Ray, Roo Runner, anyone else: I'm finally getting my head wrapped around these infamous movements that Cerruty adamantly preached would one day change the way we run.
I'll list this copy for others to see below.
Here are my notes first.
Movement 1 is a dynamic stretch, not too hard to figure out.
Movement 2 I've begun doing quite a lot especially on recovery runs or towards the end of an easy run. It also feels like a dynamic stretch almost but is more like free running as a young runner does with complete relaxed form, bad form, you could say. It relieves tension.
Movement 3 this is the weirdest one. It is basically skipping really fast. Cerutty said he could use this movement to bound up hills on hikes faster then others who walked or ran. I need some help figuring this one out. How would a marathoner use it? It reminds me of someone running with a limp?
Movement 4 is a relaxed run form, the perfect form, if you will
Movement 5 is also one I don't quite get. He said once a runner could master this movement he could run a 3:30 mile. Or faster! I imagine it being a Kenyan style stride mixed with movement #3.
Can anyone help me decipher movement #3 and #5. I feel like we need myth busters on this topic to find out if Cerutty was trolling us and his runners or not with these ideas. Don't get me wrong, the ones I do understand have helped my running significantly.
For those who are unfamiliar:
1- The Stretch-up and walk
"This sets the other movements in motion. As the runner begins to move, he naturally stretches upward, his arms reachin in the air above his head. This motion takes all tension off the muscles in the neck and back, and lets the runner feel loose all over. After stretching-up a couple of times, the runner should begin to walk, with his eyes looking down about 10 feet in front of him. His feet should be turned slightly inward."
2- The Amble
"The forearms should be thrown forward at shoulder length, almost parallel to the running surface, as the person frees his musculature while he starts to fill his lungs. The amble starts the runner moving with a natural lift in his pelvis as he moves lightly over the ground with an effortless shuffle. His elbows should not be locked in position; they should be free and loose. The amble is something children will naturally break into as they walk down the street. It is not quite a run but is gradually leading to one."
3- The canter
"Like a horse, the runner should bound over the ground with an easy, relaxed shuffle. Cerutty often advocated this to break up the monotony of running many miles...The whole body should shift slightly to a dominant foreleg and hindleg style that is typical of all four-legged animals. Emil Zatopek had a natural gait in his running technique that was very similar to the free-form canter. The marathon runner will use a modified canter..."
4- The trot
"In the trot, the runner's arms come down from his shoulders and chest after the amble is done a couple of times. Then, the legs are pulled up and down to correspond with the breathing. The stride should be shorter than for both the canter and gallop."
5- The Gallop
"This is the final and most crucial movement. Race horses gallop with a stride that is 20-30 feet long. The average human could easily gallop with a nine-foot stride. The runner should change his arm movements abruptly as he brings his forearms up high into his chest, shortening the muscles in his neck. This takes the pressure off of the upper lobes of the lungs so that the athlete can fill his lungs with oxygen. Once the lungs are fully filled, the athlete should throow down his arms at his side to expel the carbon dioxide. When the runner gallops, his stride length will vary with this inhaling and exhaling of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The outgoing stride, in which the athlete throws his forearm to his hind leg, should be 3-6 inches longer than the other stride, in which he fills his lungs."
... From Learning From the Past website, also can be found in various books