How to improve my stride

Do you have any pictures of yourself running, or any video - get one of your buddies to record you running. Try this - run 1200m hard - each lap, have one of your friends record you for 10 - 15 seconds, then post it on YouTube or similar and email or post a link.

I had a similar problem which I know how to resolve, if it is the same.

Dont try to improve your stride, rather try some strengthening exercises and drills. It is probably more of a factor of your form breaking down than needing a better stride. Start doing light core exercises and speed drills. They have helped me a lot in the past. You know, lunges, abs, hips, hamstrings, all that type of shit.

I would not consciously alter your stride. A lot of young runners--especially those with a fair amount of potential (such as yourself)--have long strides with a bounce. I think the single most effective thing you can do to increase your efficiency is to increase your mileage. Run more. In general, the more your run, the more efficient your stride will become.

Trollie McSockpuppet wrote:

I would not consciously alter your stride. A lot of young runners--especially those with a fair amount of potential (such as yourself)--have long strides with a bounce. I think the single most effective thing you can do to increase your efficiency is to increase your mileage. Run more. In general, the more your run, the more efficient your stride will become.

I agree 100% with this statement. I was about to write it myself.

Trollie McSockpuppet wrote:

I would not consciously alter your stride. A lot of young runners--especially those with a fair amount of potential (such as yourself)--have long strides with a bounce. I think the single most effective thing you can do to increase your efficiency is to increase your mileage. Run more. In general, the more your run, the more efficient your stride will become.

yup, this is the correct answer. trying to change your stride almost always leads to injury. and btw, Jhuffman is probably going to get a hold of this and tell you POSE, dont do it. Just up the miles.

this is such bs - you are offering advice and you have know idea what the guys form looks like. for all you know the guy's feet could be hitting the back of his head - obviously, his coach has no ideas so, you dolts automatically say "run more" brilliant!

sla,I applaud your excellent grammar, but the substance of your argument needs work. Let's review.

such lame advice wrote:

this is such bs - you are offering advice and you have know idea what the guys form looks like.

It's ironic that you are criticizing me for being presumptuous when, in fact, you are the one making wild assumptions. Not only do I know what his form looks like, but I am an assistant coach at his high school. Idiot.

for all you know the guy's feet could be hitting the back of his head

His feet *are* hitting the back of his head, which is actually desirable at his age. Both Bekele's and Geb's feet hit the back of their respective heads until they were 16 or so--it's actually indicative of running potential. The tendency will go away naturally with time. End of story.

obviously, his coach has no ideas so, you dolts automatically say "run more" brilliant!

Are you his coach? I didn't think so. End of story. So who is the "dolt" now? That's what I thought. End of story.

Hill repeats?

Oscar,

If your stride is good at faster paces/shorter distances then you may be unconsciously putting on the breaks to pace yoursel at the longer efforts. By this I mean you may be landing with your foot slightly in front of you. This will cause the bounce unless you make an effort to dampen the impact. Try working on landing your foot just behind your center of gravity (maybe only 1-2 inches back from where you are now.

Oscar wrote:

Hi, I am a sophmore in college and I have been running cross country since my senior year of high school.

Trollie McSockpuppet wrote:

Not only do I know what his form looks like, but I am an assistant coach at his high school. Idiot.

Trollie it seems as if someone is confused. Perhaps you coach a guy named \"Oscar\" at your school, but - maybe this is not him? Imagine this, there may be other people on the Internet using the name \"Oscar\". Please, do tell us where you assistant coach.

Trollie it seems as if someone is confused.

Indeed there is, and that someone is you.

Perhaps you coach a guy named "Oscar" at your school, but - maybe this is not him? Imagine this, there may be other people on the Internet using the name "Oscar".

Highly unlikely. But let's take your wild hypothetical and run with it. What are the chances that there would be two Oscars who run in high school, use the internet, and have a long, bouncy stride? It is, I suppose, theoretically possible, but the chances of it happening are so remote that it's not even worth thinking about.

Please, do tell us where you assistant coach.

Out of respect for Oscar's Third Amendment rights, I will not answer that. But Oscar and I know the high school, and that is all that matters.

Dude - he said he was in college.

If in fact "Oscar" is your HS guy - then not much needs to be said about your assistant coaching abilities if he is soliciting help here. "Oscar" obviously puts no faith in what you have said already - hence his Internet solicitation.

Cheers!

Oscar did not say long bouncy stride - he said "I tend to have a bounce to my stride" not "long bouncy". Trollie, the Internet is a big place - there is a very real possiblity that there may be more than one "Oscar" out there.

Ben Dover Trollie wrote:

Oscar did not say long bouncy stride - he said "I tend to have a bounce to my stride" not "long bouncy". Trollie, the Internet is a big place - there is a very real possiblity that there may be more than one "Oscar" out there.

I've already addressed this point above. It's called probability....look into it.

As for your lame "gotcha" concerning Oscar's ostensible college status, I asked Oscar to post as a college student to provide an extra layer of anonymity. He is, in fact, a high school student. And I asked him to post to prove a point, and that point has been proved.

The game, set, and match have been won by me. Deal with it.

Trollie McSockpuppet wrote:

His feet *are* hitting the back of his head, which is actually desirable at his age. Both Bekele's and Geb's feet hit the back of their respective heads until they were 16 or so--it's actually indicative of running potential.

Can you explain why this is?

That is, why it is many talented runners have this type of stride at a young age?

You're a freak and good luck with your continued career as an assistant coach.

Hi everybody. Mr. McSockpuppet is my high school coach and he's the best! Not only does he give me private coaching on the weekends, but he gives me massages when I'm sore and tired. And he's so humble that he says not to tell my parents about our special runs and the massages because he doesn't want anybody feeling guilty about the extra work he does.

The funny thing about this thread is that Mr. McSockpuppet tells me I should bounce more when I run, I wonder why that is?

Hi Mr. McSockpuppet! I'm looking forward to our run this weekend, I'll ride my bike to meet you at the Motel 6 on Highway 133. I didn't even no there are running trails out there!

XOXOXO, Mikayla

Orestes wrote:

Trollie McSockpuppet wrote:

"His feet *are* hitting the back of his head, which is actually desirable at his age. Both Bekele's and Geb's feet hit the back of their respective heads until they were 16 or so--it's actually indicative of running potential."

Can you explain why this is?

That is, why it is many talented runners have this type of stride at a young age?

It is an interesting question, and it's something of a mystery. The prevailing theory is that the ayurvedic system is more finely developed in Ethiopians (but, interestingly, not in Kenyans) and allows for an extremely high back kick when the athlete is young and especially flexible. It is more of a nuisance than anything else--Geb, for example, has said in interviews that he was embarrassed as a teenage runner because his hair was always caked in the dirt that he had kicked onto his head. In any event, I believe the proper course of action is to assure the young runner that feet hitting the back of the head is a sign of promising things to come in his or her running career.

Thanks for the info. Now I'll go google "ayurvedic system" and find out what the hell that is.

That would be encouraging for me personallyy if it turned out that there is in fact a positive correlation between kick-back and talent...there are obviously other factors, of course, but this is one that is apparent to the naked eye.

I have always had a high kick-back, and shortly after my first varsity workout the coach told me I have good potential. I was mainly in the middle of the pack, i.e. not blazing fast, so obviously he saw something in the way I run...this may be one of those things. Also, the best and "most talented" runner on my team has a high kick-back.

Is high kick-back something that coaches commonly make note of?