Sumber Gambar : Google
22 Oktober 2013.
Terjumpa beberapa artikel tentang teknik berlari yang betul, jadi aku kongsikan kat sini untuk rujukan semua dan juga diri sendiri. Ingat berlari tu senang ke? Kalau silap teknik, boleh sakit-sakit badan dan demam urat/otot dibuatnya (macam aku alami sekarang...adeh!)
8 THINGS THAT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE RUNNING EASIER
1. Weight training. Specifically the quads and core will benefit you
the most, as a runner. The quadriceps are key to lifting your legs off
the ground. Here’s a little exercise that can help, and be done at your
desk. Put one ankle over the other, then lift and straighten the lower
leg 10 times. Do several sets. You’ll feel it just above the knee.
2. Take shorter strides. This will make your runs feel easier. A new
study out suggests that it can make you run faster and longer. If you
shorten your stride when you race, you can increase your sub-maximal speed and maintain it for a longer period of time, in turn you can run longer and further.
3. Learn how to breath3 right. Most runners follow a 2-2 breathing
pattern: two steps while breathing in, then 2 steps while breathing out.
You can also try 3-2 breathing. 3 steps while breathing in, then out
for 2 steps. Figure out what works best for you.
4. Eat more. Many people don’t eat enough to support their running
habit. You’ll get fatigued much quicker without adequate calories.
5. Stretching. Once you’ve warmed up after 5-10 minutes stretch, then
again after your run. This also helps so you don’t get injured.
6. Follow the 10% rule. Only increase your distance by 10% each week.
If you increase your speed quickly you are really prone to an injury.
There have been multiple studies done proving that you are less prone to
injury increasing your mileage by 10% each week.
7. Start slow. Then pick up the pace as you get warmer. This is a technique used by many elite runners.
8. Wear the right shoes. This is so important. Go to a running store
for your shoes. They’ll point you in the right direction. I had a friend
who decided to run a marathon last minute. He trained for a few weeks
and ran it in his K-Swiss casual shoes. Yes, it’s been years and he’s
still dealing with the consequences. Just get the right shoes.
Sumber : http://homemadebyjaci.com/8-things-that-will-actually-make-running-easier/
5 TIPS TO HELP MAINTAIN A PROPER RUNNING FORM
It would seem that if you want to run all you need to do is put on
your running shoes and go. Unfortunately it is not that simple if you
want to do it right and prevent aches, strains or injures. I have put
together a few tips about proper running form and also recommend that
you attend a running form clinic by Newton Running. Make sure never to
make these common mistakes the next time you are out for a run.
1.
I have to call out one of my SPA sisters when she said ”Just keep
your head down and run”. That advice she gave me when I told here I was
scared to run a Marathon is very bad advice indeed. When you are running
you want to keep your head straight, and upright to make sure you don’t
strain your neck. Sometimes on my run I find myself closing my eyes and
probably don’t always hold my head right, but it is important to keep
in mind that your head should not be down or lifted up for a long period
of time.
2. How To Hold Your
Shoulders: I am guilty of this one. I have a tendency to tense up my
body and shoulders when I am running up a hill, but this is a definite
no no. Now every time I approach a hill I remind myself to take a nice
deep breath in and as I exhale, relax my upper torso and actively roll
my shoulders back and down toward your pelvis. Doing this helps keep the
pressure off your lower back and also could help you get up the hill
faster.
3. What do I do with my Arms?
This one is kind of tricky for me. I remember my cross country coach
would always tell me to lower my arms when I was running, but I have
dabbled with trying different arm positions and have noticed my pace
speed up or slow down depending on how high or low I held my arm.
Ideally you want to remind yourself to sway your arms back and forward
keeping your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Doing it this way should help
you not loose so much energy.
5. A
Runner’s Belly: I struggle with this one, mainly, because I just forget.
When it come to running and your belly you want to always use your abs
and suck them in toward your spine to give your run stability. This
helps prevent lower back pain.
Sumber : http://iheartrunning.com/5-tips-to-help-maintain-a-proper-running-form/
http://liv-strong.tumblr.com/
HOW TO RUN WITH PROPER FORM AND TECHNIQUE
Running may be challenging, but it is an
activity humans were designed to do—and it's something nearly everyone
can enjoy if we allow time and patience for our bodies to adapt to the
demands of the sport. But that doesn't mean that proper running form
will come naturally for you.
If you were to watch 10 different people run, you would notice that each
one has a distinctive style. There is not one "correct" way to run. You
should run the way that is most comfortable and efficient for
you. However, you can still fine-tune your running technique, whether you're an experienced runner or
a walker who is ready to jump into running.
Every runner should understand the basics like proper breathing,
posture and foot strike. With proper form, you can help improve your
performance and decrease your risk of running ailments and injuries.
Proper Running Posture
Just as you should maintain good posture when standing or sitting,
maintaining a relaxed, upright posture while running is essential. Good
posture will help release tension and reduce strain in the neck and
shoulders, which can prevent muscle fatigue. The idea is to run in a
relaxed manner with as little tension as possible. Follow these four
proper posture principles to do just that.
-
Hold your head high, centered between your shoulders, and your back
straight. Imagine your body is hanging from a string that is attached to
the top of your head. Do not lean your head too far forward; this can
lead to fatigue and tightness in the neck, as well as the shoulders,
back and even your hamstrings. While a backward lean is not as common,
doing so puts greater tension on your back and legs, so avoid that, too.
-
Focus your gaze approximately 30-40 yards in front of you. Looking
down when running can lead to greater strain on the neck muscles and
spine, which can lead to fatigue especially in the latter part of your
run.
-
Relax your jaw and neck. Holding too much tension in your face and
neck can lead to tension in other parts of your body, making for an
inefficient (and tiring) run.
-
Keep your shoulders relaxed and parallel to the ground. Do not pull
your shoulder blades together as this increases shoulder tension. Your
shoulders should hang loosely with a slight forward roll for optimal
relaxation. If your shoulders rise toward your ears or tense up during
your run, drop your arms and loosely shake them out. Do this several
times during your run.
Arms and Hands
When you run, your arms (and hands) are just as important and powerful
as your legs are. They provide power and speed as they propel forward.
Proper arm and hand placement is just as important as good posture if
you want to be a better runner. Here's a rundown of proper alignment and
movement from your fingertips to your shoulders.
-
Lightly cup your hand as through you were holding an egg or a delicate
butterfly. Don't make a tight, clenching fist or keep your hands too
loose that they become floppy.
-
Keep your wrists loose. This will help you maintain a good hand and
shoulder position—and avoid tension in the hands and arms that can work
its way up to your shoulders.
-
Bend your elbows at approximately a 90-degree angle with your elbows
slightly pointed away from your torso. As your arms pump, your elbows
should swing somewhere between your chest and waistline—not higher or
lower than that. Carrying your arms too high can lead to fatigue, a
shorter stride length, and increased shoulder tension; carrying them too
low can lead to bouncing and a forward lean.
-
Allow your arms to swing from the shoulders in a pumping motion from
front to back. Be careful to prevent your arms from crossing the midline
of your body.
-
Pumping your arms at a faster rate will allow for faster leg turnover,
however make sure you do not put too much power into your arm movement
unless you are doing speed work, running up hills or powering yourself
to get across the finish line. Your goal is to hold off fatigue and
muscle tension.
Breathing
Over time, each runner will discover a breathing technique that works
best for him or her. As to whether you breathe through your nose, mouth,
or a combination of the two, is a personal preference. Most runners
find that mouth breathing provides the body with the greatest amount of
oxygen.
Whatever technique you choose to use, make sure your breathing is
relaxed and deep. It may take conscious effort in the beginning, but
deep abdominal or "belly" breathing is ideal for running. Most of the
time, we breath quickly and shallowly into our chests. This may work
fine for daily living, when the body isn't demanding a greater need for
oxygen, but it's an inefficient—and even stressful—way to breathe when
exercising.
To practice belly breathing, lie flat on your back with a book on your
abdomen. Slowly inhale as you watch the book rise, then lower the book
by slowly exhaling. This takes focus, but overtime you will find it
easier to do this type of breathing during your runs.
Side stitches (sharp, cramp-like pain in the trunk of the body) are
quite common among new runners, and they can really put a damper on your
workout. One cause of side stitches can be shallow, upper chest
breathing. This is where belly breathing helps tremendously. By inhaling
and then forcefully exhaling through pursed lips, you can very often
help prevent the dreaded side stitch. Maintaining good posture, with
your body in an upright position, also allows for better lung expansion,
therefore permitting for greater delivery of oxygen to the muscles.
Finding Your Stride
One of the most common mistakes new runners make is overstriding. When
you extend your lead foot too far out in front of the body, it lands in
front of your center of gravity creating a breaking effect. This can
lead to injury issues such as runner's knee and shin splints.
Also, make sure your strides are not too short and choppy so that you
appear to bounce; this is just as inefficient as overstriding. It is far
better to understride than to overstride, however, but you should find a
stride length that is comfortable, almost effortless.
Over time, your leg turnover or "cadence" will get faster. You may also
find your stride lengthening, but this is not due to overstretching the
lead leg as many new runners do, but rather from increasing the forward
motion of the rear leg.
Be careful not to lift the knees too high as doing so can lead to fatigue in the quadriceps (front of the thighs).
Footstrike
Footstrike refers to how, where, and when the foot hits the ground.
There has been a lot of debate in the running community as to whether
heel striking or mid-foot striking is a better approach to endurance
running; however, the reality is that most average runners are heel
strikers. In other words, they land with their heel first and roll to
the ball of the foot. This comes naturally to most people, but striking
with your heel can increase your risk of injury—especially to the
knees—and may set you up for shin splint or hamstring injuries. Over
time, it isn't uncommon for a runner to change her footstrike as she
develops greater muscle strength in addition to developing stronger
connective tissues in his legs and feet. A mid-foot strike, in contrast
to a heel strike, provides greater shock absorption, decreases strain on
the calves and Achilles tendon, and may help prevent shin splints. As
long as your foot strikes the ground directly below your center of
gravity—not too far ahead (as explained in the Finding Your Stride
section above)—the best technique for you is the one that allows you the
best running efficiency while preventing injury.
As you develop greater muscle strength and the connective tissues
supporting the legs, eventually you may find your footstrike evolving
into a more advanced technique known at the ball-heel-toe strike. This
occurs when you land lightly on the outside ball of the foot then
quickly roll to the heel only to push off with your big toe.
Run to the Hills
Hills can bring anxiety and dread to runners of all levels. It is
usually a runner's biggest concern when scoping out races or courses to
run. Nevertheless, the more you practice, the better you can cope with
the terrain changes you encounter.
Runners should practice both uphill and downhill running, which both
demand different running techniques. Uphill running requires greater
power from the hamstrings (back thigh muscles), glutes and calf muscles,
while downhill running requires greater use of the quadriceps.
Before you begin training on hills, it is best to have run on a flat
surface for several months first. Even though many people believe uphill
running poses a greater injury threat, it is actually downhill training
that can pose a bigger risk, especially if you do not have a solid
running foundation.
Once you start hill work, remember to keep these training runs to no
more than 1-2 days a week, while allowing for adequate recovery before
trying them again.
Uphill Techniques
Uphill running burns more calories, improves oxygen delivery to the
muscles, and can help an average runner train to become faster and more
efficient on a flat terrain. Hills help a runner increase his or her leg
turnover, and they increase strength and power in the leg muscles.
Below are some changes you will need to make to your running form in order to conquer the hills safely and effectively.
-
Attack or charge the hill while still maintaining the same rate of
effort, however know that due to the gravitational pull, your speed will
naturally be slower.
-
Pick up your knees and shorten your stride while increasing your
stride rate. Your stride should still allow for a landing in the center
of gravity or just slightly ahead of the lead foot.
-
Pump your arms at a slightly faster rate, keeping in mind that the
steeper the hill, the more arm motion you will need to drive up the
hill. This will help offset the gravitational pull.
-
Lean into the hill, not from the waist or hips, but from the ankle.
Leaning at the waist can lead to potential injury and lessens the
expansion of the lungs. The best explanation I've found about leaning
from the ankle comes from an article in Running Times magazine. Author Danny Dreyer writes,
"pretend you're a ski jumper gracefully extending yourself out over the
tips of your skis, body fully extended." I couldn't have said it
better.
-
Practice focusing on getting up that hill. Because uphill running
requires greater strength and stamina than flat surface running, many
times just taking control of the hill can help you conquer it.
Downhill Techniques
What goes up must come down. As much as runners despise uphill training,
downhill running actually requires greater concentration in order to
prevent injuries. When gravity pulls you downhill, your quadriceps
absorb the impact of gravity plus your body weight. This increases your
risk of knee and quadriceps injuries—if you don't take precautions—and
may contribute to muscle soreness more than uphill running does. Slowing
down and maintaining proper form is essential to run downhill
injury-free.
-
Because the potential for injury is much greater running downhill, it
is very important to maintain the same running form as you would on a
flat terrain while still allowing gravity to do some of the work.
-
While it is tempting to lean back when taking on these types of runs,
it is very important to keep a slight forward lean at the ankles,
similar to the technique you used running uphill.
-
Instead of using your arms to increase power and speed, think of them as helping you maintain rhythm and balance.
-
Land lightly on the ball of your foot as you run downhill so that your
feet don't act as brakes and slow your forward progression.
Although there is no "perfect" way to run, improving on some areas will
make you a stronger, more efficient runner over time. Do not feel you
need to make these changes all at once. It is far better to focus on
sharpening one specific area, such as hand and arm positioning instead
of trying to change everything at once.
You may find yourself a little overwhelmed after reading all that is
involved in developing proper running form. Don't be. The most important
point is to allow yourself time to adapt to the sport of running.
Remember relaxation, whether with your breathing, arm positioning or
body posture, is the key to becoming the best runner you can be!
Sumber : http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=823