Usain… Again!!! How good are your powers of observation?
Take a look at this video again. Yes, we have shown it many times before. It is from a 2001 race in Monaco.
These are all incredible athletes. What can we note about the fastest of the fast?
- Most of them have excellent hip extension (ok, the gent immediately to Usain’s right does not appear to be optimal)
- the fastest of the pack have a upright head posture with the neck neutral or in slight extension (gents in lanes 1, 3 and 6; notice the head forward posture of the others)
- minimal heel rebound (see our last post on this here)
- minimal torso motion (note the increased torso motion with arm swing of the gents in lanes 1, 3, 4 and 5)
- symmetrical hip flexion, with the thigh parallel or nearly parallel to the ground in float phase
- what else?
Watch it a few more times. It took us a while too…
Really, go watch it again…
Did you see it?
Watch the vertical oscillation of the runners. At this level (or any level for that matter), outside of improving biomechanics and neuromechanics, there are really only a few things you can do to run faster. One is to have a faster cadence and another is to have a longer stride length. You can control both, but if not done concurrently, one gets better at the expense of the other.
If your cadence is slower and you try and increase stride length, you increase your vertical oscillation (ie: how much you bounce up and down). Note the handrail at the far side of the track. It makes a convenient marker for vertical oscillation. Watch this bar and watch the video again. Usain and the gent in lane 6 (Nesta Carter) have little vertical oscillation compared to the rest of the pack. Note also the close finish. difficult to say if Usain’s knee or Carters foot crossed 1st. Usiain’s time was 9.88 and Nesta’s 9.90.
Decreased cadence = Increased vertical oscillation = Less horizontal motion = Slower speeds
How about watching this video a few more times and telling us what else is up?
The Gait Guys. We are trying to help you improve your powers of observation while stretching your mind. Are we succeeding? We hope so!
Ivo and Shawn
