Improve Your Running Technique

Run farther with less effort: how to use your tendons, not just your muscles

Image by drazenzigic

I am a weight-room person who loves biomechanics. Watching novices run, especially on treadmills, I often see huge knee lift and big quad, hamstring effort that looks more like a short sprint than distance running. Most hobby runners do not need a coach to fix this. You can make a big improvement by learning how your body recycles elastic energy.

The big idea

Muscles create force, but tendons and the plantar fascia act like springs. When your foot meets the ground, these tissues store energy and then give it back on push-off. That recycled energy costs very little metabolically, which is why efficient runners feel light and can hold pace longer.

What efficient running looks and feels like

Posture
Stand tall with a small forward lean from the ankles, not the waist. Keep your ribs stacked over your hips so the spring can load vertically.

Arms
Drive elbows gently back to set rhythm and keep the torso stable.

Cadence
Use a slightly quicker step rate to avoid overstriding. Many runners do well nudging their natural cadence up by five to ten steps per minute.

Foot placement
Land close to under your hips. Do not reach far in front. A midfoot or soft rearfoot landing is fine if contact is quick and quiet.

Ground contact
Think quick in, quick out. Let the calf, Achilles complex behave almost isometrically while the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia store and release energy.

Stride length
Let length grow behind you as your hip extends, rather than reaching in front with the knee.

How to apply this across paces

Easy cruise
Use quick, light steps and let the foot land near under you. If your steps are slapping or you feel heavy in the knees, add a few steps per minute and think “quiet feet.”

Moderate pace
Keep the same cues. Speed comes mostly from slightly longer stride behind you and a bit more hip extension, not from reaching forward with the knee.

Faster running
There is always a brief flight phase in running, even at easy speeds. As you go faster, contact stays short and crisp. You still want light touches and elastic rebound, not a hard push.

Drills that teach the “spring”

Pogos or line hops, jump rope, and short hill strides for ten to twenty seconds. These teach quick contacts and reinforce ankle stiffness.

Strength that protects the springs

Calf and soleus raises heavy and slow
Two to three sessions per week. Include bent-knee soleus work.

Glute strength and hip extension
Hinges, step-ups, and bridges keep propulsion behind you and off the knees.

Foot care
Short foot drills and gentle plantar fascia mobility keep the arch responsive.

Simple self-check

• Do you hear your feet? Aim for quiet contacts.
• Do you feel the knee taking the load? Nudge cadence up and think “foot under hips.”
• Are you sore in the quads after easy runs? You may be reaching in front and braking.

Common questions

Do I need a forefoot strike
No. Efficient runners exist with different strikes. The key is landing near under your center of mass with short contact time.

Is knee bend bad
Some knee flexion helps absorb load and store elastic energy. Problems arise when the leg lands too far in front, creating a braking lever and asking the quads and hamstrings to do extra work.

What about treadmills
All the same cues apply. Watch that you do not reach forward to “grab” the belt. Stand tall and let the belt pass under you with light, quick steps.

A gentle four-week reset

Week 1
On two easy runs, increase cadence by five steps per minute for short one-minute segments, six times, with one minute normal between.

Week 2
Make the higher cadence your default on easy days. Add three sets of heavy calf and bent-knee soleus raises.

Week 3
Add two sessions of short hill strides of ten to fifteen seconds, four to six repeats. Keep them relaxed and springy.

Week 4
Hold the cues on all easy runs. If you feel good, add one moderate run focusing on quiet feet and stride growing behind you, not in front.

Why this matters for long distance

Distance here simply means you need to sustain pace, whether that is two kilometers or twenty. Tapping elastic recoil lets you move with less metabolic cost, delay fatigue, and keep your joints happier.

TrainerX takeaway

At TrainerX we care about how you move, not only what you lift. Mastering elastic recoil gives you more speed for the same effort and keeps the quads and hamstrings from doing sprint work on a long run. Train the springs, keep contacts quick and quiet, and let efficiency carry you farther.