Outside: The Marathoner's Achilles Heel

How to Strengthen Your Ankles and Run Faster 
Alex Hutchinson/Outside Online, Sep 13, 2018

New research zeroes in on an unlikely culprit for why running gets less efficient as you fatigue.

Anyone who has scrolled through their own marathon race photos knows that the keen-eyed high-stepper who shows up in the early photos bears little resemblance to the pathetic hobbler of the final miles. Fatigue changes your running form, and yet the vast majority of biomechanics studies involve a few minutes on a treadmill at a comfortable pace. There are some exceptions (like this recent field study of marathoners at the World Championships), but much of our knowledge about running form assumes that we never get tired...

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CTS: Adjust These, Run Faster

Run Faster With Less Effort With These Four Adjustments
Adam St. Pierre/CTS Running Coach and Biomechanist

There are many factors involved in running biomechanics, including body weight, limb length, muscle strength, joint range of motion… and everybody is different in these respects. That’s why there is no singular ideal that defines perfect body mechanics. Rather, each individual must find their own ideal biomechanics. Watch any elite marathon and you’ll see many examples of “perfect” biomechanics – Eliud Kipchoge looks like he’s floating! But you’ll also see examples of elite athletes running amazingly fast with seemingly serious biomechanical flaws. Whether you’re elite or just getting started, here are four areas every runner can optimize to run faster with less effort.

Optimizing the four areas below can lead to faster sustainable paces at a given effort level/power output. It may reduce injury risk by reducing the strain on body tissues – which in turn improves performance by minimizing missed/compromised training...

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