Form Over Function

Have someone videotape you the next time you run. You may be surprised to see uneven footfalls and floppy arms. Unless you're built like a gazelle, following better running form will help you improve your stride and, eventually, your speed. 

• Arms should stay at approximately 90 degrees and swing from the shoulder. Remember the faster your arms move, the faster your legs move.
• Run tall with a slight forward lean. Note: there is going to be a natural lean caused by each push off from the ground. But if you ever feel as though your legs are running behind you, you’re leaning to far forward. Imagine what the Road Runner looks like in the cartoons: big circular clouds swirling behind him as he chased after the Coyote. In reality you would go nowhere fast.
• Never run on your toes. There is no power in these little stubs. Instead visualize pulling through the ground with the balls of your feet.
• Keep a natural stride length. When you’re sprinting, you never want to feel as though you are forcing the range of motion of your strides. Too short, you’ll feel like you’re running in place. Too long, you’ll brake forward momentum and slow down your leg speed.
• Relax. Don’t try to power through your sprinting efforts. To run fast, staying a little lax is critical. Tensing up will only slow you down. This is one of the hardest aspects of sprinting. How do you stay relaxed when your trying to catapult yourself as fast as you possibly can? The best piece of advice I was ever given is to wobble your jaw.

Try it: Start by powering your arms as fast as you can back and forth. The first thing most people do is bite down, clench their teeth, and tense up. Now try it again: This time keep your jaw as relaxed as possible. It’s a simple but effective technique used by all world-class sprinters. Next time you’re watching an Olympic track event, take a look at the faces of the athletes. There’s focus and determination in their eyes but their cheeks totter from side to side.