How to begin running injury free.

Running injury free is something that concerns distance runners of all skill levels. I can count myself among the unlucky who have had his share of frustrating injuries ranging from shin splints to strained leg muscles.

After running for nine years I was ignorantly not paying much attention to form. Then, basically by accident, I found a book called ChiRunning in late 2008, which changed my entire running style. The author's name is Danny Dreyer, an ultramarathon runner. He has fused his knowledge of T'ai Chi with a common sense approach to running style. Running injury free has been a reality for me since reading this book.

The new techniques that I learned this past year focus on excellent posture, a forward lean, and relaxed limbs and joints. The main premise is that distance running does not have to be difficult in any way and that it is not necessary to build up leg muscles to be good at it. If you take a look at the top marathon runners in the world, their legs are thin because they run efficiently.

As in T'ai Chi, posture is one of the keys to running injury free. When I run, I focus on a straight and upright body. My shoulders, hips, and ankles are all aligned. My pelvis is parallel to the ground and my head is slightly lowered. The work is carried out by an engaged core, not the legs. Running injury free is a natural result of this because it is how the human body is meant to move.

Once the posture is stable, the next focus is a forward lean. This contradicts most runners' view of how they should move. The lean is done from the ankles while maintaining a perfect posture. In my view this was the most difficult learning obstacle to running injury free, as I had the tendency to bend slightly at the waist and lose the energy of my engaged core muscles.

The main reason for shin splints and other running related injuries is not weak muscles. The barrier to running injury free is poor technique. When the foot falls on the ground in front of your center of gravity and the muscles are tight, it is inviting injury. The flexed muscles are being stretched unnaturally when the heel hits first and the foot snaps down.

With a forward lean, gravity is pulling you forward. Your legs are working to merely keep you from falling on your face. Your feet are either landing directly below your center of mass or slightly to the rear of it. As a result, you land on a flat foot. If your posture is still correct, your spine and pelvis will twist slightly and your engaged core muscles will absorb the energy. Your limbs will be relaxed and you will be running injury free after some practice and time to develop a strong core. Happy running!

About the author

Jared Broker has been a distance runner since 2001. He has treated many running related injuries as a Navy Hospital Corpsman. Click here to learn more about running injury free!