AMRAP 3 Minutes:
3 DB Squat Cleans 45's/30's
5 Box Jump 24"/20"
7 Burpees
Rest 1 minute and repeat for 5 total cycles.
Running Form Examples from CrossFit East Sac on Vimeo.
The CF Endurance cert was a fantastic experience. Attempting to master the techniques of efficient running was similar to trying to learn to snatch for the first time, so much to think about and a long ways to go.
The video shows 3 of the coaches who taught the Cert. First is Tim Hill, owner of CrossFit San Ramon, who is an accomplished Nordic skier and a Pose Level 3 certified coach. Next is Sheri Keener who is a trainer at CrossFit North Santa Cruz and is a highly accomplished marathoner. Then Brandon Mahoney who runs San Francisco endurance and is a world class 800m sprinter. Lastly there is myself.
The clips all show a slow motion run by then, a cycle with still shots at the landing position, the position where the foot is directly beneath the body, and when the foot is being pulled off the ground.
The keys to efficient running are to have well aligned tall posture keeping the entire body as relaxed as possible, to lean slightly forward from the ankle so gravity can pull you forward, to have the foot strike on the ball of the foot as close to directly under the body as possible, and to get the foot straight up off the ground as quickly as possible without pushing out the back. The knees should never completely extend, and the foot cadence should be high (between 90-100 cycles per minute) to take full advantage of ground reaction forces.
The whole idea is to take advantage of the physics of running. To let gravity propel you forward while minimizing the amount of movement and effort you have to expend to run. Most people run with a devastating heel strike and poor posture leaning forward at the hip instead of the ankle. These things cause the body to slow down and take a huge impacts with every foot strike leading to inefficiency and injury. Most of you will see this when I bust out the video cameras on you.
Take a look at the coaches, minus myself, in the video and try to depict what good running positions look like. I am going to be doing the best I can to try and get you all running faster with less effort. Bear with me through this tedious process and we will all come out the other side with better run times.
