Five Keys to Unlock Free Running Energy
Much of endurance running is about economy, and the car engine is a common example. When considering a long road trip, fuel economy is one of the biggest factors. [Comfort, for me, is another big factor, but that has more to do with the seats and the A/C (and the company) than the fuel economy.] On the other hand, comfort while running long distances does have to do with your running economy!
To begin, I’m just going to say that running more will improve your running economy, and if you do it poorly, it won’t work as well. That’s why we run easy often and add strides. Those strides help your brain and your body communicate well and have good form. The other important thing to note here is that there is no such thing as “one right form.” Every body adapts to the life it has. Perfectionism is a risk here. We’re just looking for some opportunities to improve our form. Our bodies do some of this naturally as we progress in running, but we can help ourselves along the way.
Here are five opportunities to make some free energy gains with regard to energy return and passive movement. The big question here is “As for the energy we absorb each time our foot hits the ground, how can we use as much of it as possible?” The more of this energy we use, the more we have before fatigue sets in! Each of these opportunities takes advantage of the elastic qualities of our tendons and muscles.
Hip rotation in the transverse plane: Ever notice your body twist while you run? This is a good thing for so many complicated reasons, but the point here is not to stop it short and that you can improve your economy by improving flexibility and strength in this motion. That includes your internal and external oblique muscles, your leg adductors, your abdominal fascia, your latissimus dorsi, your gluteus maximus, and your biceps femoris. While running, cue this twisting in your shoulders. Possible changes: windshield wipers, planks, step-ups, pull-ups, and the Grapevine or Carioca Drill.
Hip flexion: At the back end of your stride, the muscles on the front of your hip are as long as they can be, and they spring your leg forward. No need for “high knees” drills to train this. It’s a passive movement, so let your leg rest as it comes forward. See my note below about stride length for possible changes.
Foot plantar flexion: The longer your heel can stay on the ground at the end of each step, the more energy your calf muscles and Achilles tendon can store up to release when you push off. This is about the flexibility of your ankle as you run and about extending your stride behind you. Possible changes: stretching/massaging gastrocnemius and soleus, uphill strides, and gradually using shoes with lower “heel drop.”
Knee flexion/extension: When it comes to the running gait, much of your knee movement is passive. It happens because of what happened just before. No need to kick your leg out in front or pull it up behind you. This has to do with the efficiency of your stride length and stride rate. The popular “180 strides per minute” may not be right for you, and research shows that running economy is better improved (within limits) by lengthening your stride rather than increasing your stride rate. At the end of the day, progress here is a product of other factors, rather than the cause of it. There’s no need for most runners to focus on changing their stride rate or length because it will improve as you progress otherwise.
Foot-arch compression: Many runners have an irrational fear of pronation. That happens when your ankle turns towards the middle of your body during the instant after your foot contacts the ground on each running step. There is a helpful amount of pronation that loads up structures in your foot to help while pushing off the ground. If the foot is prevented from this movement, you are losing energy. Possible changes: use shoes with more firm or “responsive” midsoles sometimes, transitioning away from “arch support” inserts, and spend a small fraction of your running time each week barefoot on grass.
A few notes on discernment:
I want to encourage you to practice healthy discernment in all areas of your life, and this is certainly one of them. In so many choices, there are two extremes, and the right option is somewhere between the two. In the same way, each opportunity above can become a hindrance if taken too far or too short. The efficiency is in the middle. When discerning any of the changes noted above, you would do well to consider several things. First, when it comes to injury or concern for injury, consult a physical therapist who works with runners. There are other helpful medical folks who can address some things, but it’s best to consult the professionals when considering injury.
Second, consider your current health and training cycle.
How much or little discomfort do you have on your runs and the rest of your life? If you’re recovering from one thing, it can be difficult to introduce another change. Also, if you think your discomfort comes from poor form, changing your form may be a help. Furthermore, reconsider any changes if you are within 6 months or so of a goal event because changing your form will LOWER your running economy, which feels discouraging and may not come around by the day of the event.
Third, none of these changes happen fast.
One of the clearest paths to injury is changing too much too quickly, be it running volume/intensity or form. I switched over from Salomon to Altra shoes in a week and developed injuries that took me 18 months to resolve because of it. I was engaging the elastic qualities of my lower leg tendons too much too quickly. Again, this parallels well with the spiritual journey. There are no quick fixes or shortcuts to the Reign of God. It’s all a matter of showing up consistently and taking one step at a time. There is no rush. Find the gift of presence in each moment.
Alright, time to conclude!
This is a deep dive into the weeds about ways to use less energy on each stride. It all has to do with the elastic quality of our muscles and tendons, but change happens slowly and requires consistency. There are opportunities in your spine, hips, knees, ankles and foot arches, but you need to use all the principles of healthy discernment to choose your next right step. The “free energy” that comes in each of these areas only goes as far as your elasticity will take you in the moment and as far as you can integrate those improvements ongoing. I encourage you to reach out to the people who support your running and discuss these things. If you’re looking for someone to discuss these things with, I’m more than happy to be a part of that. It’s an honor to be a companion on the journey.