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Resources Running Form

My favorite running resources

I wanted to share a list of my personal favorite resources to help you with your running journey. There’s a lot here but pick and choose what you think may be useful, all have helped me at different times.

Youtube

  • My personal channel – Pop! Running Form – where I share my own experiences and knowledge as best I can. You can also find us on Facebook and Strava.
  • The Run Experience has a lot of awesome video content about a whole range of running topics. They also have an app.
  • JP Gloria has excellent training videos focused on strengthening important muscle groups for running.

Books

Running form / body strength

  • Helen Hall – Even with your shoes on and also her Barefoot audio series – great resource for people wanting to learn a bit more about using their body and applying things gradually without necessarily having to make dramatic changes. Highly recommended for all runners.
  • Older Yet Faster – a great resource. Book comes with instructional videos and FB support group.  It is pretty prescriptive about wearing minimal shoes and making a dramatic change, with a large reduction in volume initially, but worth the effort if you are willing to commit to it.
  • Running Rewired – excellent resource on assessing and fixing body strength and coordination for running. Packed with core sessions as well as strength sessions. Highly recommended.
  • Whole body barefoot – great book on foot strength and posture, easy read.
  • What the foot by Gary Ward.
  • Efficient Running – Natural Running Center by Dr Mark Cucuzella. Lots of excellent drills and functional assessments.

Inspiration

Informational

Gear sites

  • Stryd – I absolutely love training with power – see science links below.
  • RunRepeat – awesome site for aggregated shoe reviews.
  • FellRnr – awesome gear review resource.
  • DC Rainmaker – another great gear review resource.

Warm Up Exercises and Drills

I would recommend doing running drills at least once a week while working on improving your proprioception and running technique.

Here’s a drills video I made:

A fun exercise is the ‘squash ’ drill. Watch this video through if you have time, all the exercises are great. The focus with the squash drill is the ‘squash’, driving the heel down after touching the ball of the foot, using the glutes.

Another good drill is the D skips with butt kicks, to help with being vertically aligned and with a light, bouncy rhythm.

Also are the A skips (a 2nd video with explanation here). Focus here is leaping up by driving the heel into the ground, again using the glutes, this is the key to a good bounce. No forward stepping, forward movement comes from leaning forward as you drive off the ground.

There are many more exercises and drills you can try on this page under ‘Awakening your springs’ and ‘Strengthening your springs’. I’d recommend picking some drills and using them for dynamic warm ups before your runs.

All these drills are also great. Watch her glute activation as she drives her heel down on contact with the ground.

Shoes

Overview

Low drop shoe brands

  • Altra (My favorites – Vanish-R, Kayenta, Escalante / Escalante racer, Superior 4.0 for trail)
  • Topo Athletic (Personal preferences – ST-2 / ST-3, RunVenture for trail)
  • Lems

Minimal shoe brands

Science and Power