When watching good runners kick back I notice their heels come very close to waist level, almost kicking the butt. However when I run I don't even get my heel above knee level, probably not even achieving 90 degrees of flexion in the knee during kick back. It looks really stiff and ugly when I run.
I started running last year although off and on battling some injuries, leaving my old sport of rowing behind. I managed to run my first HM at under 1:25, but I still feel like I have these fat quads from rowing and my hamstrings aren't working properly. So I feel like I could make some good improvements with correct running technique.
What can I do to help? Drills? Lifts? What should I think about with the running stride? One problem I feel like lifting the heel back to the butt creates is landing softly, part of me thinks I'm minimizing my kickback with the heel and hamstring to save my feet from pounding hard on the pavement.