May Recap — Stride

We already learned that using large muscles and bringing your feet way out in front of you as a form of “power running” can waste energy. Brian Fitzpatrick described and demonstrated more efficient running, utilizing Chi Running principles.
–Lean forward and let gravity do the work. By aligning head, chin, shoulders, and abdomen and then leaning slightly forward from the ankles, there is a natural “falling” motion. Don’t worry, your legs will naturally move forward and keep you from falling.
TIP: to practice, align your body, lean into a wall (hold yourself with your arms) and relax your calves.
–Use Gravity and you will be leaning ahead of your footstrike. Think of Road Runner or the circular motion of a wheel. Land with the foot level.
–Use a quick, effortless heel lift as you run instead of a pushing-off motion.
TIP: walking or running on sand can help you practice landing on a “neutral foot.” This means an even weight distribution across the length and width of the foot. Try to have a full footprint with no divits.
–Keep a steady cadence (pace) that is about 85 steps on one leg each minute.
TIP: To hear what this pace sounds like check out this video (click to 4:00 minutes).
–To increase or slow your speed, don’t change the cadence, just lean forward slightly more or less. Leaning forward more increases the stride length, and leaning forward less makes it shorter.