PUBLISHED 08/30/2006
Bounce, or vertical lift, causes your head and body to move up and down too much, wasting precious energy. The longer you're in the air between steps, the more you'll decelerate. Your quadriceps will fatigue more quickly, too.
To minimize bounce, run lightly--low to the ground with shorter strides, which will increase your cadence (or your steps per minute). Try imagining that you're running below a ceiling that's just inches above your head. Land with each footstrike as a quick touchdown below your knees, not a full-contact landing ahead of your knees. Take more than 90 right-foot steps (180 total steps) per minute, and lean slightly forward so your shoulders are ahead of your hips. Keep your elbows bent at about 90 degrees throughout the arm swing, as unhinging the elbows encourages upward motion.
Bobby McGee, a biomechanist in Boulder, Colorado, has coached beginner and Olympic runners and is the author of Magical Running.
