Increasing heel lift towards butt when running?

This is meaningless. This is not how you create speed. You generate speed with the force applied to the ground (more force= more forward push) and you can consciously cue your knee lift so as to sprint faster.

Heel lift is irrelevant and is a consequence, not the cause, of speed. Butt kicking drills are a waste of time. Do not include them if you do drills.

wouldn't it take less energy to rotate your leg through a stride if the foot is closer to your center of gravity (or ass)?

Good point, but having high heel lift is more efficient, correct? Perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems you can not bring your leg forward as fast with the leg partially extended as you can if you have the heel tucked under your butt-without applying more force, anyways.

"wouldn't it take less energy to rotate your leg through a stride if the foot is closer to your center of gravity (or ass)?"

That's what I'm thinking-and my heel lift is atrocious. With a good heel lift your leg travels in a wheel-like, circular motion that is efficient. With poor heel lift it is like running on stilts.

You are on the right track, having a higher back kick allows you to have a higher knee lift coming forward.

Not only will you have a longer stride, but you will generate more power.

goose step wrote:

You are on the right track, having a higher back kick allows you to have a higher knee lift coming forward.

Not only will you have a longer stride, but you will generate more power.

Other way around. Knee lift is what matters. What happens behind does not matter. Wasted motion. The knee lift will take care of shortening the lever. Sprinters do not kick themselves in the butt; everything is happening up front with lifting the knees.

I have the same problem. My knees do not come up off the ground and my heel never reaches my ass, not even close. I'm flexible like you. Just can't do it. I feel like i'm working harder then everyone around me just to keep up with their graceful strides. I was told by my chiropractor, when i asked him why i had that problem, that my pelvis is tipped back which makes it hard for me to lift my knees which in turn makes it hard to have a high leg kick. He told me an exercise to do to fix it. But i didn't quite understand what he was talking about and it felt meaningless when i tried it.

But in contrary to what you said i have exceptional speed. and I think i have the good speed because of my short stride. I have quicker turnover then those long legged, graceful runners i compete against.

I have high turnover, just not much speed. Definitely a problem of flexibility, but can it be improved? I can pull on my leg as hard as I want but my leg will not bend enough to allow my heel to get within a few inches of my butt. I have no problems with high knee drive. Perhaps it doesn't hurt my raw speed; but I definitely feel it hurts running efficiency over long distances.

N ope wrote:

goose step wrote:

You are on the right track, having a higher back kick allows you to have a higher knee lift coming forward.

Not only will you have a longer stride, but you will generate more power.

Other way around. Knee lift is what matters. What happens behind does not matter. Wasted motion. The knee lift will take care of shortening the lever. Sprinters do not kick themselves in the butt; everything is happening up front with lifting the knees.

The knee-lift is a function of the butt-kick, running with high knees without a buttkick is a good way of wasting your energy. The butt-kick should happen when the leg is moving forward under your body, and NOT butt-kick behind your body and then moving forward with the leg.

somebody should show some video examples

Sorry N ope, but you can't have a high knee lift without getting your heel up towards your Butt.

It is also quicker to bring a shorter lever through that phase to get a higher knee lift.

Thus by having a higher rear end kick, you shorten the lever being brought beneath the body and increase speed at which you bring the foot through to the forward landing position.

Look at that pic of Kipketer. I couldn't do that if I pulled up on my leg with my hand. At a similar stage in the stride cycle, at a similar speed (basically all-out for me, I'm guessing) my heel would be much lower.

I am going to suggest that your problem isn't one of flexibility but one of muscle imbalance. There are many people who are very flexible but have tremendous muscle imbalances.

Is running your only sport? I'm going to guess that you have scrawny/unbalanced looking legs.

I think your best bet is to start a general leg strength program. Squats, knee bends, leg lifts, even plyometrics.

Most runners see strength trainig as the devil because elites don't do it. What they forget is that elites already have strong levels of baseline strength. They don't do strength work because they already have it.

Strength training doesn't directly improve running performance but is strengthens muscles that can allow for better form and prevent injury.

See if you can find a qualified sports therapist in your area to assess a possible muscle imbalance.

I´m completely sure it is a musce imbalance issue in the hip/gluteus area.

What kind of exercises would do the trick?

Wich are good hip exercises. (concentric/eccentric)?

goose step wrote:

Sorry N ope, but you can't have a high knee lift without getting your heel up towards your Butt.

It is also quicker to bring a shorter lever through that phase to get a higher knee lift.

Thus by having a higher rear end kick, you shorten the lever being brought beneath the body and increase speed at which you bring the foot through to the forward landing position.

Goose step is right, some other people are completely wrong on this subject.

You should try to PNF-stretching for your quads, more effective than static stretching.

goose step is wrong

Look at Assefa Powell, look at Kenesisa Bekele

two completely different styles.

Powell has a low heel lift and a high knee lift

Bekele is the opposite.

Asafa runs so that he´s knees are not completely extended.It creates an illusion that the hip is not being extended also.Looks like he is sitting.

Bekeles style is more optimal for longer distances.