Critique my form please

#21
And just so there's no miscommunication like we sometimes have with the written word, I am very very very appreciative of any and all critique and understand I do need to make some changes. I forgot I had a program that I could do slow mo with and am currently trying to download this version to youtube (super slow). I can see plain as day what you are talking about with needing to land flatter footed (feels like I am running up on my toes but I guess I do need to alter my form). It looks like it comes and goes a little in the video. Guess I need to re-learn how to land. I also wonder if that spot was a very good spot to video because of the curves in the paved trail right there. That may have altered things a bit as I had to control the stroller.
 
#22
Here's the link for the version with slow-mo if anyone wants to critique that version instead. I also notice it looks like I have a lot of up and down (not really bounce but up and down). Is this a bad thing?
 
#23
Nick, I feel woefully under-qualified to comment here, but I have to admit, I think B&A's analysis is spot on. I don't see that split-second 'dangle' just before the foot lands, when the thrusting knee seems to be momentarily suspended just above a relatively passive ankle. It looks like you're landing a bit too soon, and thus too far back on the foot. I have no idea how this might relate to your PF. Have you tried Jason's cues?
 
#24
NickW said:
So higher cadence is basically what you all are saying? I can tell you right now that I can't sustain a higher cadence. It hurts and I will be completely spent in a half mile. As far as flat footed I was very confident I was... Maybe somethings wrong with my feet sensors because I was sure feel my forefoot touch briefly before my heel... Guess I need to really figure out what the hell I'm doing... :confused:
Click to expand...

No, increasing your cadence is not what I am saying. Doing this with multiple people providing input is not ideal. Hence the reason I recommended we do this over Skype :-(
 
#27
Ok, B&A, so you're saying that I need to shorten my stride from the rear foot (actively lift/pull the leg up sooner) if I understand you correctly right? If I do that, to go the same speed I have to increase my cadence, right? I'm just a layman with running so I am trying to make sure I understand you correctly. Thanks again!
 
#28
Nick,

"""""""""so you're saying that I need to shorten my stride from the rear foot (actively lift/pull the leg up sooner) if I understand you correctly right"""""

IMO your goal should be to have your center of mass as soon as possible supported over the forefoot. In order to accomplish that goal at any speed you need to recover your leg both in a specific time frame as well as with a specific muscle coordination. What is this specific coordination? Well.....currently you are allowing the leg to lag behind and thus dragging and swinging it thru via hip/thigh tension as well as holding some tension thru each consecutive landing. What I suggest you do differently is lift your lower leg and ankle vertically toward your center. And this movement needs to happen as soon as you release your body from landing, immediately after you do the lift(with milliseconds) you want to let the body go limp(only reactive muscle tension left) until the body gets back to the ground. By doing this you will not rush the leg forward or leave it to far back as your momentum and interaction with external forces takes place. And you will effectively get the most out of your muscle, tendon elastic properties. Your cadence could be anywhere between 180-200 and accomplish this successfully. If you'd like I could show you some drill exercises to help facilitate this to happen.

""""" If I do that, to go the same speed I have to increase my cadence, right?"""""

IMO the role of cadence is to support the release of the body mass. So, the cadence will be 180-200 and be quite constant with various ranges of motion and stride length. Slower speeds producing less range of motion and stride length and faster speeds producing longer range of motion and stride length. The reason for this I don't believe is fully understand by most people as it is a very complex interaction between our internal force and external forces combined.
 
#29
B&A, as requested here are a couple new vids of me standing and walking and I also did a couple new vids of me running actually barefoot. I did not make any changes mentally other than I was running without the stroller. It was really hard to walk normal with someone recording me and also my right heel was a little painful this morning.
 
#30
Nick,

I did a quick download check on the new vids and they aren't available yet. Perhaps it takes a little while for youtube to make them available to strip :) I will try again later to get them.
 
#32
Running it felt fine, but I've had this nagging pf since Nov last year and B&A wanted to look and see if he could help me find ways to be more efficient and better form to maybe help alleviate the pf. I also wanted critique from others too. I did find this whole process has caused me to view myself as even fatter than I already did. Watching the videos of myself walking and running is fairly humbling in that aspect. Saw lot's of my jiggling belly... Anyhow, I just want to improve my form and become a better runner and eventually lose all this fatness that is me right now... :D Having this nagging pf really does not help the losing weight process.
 
#35
barefootandagile said:
It can become very confusing when you have more than one person coaching/teaching/mentoring an individual :-(
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Oftentimes, multiple perspectives/explanations can be helpful. I remember way back when I was studying French, and I just couldn't get the subjunctive. I read the explanations in three different textbooks, and it was only in the third that it clicked. Not that the first two were wrong, just that the third one explained it in terms that made sense to me, for whatever reason. A good teacher realizes that the same method or cues or explanation may not be appropriate for each and every student.
 
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#36
Bare Lee said:
Oftentimes, multiple perspectives/explanations can be helpful. I remember way back when I was studying French, and I just couldn't get the subjunctive. I read the explanations in three different textbooks, and it was only in the third that it clicked. Not that the first two were wrong, just that the third one explained it in terms that made sense to me, for whatever reason. A good teacher realizes that the same method or cues or explanation may not be appropriate for each and every student.
Click to expand...

Notice I said ""can"" not always confusing ;-)
 
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#37
I personally like the multiple perspectives because sometimes I have a hard time understanding the technical stuff otherwise.

On another note after running in shoes for almost 3 weeks, running in my huaraches the other day seems to have really killed my calves, almost as if I had never run barefoot/minimal before in my life. Weird because I was still running same/similar form in the shoes. The shoes must affect my running more than I had realized.
 
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#38
NickW said:
I personally like the multiple perspectives because sometimes I have a hard time understanding the technical stuff otherwise.
Click to expand...
For what's it worth then Nick, I'd say your form looks better without the stroller. I wonder if the stroller isn't what's messing things up. Also for walking, your back looks kind of stiff--I wonder if this has something to do with your surgeries.
 
#39
I actually think the stiff back had to do with my heel hurting like hell yesterday morning, plus trying not to think about walking normal because of the camera. ;) I noticed that I looked funny walking too though. I sure didn't feel comfortable like normal while videoing.
 
#40
NickW said:
I actually think the stiff back had to do with my heel hurting like hell yesterday morning, plus trying not to think about walking normal because of the camera. ;) I noticed that I looked funny walking too though. I sure didn't feel comfortable like normal while videoing.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, that would explain it. I would feel self-conscious too, unless it was B&A doing the filming . . .
 
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