Proper running form is an elusive concept. Hard to understand, hard to know if you are doing it properly, and hard to change the way that you run now. After all, you’ve done it this way for so long already. I find that real, tangible cues that people can focus on changing, like the Cadence Count from an earlier tip, can really make a difference. Here’s another very simple tip that just might be cue that you need.
Desired Form = Slight Forward Body Lean
Before we even get to the tip, let’s talk for a second about what element of running form we are focusing on…the forward lean. I recommend isolating this element of your running form since it’s so natural that it’s elusive.
There’s an almost imperceptible lean during the very first few steps we take when we start running. I see it with my little daughter all the time…she has yet to master just how far forward she can lean without face planting. While I am really hoping she “gets it” soon, I want you to learn something from her experiences. It’s how we get the momentum to begin moving forward.
Most runners automatically drift back to a default vertical setting once they reach their running speed…and it’s because of their head position.
In this shot, the athlete has pretty solid running form. The red line is her current torso angle, the green line is where I’d like her to be. It’s based on her hips, the alignment looks good, but the further up she travels towards her head, you can see how the torso kicks back and the eyes looks straight ahead.
In order to fix this, we need to get her head looking at the ground about 15 to 20 feet in front of her body. That head tilt will approximate the proper angle found in her hips, and will place her upper body along that proper line of lean.
Before we can do this running, however, we can do it in a drill. In the two-part picture series above, you can see how I move from a vertical stance to a forward lean. All I am doing here is shifting my weight to the balls of my feet. Unfortunately, my head doesn’t follow my torso, so that part of this picture isn’t so great. But don’t let this take away from how this drill can help you get that sense of moving forward, of high potential energy.
Natural Body Alignment
Let’s close out this tip with a great shot of someone putting this form into action. In the shot above, we see Cameron Brown at Mile 18 about to move into first place overall. Note how his compact form has a nice forward lean, and how his head is in total alignment with his torso, focused on the ground. With the other athlete looking at his watch, you can see how his form has just disintegrated. Cam is on a “roll”, this other doode is just hanging in there.
In addition to better overall form, proper head position helps to eliminate tension in the upper back and shoulders area, as well as prevent the typical over-rotating of the hips in the search for the proper lean.
How do you position your head when running?
Hi, I'm Patrick McCrann. 
