Walking to race walking step 3

Those of you that have been follow this progression from walking to race walking have so far explored the difference that good posture makes and have now become acquainted with paying attention to your hips.  The hip forward has probably made you feel a little out of balance with your stride.  I wanted you to feel that way a little so that when you start practicing this weeks step with the two previous steps it will begin to smooth out for you.  Still a long way to go but each new step should make the whole stride feel smoother and more effortless.  By Marathon weekend you just might be able to take a couple of minutes per mile off your time with about the same effort.

Ok this week concentrate on your arm swing.  As that hip is going forward the elbow, held close to your body, is going back.  A walker's correct arm swing is more to the back than a runners because your stride is more to the back.  So concentrate on that elbow going back as your hip goes forward and keep the posture straight.

You should feel that your stride is short in the front, (it's not as short as it seems), because your not striding out like a runner, your sending that hip forward and that elbow back.  The elbow is going back further than the hip is going forward and your legs will be following that.  So your stride will be longer in the back, on the average a 60/40 split but that varies with each person and isn't important, the important thing is that the stride is longer in the back.

You should also begin to notice that your feet are landing more in a straight line now if your hips are leading the stride.  Remember that rope that is pulling you forward from the hip and as Tracy said your walking tall as though you have a wire attached to the top of your head that is pulling you to perfect posture.

Thanks for reading and good training this week.  "Remember to stretch after eaxh training session.

Dave