GORDON PIRIE'S LAWS OF RUNNING

[Paul H]

Something for the Tri Section but some of his points are relative to cycling:

Gordon Pirie was one of GBs all time greatest runners

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Pirie[/url]

1 - Running with correct technique (even in prepared bare feet), on any surface, is injury free.
2 - Running equals springing through the air, landing elastically on the forefoot with a flexed knee (thus producing quiet feet). On landing, the foot should be directly below the body. (Walking is landing on the heels with a straight leg).
3 - Any and all additions to the body damage running skill.
4 - Quality beats quantity; the speed at which you practice the most will be your best speed.
5 - Walking damages running.
6 - The correct running tempo for human beings is between three and five steps per second.
7 - Arm power is directly proportional to leg power.
8 - Good posture is critical to running. (Don't lean forwards!).
9 - Speed kills endurance; endurance kills speed.
10 - Each individual can only execute one “Program” at any one time; an individual can be identified by his or her idiosyncrasies (i.e. “Program”). An individual can change his or her “Program” only by a determined, educational effort; each individual's “Program” degenerates unless it is controlled constantly.
11 - Static stretching exercises cause injuries!
12 - Running equals being out of breath, so breathing through the mouth is obligatory (hence the nickname “Puff Puff Pirie”).
(Many thanks to RunningPast.com for the photo)

[quote="Paul H"]9 - Speed kills endurance; endurance kills speed.

[quote="-Adam-"][quote="Paul H"]11 - Static stretching exercises cause injuries!

[Rob C]

The full version...

[url]http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Pressbox/2204/Gordon_book_040104.pdf[/url]

[huw williams]

In my sessions (running or cycling) I like to use dynamic stretches for the warm up as its more specific to what you're about to do, and static stretches for the warm down as you're about to stop exercising

[Marek]

Walking to the gym and tying my shoelaces is my warm up, then whack the treadmill up to full speed, get warm quite quickly. Interesting about the foot landing, I tend to run very flat footed. Someone told me that trying to change your running technique could actually cause more damage than good. But I suppose if you are getting injured due to your current running technique then trying to change is probably a good thing, although I think it is very hard.

I will try running on the fronts of my feet and being a bit more quiet with my landing and see if it makes me any faster. Actually, may try to do it at a very steady pace first, knowing me I'll end up face first onto the front of the treadmill.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQGT8bZt5I

Cheers

Marek....

[Andrew G]

Michael Johnson had a terrible running style but he was quite good.

Marek, your comments remind me of one of my favourite videos, something for you to try next time you're at the gym.
[youtubeuk]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI[/youtubeuk]

[carl f]

Be careful if your going to change your running technique
I used to run heel strike but tried changing to mid/forefoot style last november to see if it would make me more efficient
Ended up with a nasty calf strain due to lack of info!
You should defo get some advise on possibly changing your running shoes and do lots of calf strengthening and stretching
I use brooks adrenelin shoes and was told at the running shop that they are not flexible enough for mid/forefoot strike
Ta
Carl

[huw williams]

Two of the key components in efficient running are stride length and stride frequency. Both of which can be greatly improved with specific exercises (which we do in the early part of the sunday morning running sessions in Lloyd Park if anyone wants to join in).

Ultra slow motion video analysis of Michael Johnson's 'terrible' technique revealed that his feet were in contact with the ground for less time than any of his rivals. So while his top half looks slightly unorthodox, cover the top half of your TV when he was racing and you'd see his bottom half is the absolute last word in 'floating' efficiency. His stride frequency, the number of times he could get his feet on the floor while maintaining his optimum stride length, was hugely efficient. Stride length is relative, obviously Mareks is going to be greatly different to Andrews, the ideal here is aiming to stride as long as possible but only to the point where the foot lands directly below the body. Any further is inefficient and risks injury, runners with less efficient technique often lengthen their stride too much and lean forward to keep their body over the landing foot.
Also a runner with a long, loping stride is going to be slower than another runner with a similar stride length who can get his feet through faster.

So, as with cycling good technique is speed for free and learning better technique will make you faster with no extra effort.

Marek - you can learn to float by building up from slower speeds with the correct technique. Running with the treadmill on full whack means you could be landing with up to as much as eight times your body weight on each foot with each stride (or you could be in an all out sprint anyway) depending on your technique - try developing a 'quiet' technique doing that

Running sessions will be on the menu in Majorca so if you're interested I'll show you the technique drills there
H

[Sylv]

Well I'm going running now, will certainly have to adjust my step technique in order to stay upright on the ice- lots of little vertical steps

[Andrew G]

Interesting about MJ, I think his style just looked so odd because of his upper body posture it tended to distract from what his legs were doing a bit.
[quote="Huw"]Also a runner with a long, loping stride is going to be slower than another runner with a similar stride length who can get his feet through faster.