3 Unusual Ways To Improve Your Running Form

Every runner wants to run better; whether it’s faster, easier, longer or simply pain-free…

There’s a lot of advice out there regarding ‘strengthening’ the body for improved performance or to avoid injury, as well as strategies to recover effectively in order to peak at the right times. There is a growing awareness also of methods like Yoga, The Feldenkrais Method, Tai Chi etc, and their ability to improve one’s running technique and endurance (highly recommended I must say)

So what are we missing? Because we’re always missing ‘something’, no?

At least, if running is really the full ‘body-mind’ experience that many believe it to be (myself included) then surely there are tonnes of other ways we might tap into that hidden ponential lying deep down inside us all…

Anton Krupicka (above) is a great example of a holistic and thoughtful runner. He generally wears as few clothes as possible and is a deeply philosophical writer, outdoors man and (of course) runner!

Here’s 3 of such strategies that have had a surprising impact on my ability to run, recover and keep on running as of late:

1) Cold Water!

Putting myself into the canals and rivers around my home in North Amsterdam does wanders for rejuvinating my body and mind, each and every time. Whether it’s been a lazy (or ‘computer’) day and I need a boost, or I’m midway through a run and looking for more energy and fun, cold water is an absolute blessing!

I remember being astonished at how few runners were pouring cold water over their heads during my first Ultra Marathon 2 years ago on a baking hot, 36 degree summer day. I’m still convinced it was the cold water that got me through it in the end!

Those who know (and love) Wim Hof and other such experts will not be surprised when I say that the body’s breathing response is significantly altered when in cold (and especially freezing) conditions. My chest especially is forced to expand and breathe more deeply in order to adapt.

Equally, all of the tiny muscles and tendons around the knees, ankles, shoulders and hips especially get stimulated and somehow my running form instantly improves once leaving the water. It’s as if I can ‘feel’ my body as it’s supposed to be felt, and can therefore use it more efficiently.

Cold water submersion is becoming an increasingly popular form of recovery and even therapy for people. Relatively little is known about the exact science behind its effects, however, and even less about it’s influence on running performance!

2) Train Distance ONLY!

What do I mean by that? Run from location A to location B, with no other variables (such as speed or time) required. If it takes you 1 hour only then great! If it takes you a whole day then fine! The idea is that travelling across land efficiently is the biggest building block needing to be trainied. Longer distances and speed comes later.

You can never work enough on your foundations! After all, there’ll always be a quicker time (or competitor), but your basic ability to walk / run properly, injury free and with joy will last a lifetime.

We wouldn’t keep driving a car if a tyre was flat or the engine was blocked up, wasting fuel and energy unnecessarily. The same goes for running. Starting from scratch, and re-learning how to walk / run well, will always allow for greater potential at the extreme other end of performance.

A typical Feldenkrais Method class, whereby students practice ‘breaking’ their own subconscious movement habits; improving their ability to lay, sit, stand, walk and express themselves in subtle ways slowly over time.

3) Run With Somebody Better!

Don’t let the title of this one put you off… copying others who have something we don’t is arguably the most natural and effective way to learn anything. It’s what we do as children and keep doing whenever we undertake a new challenge. Somehow, though, there come these moments when we start to think ‘we have all the answers’, and we even start to teach and preach those answers.

So what about the beginner’s mindset? Isn’t that what running is really about? Improving, changing, and challenging your own body’s limits, norms and ideas…

Running with a group of stronger runners, or at least 1 other person who can run further, faster or more efficiently than you can is no doubt the quickest and most effective way to improve! Without even trying, you’ll start to mimic and embody their habits, movements, strategies and (over time) results!

Shunryu Suzuki was one of the most important writers and teachers in Zen Buddhism, speaking wonderfully about the ‘beginner’s mind’ mentality that is so consistently taught in the Martial Arts, Mindfulness and (ideally) Running also. It’s been said that being a beginner or ‘amateur’ every single day of your life is the best way to learn, enjoy and appreciate anything…

‘Training by necessity’ is what many great athletes call it… and it means to encourage / force your body to improve by being in situations that demand it! Eg: to keep up with the group / not embarrass yourself in public by getting too ‘badly’ beaten…

You could also call it ‘positive peer pressure’… something I’m a strong advocate for, I must admit.

So there we have it: 3 things to try during your weeks of running…

Be curious, be open and be brave, and let these methods slowly transform your body and mind from the inside out!

Happy humble running to you all… <3


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