[GoSlow]

Ok, so we did pyramids at the track with the club tonight. Fun in an OMG-this-is-going-to-hurt-in-the-morning sort of way. Anyway, I noticed the following as I was being lapped by the speedy runners - they all lift their feet up WAY higher than me and the other ladies-who-lurk-at-the-back, so that they are virtually kicking their own @rses.

So, my question is - to get faster, should I try and lift my feet up more? And when I try, should I feel like a Monty Python character or not? Or, alternatively, do we all have our own running "style" which we shouldn't try to change?

What d'you reckon then you lot?

 

[dudemark]

i reckon when you run faster you take bigger strides - so you lift your legs higher at the back to compensate for this.

as you get faster you'll run like this automatcally.

 

[Runningfox]

When I get home from a run in wet weather the back of my shorts AND my vest are covered in dirt from all the stuff I've kicked up behind me. It's just my natural style, not something I've ever concentrated on to enable me to run faster. Sometimes, before a race, I've noticed people warming up by consciously trying to kick there backsides while doing short runs - so they must think it helps. I've never found it necessary.
Cheers!

 

[Steady Edwina]

You know GoSlow I was looking at some photos from my recent HM and I noticed that relative to other runners I didn't pick my knees up as much. I remember at one stage of the race one of the marshalls was really cheering me on (she knows me from www.fetcheveryone.com) and it really encouraged me to pick up my pace and I felt like I was gliding around the turning point and I noticed I increased my stride.

 

[Granty]

GS - I think as you continue to pict up the pace / distance you can't help but increase the stride as you go. Not sure about arse slapping but you can but try !! :d

 

[Bagpuss]

My feet don't come anywhere near my rump when I run, just individual technique I suppose. I once came second in a snooker competition even though I was told I moved my shoulder too much to play properly, didn't stop me beating about 50 blokes!

I don't know about 'kicking arse', but I know a few people that can talk out of theirs!

Me sarcastic..........nah!