I have been running for 21 years. I do it for the enjoyment and benefits, because nothing beats the feeling of an endorphin high from a workout. Of course, there’s lots of science behind the sport. We’re looking at a wide range of many things working together, whether it’s nutrition or biomechanics–the science of movement of a living body. Even though I had been running for so long, I was due for a running assessment at MoveMend. This would measure my body’s movements and give proper interventions for better results.

My first running assessment from a long time ago

I had a formal running assessment for the first time at age 20. My old running coach owned a shoe store and—in helping me choose the best shoe for my chronic shin splints—measured my footstrike by having me run on the treadmill. (Footstrike is what part of the foot hits the ground when running.) He also made suggestions for my running form: Feet should generally hit the ground at midfoot for better shock absorption. Arms should swing back and forth, not across the chest, for more efficient movement. Keep the back straight, with a slight lean forward, for a stable posture. He noticed that my feet pronate a little too much. In other words, my feet’s arches rotate inward more than they should, which puts stress on my shins. He recommended the perfect shoe, the Brooks Ravenna, plus Spenco inserts for additional support. I never the had shin splints since.

Bodies change with the times

Fourteen years have passed, and my body has changed over time. I’m pretty sure my form needs work, since I haven’t had professional guidance to keep it in check all these years. So, I went to MoveMend, a physical therapy office along Eastlake in Seattle for a two-part running assessment.

I met with Dr. Tanner Melnick, who runs marathons himself. He did the first part of my assessment by first going over my running and injury history, and then observing my cadence, footstrike, and overall form. I told him about the slight pain in my right hip flexor, which is a muscle that runs through the hip and attaches on top of the thigh bone.

My running assessment at MoveMend

I learned a lot of new words about running.

First is cadence, which is the number of steps per minute. A good cadence is about 170 to 185 steps per minute. On the treadmill, I ran at a comfortable pace to see what my number is. It was 171, the lower end of the range. Tanner said that’s probably because I’m taller. My legs stride longer, so it takes less steps to cover a distance.

Next Tanner observed how much noise my footsteps make. As an aside, a few months ago, my neighbor asked me to kindly tread quietly as I go down the wooden stairs in the mornings, because the clomping of my boots would wake her up. I remedied that. But I didn’t realize that I’m also a stomp-y runner! My feet made so much noise upon striking the treadmill, you’d think it was a two-legged horse.

Tanner noticed that my feet do have mild pronation. He also said that my knees don’t angle outward from the midline, which is known as valgus. My body’s sway is minimal. But I do have a slight hip drop that is worse on the left side. It just means that one hip drops lower than the other with each stride. It may explain why my right hip flexor has been hurting some as marathon training increases.

My vertical displacement, or how much I bounce with each stride, is minimal. This is good because if there’s too much bounce, you lose energy by going up with each step instead of forward. My forward lean is good as well, which means slightly leaning forward for a stable running form. Both of my feet strike the ground on the heel, and then the rest of my feet follow, the toes propelling me forward. I used to hit the ground midfoot. Sometime over the years, my footstrike gradually went from landing on the middle of my feet to the heels.

Finally, Tanner mentioned that my feet cross over the midline with slight circumduction. In this case, circumduction is when the feet swing outward and back in with each stride, like a circle motion. My left foot would swing out a little and cross my body’s midline into the right side, and vice-versa. That kind of motion spins energy away from the body, instead of using it to go forward with a normal stride. You can imagine that’s an inefficient way to run. It might also be contributing to my hip flexor pain.

MoveMend’s interventions for my running form

First, Tanner increased the cadence to 176 steps per minute and had me run at that beat. By focusing on this new cadence, I was able to decease the amount of noise my steps made. There was less circumduction, or swinging my legs over my body’s midline. My feet struck the ground midfoot more.

Then he had me run with less noise. My feet still stomped on the treadmill, and he encouraged me to keep the steps quieter. When I focused on that, there was still a decrease in circumduction and hip drop. My foot strike shifted slightly to mid foot.

When it was time to run barefoot, that showed the most differences. My cadence went from 171 to 190. The noise change was significant; little noise was present. It was just the soft pads of my feet with socks hitting the treadmill. My strides were shorter as the front part of my feet hit the ground. I had minimal circumduction, probably because the shorter strides didn’t give my feet as much space to cross over the middle.

It took a lot of concentration to run with these interventions. What I noticed is that I need to run with better focus. That’s why my form has become a little sloppy over the years. When I run, my mind drifts off like I’m on auto-pilot. Ideas float though my head. Sometimes my mind is blank, and I cruise without really noticing how I’m carrying myself.

MoveMend’s recommendations for stronger running

After these interventions, Tanner gave a few recommendations to improve my running form. First, I need to do some strengthening exercises for my hips, hamstrings, and calves for less circumduction. I also need to increase single leg stability, the strength and balance of each leg.

To retrain my form, I’ll aim to do shorter runs with higher cadence, about 175-180 beats per minute. I’ve downloaded a metronome app on my phone to help with this.

Finally, I will think about how to balance my training better, considering the training load (the amount of miles per week) and my capacity (how much I can actually do). Tanner suggested that my training load should be spread out more evenly through the week. That could increase my capacity. I’m reaching peak training, so balancing the training plan is important if I want to stay strong.

It’s going to take some effort to retrain myself, but I’m so excited to know what needs work! I’ll apply these interventions and see what Tanner has to say during the second running assessment at MoveMend.

*Thank you, MoveMend, for sponsoring this post.

Disclaimer: This blog is not intended as medical or professional advice.  I’m sharing my experiences, and they should not be a substitute for physical therapy advice for anyone. Any exercise has potential to cause injury or pain if it’s done incorrectly. You should consult with a physical therapist or doctor for any medical advice.