A runner's stride is a weighty component of her performance. A stride that does not fit the type of running you are doing can result in worse performances and unnecessary difficulty. Since your stride is the most fundamental part of your running mechanics, even elite runners can find ways to maximize their performance potential by fine-tuning aspects of their stride.
Stride Mechanics
The basic principle governing all rules regarding stride mechanics is that no motion should be wasted -- everything you do should be contributing to your efforts to move forward. This includes not only the legs but also your torso and your arms -- your movements in all parts of your body should limit vertical movement in favor of maximizing horizontal movement ahead of you. Your feet should hit the ground quickly and lightly rather than striking the ground forcefully -- that provides more shock to the legs, wearing them out and making it tougher to keep nimble from one stride to the next.
Stride Length
One of the greatest errors in stride mechanics is when runners try to extend their legs out too far to achieve longer strides, according to the Running Planet website. When you stretch your legs out too far in front of you, the bottom of your foot hits the ground in a way that serves to brake you during your run, slowing you down. The closer to underneath your torso that your feet can first contact the ground, the more efficient you will become. This can be tricky to achieve, though, since long-distance running strides are most efficient when they reach their longest stride length without overstriding and causing a braking action to occur.
Ground Contact
Your legs do the majority of their work when they are in contact with the ground. This isn't a concern for sprinters, who are in almost constant contact with the ground to power themselves toward the finish line. But distance runners should strive for quick, short moments of contact with the ground -- according to coach Marc Evans, elite distance runners try to limit ground contact per stride to only a few milliseconds. This isn't easily achieved by amateur runners, but quickening the ground contact on each stride should be a constant goal of distance runners.
Adjusting Your Stride
Depending on the distance or pace you are running, you may experience improved efficiency as a runner by adjusting the length of your stride. For example, sprinters want to maximize their time in contact with the ground to ensure they are continually driving themselves forward. This type of running benefits by shorter strides -- trying to elongate to cover more ground per stride will ultimately reduce your speed. Adjusting your stride may be difficult at first, but over time you will experience greater comfort as your body recognizes the increased efficiency and becomes comfortable with the new stride.
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