Bounce is very important for running. I've seen folks humping up and down roads and paths as if there is no tomorrow. It is like humping like a rabbit!. Just you wait!
With wayward bounce, tomorrow is the concern path. Today is is all good, jumping, feels goods, feels fast and seems like it is all happening. I have experienced this as that is why i can write. I guess it is where I am going that matters rather than where I have been.
Say for example get a rubber ball and bounce it on the concrete, tarmac, gravel and grass. The bounce will be higher on concrete and then tarmac - then gravel and then grass. If you put rose peddles in to the equation if would be the lucky last and we can use that to out imagination as we are not going in to details about running on rose pedals. So as we run, with each step we put 2 to four times out body weight on our landing feet. That is lot of weight. The heavier you are more the the weight you put on your feet(no bull!). If you tend to bounce, the higher you go up with every stride and then one that goes up has to come down in the real world and the landing force is higher with higher you go. Why; that is thanks to a thing gravity. If you think I am lying ask Sir Newton if you can find him. If it wasnt for gravity i would be writing about flying than running. We all get high as kites. Happy days.......
So what are the consequences of bouncing. Weeeeelll it can be advantaged in one way and it can be disadvantaged in another way. Bounce is not bad. You need that reverse force from your stride to kick further. But has to be on a moderation. This would help you to increase the stride angle. If you increase your stride angel less number of strides for the same distance.
If you bounce way to much than you need. You just bounce up and down like a rabbit and going no where. I have seen folks just go up and down and their feet hit their back side but their stride angle is so small. That is waste of energy. It is like the bob effect in mountain biking. To much energy wasted on the shocks of the shoes and just going up and down. Also this is ingredients for leg knee and ankle injuries. It is the strain from landing from higher vertical elevation. If you tend to land on the back of your foot this makes this even worse as you are not letting your body properly balance your weight when you land and all the force goes directly on to lower part of the feet. The heavier you are the more strainer it gets.
So what is the best. If you closely study the professional long distance running athletes, there vertical movement is near zero. There head is always level parallel to the ground. So there is a bounce and bounce is offset by the stride angle. So when you run make sure you get a good vision rather than things around you go up and down. Just make sure it is like walking. Keep the head straight, body slightly forward and well relaxed. Also try to land on the ball of your feet (mid section) and then back of the feet and then kick forward. So it is not an overnight cure. Practice takes time. Best is to go slow for couple of days. Just concentrate on your feet and vision. Keep close attention to details on the stride angle.
These days i try to do two days of slow running between the long run and mid week fast run. This is purely to concentrate on the way i run. I may not be perfect but i always look out for things to improve myself. Doing it for me as no one else would do it for me i guess.
I personally think a video review would do a world of good to your running technique. I haven't done this personally but i guess it is good. Also on those slow recovery running days make sure you keep an eye on your own body parts rather than other passing bye opposite sexes body parts. Can be entertaining but may not be good for you in the long run!
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