I am making the following gradual changes to my running form:
- A straight back to run tall. I am primarily a cyclist which means that I do often drop into a “sitting position” when running, meaning my back is not fully extended. I will also attempt to reduce my aggressive forward lean (also brought from cycling) which could cause undue stress and imbalance.
- Increase cadence. I have depended on long strides for a very long while. Having disproportionately long legs led me to abuse my stride length. However, doing so unnecessarily increases impact. I will try to move from a cadence of 160 to 180 aiming to take short and light steps. This could help prevent ITB recurrence.
- Be less concerned about foot strike. I tend to fluctuate between landing mid-foot or on my toes. Instead, I will try to land naturally as per walking which is usually close to the mid-foot and possibly slightly nearer to the heal. This will help me roll forward as I eventually lift my foot with my toes leaving the ground last.
- Concentrate on exhaling. I picked this up from cycling to lower my heart rate during VO2 max efforts. It has helped me both physically and psychologically. We will see how this works for running.
I hope to make these changes over the next six months and will check back in when done.
