Functional Path Training

Running Mechanics Part Three

To correct running mechanics, use the Fault/Reason/Correction Paradigm. First identify the fault in the mechanics. Then find the reason for the flaw and then correct the flaw. Look at the big things first in the context of the PAL Paradigm. Get a sense of the flow of the action, before looking at specific considerations. Focus in on smaller pieces of the puzzle only after global considerations have been addressed. This is in concert with the whole/part/whole concept of motor learning, start with the whole action in this case running, then look at the parts. Decide what parts need attention. Design task oriented drills or movements that will reinforce the correction of those parts. Rather than focus on the fault you are trying to correct, give the athlete a task to achieve that will correct the fault. Above all coach the correction, don’t coach the flaw. Allow the runner to explore and solve the movement equation, then, as soon as possible relate the drill back to the whole action.

In designing and selecting drills to improve running mechanics, answer the following questions:

Why drill? Drill to reinforce correct patterns or to change or improve incorrect patterns.

What drills? The drills should be as directed and specific as possible. A few drills well chosen & clearly defined are better than many general drills that dance around the issue. Make sure that the drills are in fact reinforcing correct mechanics that relate to everyone’s specific needs.

When is it best to do the drills? The optimum time for learning is when the person is fresh and fully recovered from any previous training stress. Therefore, drills are best done near the start of a training session.

How to execute the drills? Based on the objective of the respective drill make sure that the drill is correctly executed.

Drills alone and running are sometimes not enough to improve running mechanics. Improved strength is a big factor in improving running mechanics. Segmental weakness can contribute to poor mechanics, especially in the core. Therefore, it is important to couple any program that attempts to improve running mechanics with a sound strength training program that utilizes multi-joint and multi-plane exercises.

The following is a checklist of running mechanic skill faults to look for and correct. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

         Posture

                  Sitting – Leaning backward

                  Bending forward at the waist

                  Excessive side-to-side sway

                  Head Position – Back or Forward

         Arm Action

                  Swing across the midline of the body

                  Arm carriage

                           Too High

                           Too Low

                  Abbreviated arm action

                  Excessive arm action

         Leg Action

                  Foot strike

                           Exaggerated forefoot or heel contact

                  Stiff hips

                  No knee lift - Shuffling

Running mechanics vary with and must be adapted to the speed of the run. A sprint has different demands than a distance run. Running mechanics occur on a continuum from a pure sprint to a long-distance run. The most visible change along the continuum is in the amplitude of the movement.  A sprint demands longer stride length, greater air (flight time) and shorter ground contact time. As well as a vigorous arm action, higher knee lift and a forefoot foot strike. Efficiency is not as much of a consideration as is the pure production of power. A distance run will have shorter strides, much shorter flight time, longer ground contact time, a mid-foot to rear foot strike and lower more economical arm action. The longer the distance run the more important the efficiency becomes.

Summary

Improving running mechanics is not a quick fix. It demands constant attention and fine-tuning like any other motor skill. Because it is a motor skill it is teachable and learnable. It requires body awareness, balance and good basic core and leg strength. Each running step is a step toward ingraining a new motor pattern or reinforcing an established pattern. Beware of drill for drill sake. Oftentimes drills break the movement into too many component parts. Always relate the drill to the whole action of running.

Running Mechanics Part Two

The starting point for running mechanics is a basic technical model. That technical model is what man must do sprint at top speed. Therefore, in teaching to improve running mechanics we must start with sound sprint mechanics and extend those concepts out to longer distances. Even in distance running, ultimately the person who runs the fastest is the person who can maintain the greatest percentage of their maximum speed the longest. Running skill is a motor task! Like any motor task it is teachable and trainable. As with any motor task a systematic approach toward improving running mechanics will yield optimum results. The system that I have evolved to improve running mechanics is call the PAL System™.  PAL is an acronym that stands for Posture, Arm Action, and Leg Action. Those are the three areas of emphasis in running. The objectives of the system are fourfold. The first objective is to provide a context to analyze movement. Secondly the PAL System™   is a systematic step-by-step teaching progression. The third aspect is that it provides a context to direct training based on the needs established in the past two steps. Lastly it provides a rehab context by establishing a criterion based progressive approach toward getting someone back to normal gait pattern after an injury.

Let look in depth at the components of running mechanics based on the PAL System. ™    Posture should reflect the alignment of the body from the point of foot contact to the top of the head. The reference points for this alignment are the head, trunk, hip knees, ankles, and feet. The image and the cue for good posture is that of” running tall.” After the start and acceleration, the sensation should be of running over the ground as you are running fast. Good posture is a major contributing factor to reinforce this feeling. It has been my experiences that, if you improve posture, then arm action and leg action will also dramatically improve. The trunk and hips comprise the largest body mass segments. In order to move more effectively straight ahead rotational movement and side-to-side sway need to be controlled. The key is that they are controlled, not eliminated. Running like all other movements involves movement in all three planes of motion – transverse, frontal, with sagittal being the dominant plane of motion.

Arm Action serves two functions: the arms assist with balance as well as provide a strong propulsive force is sprinting during the acceleration phase. The arms play a vital role in helping to control the rhythm of running. The direction of the swing of the arms should result in linear motion. Some rotary as well as side-to-side movement of the arms is necessary to counteract rotation of the body and the mass of the legs, but this should be minimal. The amplitude of the arm action will vary with the speed of the run. The shorter and faster the run the greater the amplitude of the arm action.

The optimum Leg Action is to have the foot contact the ground as close under the Center of Gravity as possible. This is the most efficient stride. The amplitude of the leg action as reflected in the knee lift and stride length will vary with the speed of the run. Good running mechanics requires an optimum interplay between stride length and stride rate (frequency). Each person has an optimum stride length in relation to their leg length and the distance they are running.

When observing the runner to improve running mechanics changing the vantage point of observation allows for better analysis. Running should be viewed from the side, front and rear. From the front and rear have the runner run along a line, watch their feet strike in relation to the line. It is desirable to run along the line, not on the line or crossing over the line. The latter two actions are very inefficient. Instruct the person to run with different gait patterns – long strides and short strides, no arm action and exaggerated arm action, different foot strikes – forefoot, flat foot and heel first, observe how the person accommodates or compensates. Do this to help them get the feeling of what is right for that individual. At first don’t try coach or make corrections, just observe the movement. The reaction to these modifications in gait will give you clues as to how to best approach any changes necessary in the persons running mechanics.

Running Mechanics Part One

Running is a fundamental locomotor skill. It is a very natural activity. Unfortunately, because of our sedentary lifestyle and activity deprived society this natural skill rapidly erodes in accordance with the law of reversibility. As with any skill if is not used it is quickly lost. Generally, young children run naturally with fundamentally sound running mechanics. We need to ensure that this natural activity is reinforced through activity and play during childhood, so that in adolescence and latter all that is necessary is to reawaken those childhood movement patterns. If the skill has been lost through disuse it is tough to reacquire.

In running, as in all movement, there are three constants. The first constant is the body. The body works in predictable patterns with all systems working together to produce the desired movement pattern, in this case running. The body has a wisdom that we need to tap into to produce the desired results. The next constant is gravity. It is always there. It is the force that we must overcome to propel the body forward. Essentially gravity is trying to smash the body into the ground. The body must resist these gravitational forces and then overcome them to propel the body up and forward. The ability to reduce force through shock absorption is very important component of sound running mechanics. The third constant is the Ground. Improving running mechanics is directly dependent on the ability to use ground reaction forces effectively to propel the body. This is the force that reacts to the push transmitted from the foot to the ground. At speeds as slow as the ranges from 3 – 6 meters per second, which is essentially a range from a slow jog to a run, the ground reaction forces are 2 –3 times bodyweight.

No equipment is necessary to improve running mechanics. Improving running mechanics is about optimizing the relationship between the body, gravity, and the ground. Treadmills, and other exotic apparatus will only interfere with the body’s ability to move naturally.

Running at various speeds is a fundamental ingredient of all sports that take place on land, either as a direct performance factor or as a training activity. Therefore, the improvement of running mechanics can have a significant impact on improving sport performance. This impact will obviously vary based on the demands of the particular sport as well as the position within the sport. For example, in American football running at high speed is very important for the so-called skilled positions and relatively less important for the linemen. In contrast soccer, played on a bigger field as well as involving continuous activity running is significantly more important for all positions except the goal keeper.

The goals in improving running mechanics are twofold: First, to learn to optimize ground reaction forces (GRF). The point where the foot meets the ground is “Where the rubber meets the road” it is the point of contact is where all the forces are concentrated in a relatively brief period of time. Secondly, to achieve optimal efficiency, which means that less energy is expended for the same amount of effort. Improved mechanics results in a decreased energy cost to do the same amount of work. Improvement in running mechanics should result in improvement in speed as well as a reduction of injuries caused by improper running mechanics.  In is my experience as a coach, that correct biomechanics will improve physiological efficiency. In fact, it is a convergence of physiological parameters and biomechanical factors that result in the improved efficiency. The body is a system that means that all parts are working together to produce movement. That is precisely why improving running mechanics will yield a myriad of benefits. Ultimately it is about being as efficient as possible for the distance that you have to run.

My Parents

They were special people. There is not a day a day that goes by that I do not think of them. My dad passed away in 1992 and my mom passed away in 1991. They made me who I am and for that I am so grateful. They were immigrants from the Italian Canton of Switzerland, Ticino. They came to this country not speaking a word of English and learned both English and Spanish. Neither had any significant education. My mom went to four years of elementary school and one year of high school in the US before my grandfather took her out of school to work. My dad went through the eighth grade in Switzerland. They were married at the height of the great depression. I remember my dad telling me stories of getting up at four in the morning to milk cows for ten dollars a week and a house. My mom was an amazing cook, not just Italian food but Mexican food that she had learned to cook work on the dairy farm the Mexican lady who was the cook. My dad was a gardener. As head groundskeeper at Santa Barbara High School the lawns were a work of art. My dad had a beautiful signing voice; some of my earliest memories were of him signing Italian and Spanish ballads. They sacrificed to put my brother and I through Parochial schools and helped me with my college education. I get my love of learning and reading from my mom and stubbornness and determination from my dad. Thanks mom and dad I love you and think about you all the time.

How to Be a Guru

So you want to be a guru? Here are some helpful tips I have learned through observation of many of the well-known gurus in action.

Make everything as complex as possible, it you are not sure make it more complicated.

Use big words that no one can understand or spell so they can’t look them up in any reputable source. Make up words wherever possible.

Be as sciencey as possible. Cite obscure studies in Russian journals that no one can find much less read.

Mumble a lot so people can’t understand you but they still think you are saying profound things.

Claim every athlete you ever walked by in the gym or at the track as one of the pros or Olympic medalists you worked with.

Have as many letters as possible after your name. Make some of them up if you are not sure, it is always good to have a few extra.

Steal ideas and pretend like you made them up. Don’t give credit to anyone because it might make you look like less of an expert.

Hide behind palatial facilities and machines that go bling, bam & boom.

Pretend that training and working out started when Al Gore invented the Internet, obviously anything before that is irrelevant. If it is old is can’t be any good.

This is obviously tongue in cheek but if you take a step back and look around you will see much of this in journals, workshops and especially on the Internet. The only way this will change is if we start calling these people on their words and actions. Be aware, look for substance not style and think critically. Follow principles not personalities.

How to Be a Guru

So you want to be a guru? Here are some helpful tips I have learned through observation of many of the well-known gurus in action.

Make everything as complex as possible, it you are not sure make it more complicated.

Use big words that no one can understand or spell so they can’t look them up in any reputable source. Make up words wherever possible.

Be as sciencey as possible. Cite obscure studies in Russian journals that no one can find much less read.

Mumble a lot so people can’t understand you but they still think you are saying profound things.

Claim every athlete you ever walked by in the gym or at the track as one of the pros or Olympic medalists you worked with.

Have as many letters as possible after your name. Make some of them up if you are not sure, it is always good to have a few extra.

Steal ideas and pretend like you made them up. Don’t give credit to anyone because it might make you look like less of an expert.

Hide behind palatial facilities and machines that go bling, bam & boom.

Pretend that training and working out started when Al Gore invented the Internet, obviously anything before that is irrelevant. If it is old is can’t be any good.

This is obviously tongue in cheek but if you take a step back and look around you will see much of this in journals, workshops and especially on the Internet. The only way this will change is if we start calling these people on their words and actions. Be aware, look for substance not style and think critically. Follow principles not personalities.

The Seeds of Culture

Clay Erro is the former football coach at Enterprise High School in Redding, California and one of the winningest football coaches in Northern Californian history. More important than his success was his ability to teach young men to be responsible adults and citizens. His approach was unconventional with a premium on relationships and teaching. Relationships are not built upon rules. Just look at the institution of marriage. A successful marriage is built on trust and expectations and communication, not rules. Instead of rules, the team had simple self-explanatory guidelines:

• We not me
• No excuses
• No messengers
• No sympathy groups

Starting with a few simple guidelines as the seed, the team culture grew from there.

Core values define team culture. Developing core values is a process. It is a process that ideally is driven by the athletes and guided by the coach. This process will ensure ownership. If the culture is established, then it becomes a process of initiation into the core values. Core values are not rules, they are principles that guide, not regulate behavior. They are more than words written on the locker room wall. They are words that are translated into action every day in training. The coach’s role is to insure that the core values are real and lived by everyone associated with the team. It has been my experience that they transcend sport, better people are better athletes.

When Will We Learn (Warning this is a Rant!)

Volume is not a biomotor quality. It is a major stimulus at certain times in a year and a career. So why do we see swim teams and distance running programs go to extremes of volume training for prolonged periods of time to the extent that the athlete is so beaten down that they are 10 to 15 seconds off their personal bests in certain events. This is not necessary! It ceases to be training and borders on abuse.

Here is what happens with a squad: one third, the studs, who could do anything thrive. The middle third is always redlining, always struggling. They may or may not pull it together by championship season. The bottom third are roadkill. Yet we continue to lionize systems and coaches who follow this model because they win. At what cost? They win despite not because of.

There are better ways to do it and achieve world record and championship results. Simply the lack of understanding what quality is. No swimmer or runner should every be far off from their personal best times at any time of the year by an extreme amount. (Percentage varies by person and event). We need to get away from the survival model where we beat the shit out of the athlete then “Taper” with extreme rest and hope for results. Wishing or hope is never a strategy. This is not peaking it is gambling.

Instead learn to cycle the work appropriate to athlete, their event, and the time of the year. Learn to alternate cycles of preparation (more general work), adaptation (more specific work) and application (more competition and race pace work). This all needs to be coupled with appropriate strength training.

It can be done, and it is being done. It is necessary to get away from the fixation on mileage/yardage and prepare for the demands of the event.

Announcing GAIN 2024 Coaching by Design Workshops

GAIN 2024

Coaching by Design Workshops

GAIN started 2007. Until 2023 we have had an annual conference, this year instead, we are having GAIN Coaching by Design workshops. The annual conference held in June each year will resume in 2025. In addition, we are going international with an event in Melbourne, Australia in November. GAIN Coaching by Design workshops are open to professionals seeking innovative training ideas.

GAIN is a community of professionals eager to learn and willing to share ideas and information. GAIN is not about more exercises, sets, reps and training methods it is about passionate people who pursue excellence with honesty, integrity and respect to make a difference in the lives of the people we coach and teach.

2024 GAIN 2024 Coaching by Design Workshops

Coaching by Design

Designing and Implementing an Effective Athletic Development Program

June 15 & 16 – Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, CA

            Vern Gambetta, Nick Garcia, Jim Radcliffe, Brain Fitzgerald

August 17 &18 – West Chester University, West Chester, PA

Vern Gambetta, Nick Garcia, Jim Radcliffe, Bill Knowles, & Martin Bingisser

November (Date TBD) – Melbourne, Australia

Vern Gambetta, Jim Radcliffe, Dean Benton, Nick Lumley, Ellyse Perry, & John Pryor

How much does it cost?

Tuition is $399. We also offer team discounts contact us for more information.

How do I register?

Go to https://thegainnetwork.com/events/gain2024/ to register, enrollment is limited.

Where can I learn more about GAIN Coaching by Design Workshops?

Go to www.thegainnetwork.com or call 941-378-1778. You can also email Vern Gambetta at [email protected]

No Pain, No Gain?

No pain, no gain was a very prevalent attitude when I began coaching in the late Sixties and surprisingly it continues to persist today. I personally have never been able to figure out the appeal of this approach. Proper training in the weight room or on the field demands that the athlete be pushed to test their limits. Some workouts are very difficult and other workouts will almost seem easy. This ebb and flow of hard efforts interspersed with easier efforts is essential allow for proper adaptation. I really think the no pain; no gain approach is a direct outgrowth of the fact that historically strength & conditioning was a field driven by football. It was the football strength & conditioning coach who set the tempo for the programs because they were often the head strength coach. The mastodon mentality that pervaded football in the fifties and the sixties served to reinforce the no pain, no gain approach. After all, in those days players were not allowed to take their helmets off during practice and not allowed to drink during practice. The whole goal was to make the players tough, so without pain there was no gain!

That should be changing today with the accumulation of knowledge and experience that we have. I do not know about you, but I want my athletes tough on game day. That should be the goal of training. A thoroughly conditioned athlete who is supremely confident in his or her physical preparation will be mentally and physically tough. Physically and psychologically an athlete can only go to the well so many times before it will begin to deplete their reserves. There is no doubt in my mind that a good sport coach or athlete development coach can get athletes to train and perform beyond levels that the athletes ever thought possible. To achieve this does not mean you have to inflict pain. Pushing the envelope is uncomfortable. Athletes in training must get comfortable with a certain level of discomfort.

As coaches we are teachers. It is our job to teach the athletes we work with how to train. Training is more than feeling the burn. In fact, when you do feel the burn that is often a sign that the training is incorrect. It does not take a genius to devise a workout that can bury someone, that is not training. Good movements require effort, concentration, and intensity. I have found that this is the hardest lesson to get across to today’s athletes. I certainly do not want to discourage an athlete from working hard, but I feel I must teach what training is. Training is cumulative, it is more than one heavy training session, and it is the cumulative effect of many sessions over a period of weeks and months. Keeping each workout in the context of the whole program. It is hard for a young athlete to think about or see the big picture so we as coaches have paint a very clear picture so they can see where they are going and the steps they must take to get there.

Training is not punishment; it is an opportunity to get better. If we can shift our thinking to this approach then the no gain, no gain school has no credibility. The question is: Are you making the athletes better or are you making them tired? If you are just making them tired, then I would suggest you look at another approach. Remember willingness to work is a given prerequisite for success, but it must be purposeful, directed and nurtured. There is gain without pain, but it demands patience and a plan well executed.