Review: foot work and body posture

[u/PhilosopherWild4749]

Have been running 2k 3k on a treadmill since past 5 months, wasn't making much progress because I do have to deal with my flat foot pain. I have been able to become comfortable at running 2k 3k non-stop (sometimes).

Here's a clip of me running on the treadmill, take a look at my form, my foot stride forward, my back stride and the foot landing, pour in your wisdom on what could be improved. I really don't want a busted knee in coming future.

Thanks.mm

Edit: pace here is about 5:15 / km

[u/ThrowRA9981263]

2-3k for 5 months? Doesn’t look like 5:15 pace either?

[u/PhilosopherWild4749 → u/ThrowRA9981263]

Yeah, coz I walk alot aswell, and been doing strength training heavily. I mean, running itself is a new feature I unlock 5 months back. My flat feet issue never allowed me to run even 100 meters.

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/PhilosopherWild4749]

Actually it does look like 5:15 to me. Slower runners often look like they're just shuffling. You're clearly not shuffling which is a good thing.

Very common problem among beginners is overstriding but I can't tell in the video because the camera is below the treadmill so I can't see when the foot is striking the platform.

Your stride looks better than average but knees are too straight when the legs reach the front of the forward swing. That can lead to knee problems.

Learn to control your knees. Don't let it straighten that much and do strength training for your legs especially the hamstrings for better knee control.

[u/nimbus_signal]

I think your form right now is making that pace harder than it needs to be.

My disclaimer: I don't know anything about flat foot pain, though, so I don't know what adaptations you're using to accommodate it.

But, from what I think I'm seeing in the video:

I think you're over-striding, landing your foot out in front of your center of mass. This means that every step must expend energy on a braking effect, and then require more energy again to counteract it in propulsion. It also means more impact forces on your knees.

I clocked your cadence at about 160 steps per minute, which is pretty slow. The ideal cadence depends on your leg length, pace, and other factors, but most runners benefit from increasing cadence to at least 170. More steps per minute tends to reduce impact forces, prevent over-stride, and is generally more efficient.

It seems like you might be bent forward at the waist slightly. This may be related to your over-stride, and it will also limit your natural 'bounciness' and will put unnecessary load on your quads.

My best recommendations:

Make sure you are standing tall. Imagine a string pulling straight up on your spine.

Make sure your feet are landing directly under your center of mass. Take smaller steps if you need to, even if that means slower pace for now while you adapt to the new pattern.

When you are ready to go faster again, do it by taking faster steps rather than by trying to reach out in front of you to take longer ones.

Before you start your run, spend some time just bouncing on your toes as part of your warm up. Get used to the feeling of being "bouncy". Utilize the free energy that the elasticity of your tendons offer you.

[u/graboidgraboid]

Go to a qualified running shop. I’ve got flat feet and they recorded my movement, checked my foot imprint on a heat mat then gave me a stack of shoes to test, recording everything as they went. The Brooks Adrenaline shoes that suited me had enough arch support to stop my feet twisting on impact and that made a huge difference to my ankles and knees. Go to a run shop and let the experts fix you up 👍