent post. I agree 100%

It looks so weird and unnatural seeing folks trying to run with some kind of forced pose/exaggerated forefoot strike while running at 9:00 to 10:00/mile pace.

Difficult to say much about her technique when in the video she is barefoot and running quite slowly. This is obviously not the pace she spends most of her time at. With similar levels of shoe she would usually be moving quite fast (on the track in spikes). However if you pressed me I'd say even at speed, something looks off about her forward leg motion, as if instead of bringing the knee up and back she has less knee motion and snaps her foot out. I noticed this too in the short track clips. But I don't know.

I will say I am not a fan of her form, aesthetically, I'm sure it works fine for her.

One thing, the best commentary I've ever read on form is from Balanced Runner's analysis of various elites. I'd imagine they would say this runner's form is fine, but not great.

And I think you hit on a key as to why form analysis is so challenging: even a video is a snapshot in time.

Analyzing form during a barefoot run in the grass seems like an absurd exercise to me. It seems pretty likely that she is doing this either for the purpose of forcing herself into more of a midfoot strike or to just get some strengthening work for her feet with the result being a midfoot strike. Yes, she has a similar form on the track, but that is when she is racing a relatively short and fast race (for distance events), so that too is just a snapshot. I would like to see what she looks like when she is unobserved at about mile 9 of a 12 to 14 mile long run. It may be the same, it may not; but it would be interesting to see.

As to the general idea of whether or not to alter someone's form, I think Coach B has it right: try to get people doing the right thing early. That is worth the time investment.

But if you are dealing with an experienced runner, unless there is something absolutely glaring, or something that is impacting someone's gait so much that it is resulting in injuries, my take is to just let them run.

Over complicated post.

As for her form.

Hands too low. On her toes at a speed that makes that unnecessary - so unnatural.

A little too far out in front versus working more on her drive. No real balance. She looks better when she comes off her toes later in the video, as she fatigues.

I have not seen her running fast, but her current action looks more for show. Waste of film.

CoachB wrote:

Libertarian vegan wrote:

I don't get this focus on form. It is a reverse causation in that fast running produces good form not good form causes fast running. For example if I go out and do a tempo run or strides I will naturally land more mid/forefoot. But if I go out for a easy jog I will naturally land more heel first. The most important thing when it comes to running form is to stay relax and smooth.

Remember, relax is smooth, smooth is fast.

Like all good lies, there is a kernel of truth in there. However if you watch bad or inexperienced runners, you will find them doing the wrong thing at all speeds and teaching them good mechanics early on solves many problems.

Bad runners don't have enough speeds to worry about forefoot landing. Inexperienced runners are either going to be fast or slow eventually and their landing won't vary much either.

It's just like appearances. You can't practice beauty.

crumpet wrote:

Over complicated post.

As for her form.

Hands too low. On her toes at a speed that makes that unnecessary - so unnatural.

A little too far out in front versus working more on her drive. No real balance. She looks better when she comes off her toes later in the video, as she fatigues.

I have not seen her running fast, but her current action looks more for show. Waste of film.

Agreed. The real issue is the camera work which is pretty poor. She's too far away for us to really dial down on her form. Running barefoot on grass doesn't really help us understand form better.

I think most effective would be filming her on a track at several paces (easy, medium, hard, and race). Her form will be a lot more clear then. And the camera needs to zoom in.

Funny, I watched that video and thought: "This woman is an Olympian? She looks like an average collegiate runner, she must do an event with no depth, so probably a steeplechaser."

Googled her, and sure enough, Australian steeplechaser. Her PRs are better than I expected, though, more of an upper level NCAA runner than a low level.

I'm not sure why this video chose to use her, though, she hasn't run anything really competitive in a number of years. She appears to have peaked the year after she graduated NCAA, then declined slowly over the next 7 years of competing. I wonder who she trained with for those 7 years.