Learn 2 Run: Week 5

Run: 1:40
Walk: 1:20

On week four, we lengthen the time running by 10 seconds and shorten the walk breaks by 10 seconds and we will work on the fifth and arguably, the most important aspect of running form.

This week’s focus will be where you are putting your feet.

If you’ve been following the program and focusing on getting your upper body under control, then your feet should naturally be landing underneath you.

Notice where on the foot you are landing.  If you are like most new runners, you are heal striking, or landing on the end of your heal.  Not only does it wear your shoes out quicker, but its inefficient and also promotes injuries.  When you land on your heal, your foot will be extended out in front of you and you’ll have a straight leg with a locked knee.  All that force of each foot plant will be driven up though your ankles, knees and hips into your back and spine.

Ideally, you want to run with your feet landing underneath your body not in front of it, which allows you to land with a slightly bent knee.  This lets your body absorb the shock of the foot plant so the rest of the body won’t have to.  If you have been running with a head up, shoulders back, upright body position, then your fee will naturally land under your center of gravity.

The easiest way to get you to understand and feel good foot plant form from bad is to have you run barefoot on a hard surface.  You’ll soon correct your form to something that doesn’t hurt pretty quickly. By shortening your stride length, bringing your landing zone under your center of gravity and landing on the middle to the ball of your foot, you’ll find running barefoot is very doable.   This is the form we are working towards and you should be focusing this on during your three or four weekly training runs this week.

L2R Week 5 Workouts

  • Warm Up: 3-5 minutes of brisk walking.
  • Interval Training: 30-40 minutes
    • Run: 1:40
    • Walk: 1:20
    • Do exactly the interval times listed, don’t do more because you feel good
    • If you need to, slow down to finish the interval in the time listed.
    • Pay attention to your form and landing zone.  Try to keep where your feet touches the ground under you.
  • Cool Down: 3-5 minutes of brisk walking.
  • Stretch: 2 minutes

Learn 2 Run: Basics
Learn 2 Run: Week 1
Learn 2 Run: Week 2
Learn 2 Run: Week 3
Learn 2 Run: Week 4
Learn 2 Run: Week 5
Learn 2 Run: Week 6
Learn 2 Run: Week 7
Learn 2 Run: Week 8
Learn 2 Run: Week 9
Learn 2 Run: Week 10