Are you sure that GFR will work for me?

Yes. GFR has had an incredibly positive response and success rate. We believe the reason for that is the fact that GFR simply encourages you to move your body the way it was designed.

Will GFR make me faster?

Potentially. Increasing your speed has many contributing factors. GFR will make you more efficient and help to prevent injuries, both of which largely contribute to making you a faster runner.

Since I’m changing my technique, will my muscles be sore?

You will very likely experience some soreness. Chances are you have been under-working some of the key running muscles. However if the soreness persists past a few runs, you need to either reassess your mechanics, or possibly take a break from changing your form to allow the muscles to recover, then resume again once the soreness subsides.

I run for enjoyment and stress relief. Will this make my running less enjoyable?

Definitely not. Your mind is an amazing computer and you can be very conscious of your body without feeling like you can’t relax. Initially making changes requires a certain level of concentration, but soon it will become natural.

How long does it take to master GFR? 

Every individual is unique. If you run every day or if you are naturally in-tune with your body, changes can come within a few days. For some, it can take months, even years. “Mastering” GFR requires practice, reassessment, & more practice.

Do some people attend GFR more than once? 

Certainly. We encourage participants to retake the the class as often as they feel they need to. Quite often, you will pick up on tips you missed the first time as well as see where improvements are coming quickly and where you could concentrate some more. www.GoodFormRunning.com also has a ton of great material for continuing your education

Can I wear different shoes once I master GFR? 

Maybe. Some runners are able to use lighter, less supportive shoes due to improvement in their form. Others find that their current shoe continues to work best. Remember that we are all an experiment of one, so what works for one will not necessarily work for another.

Will shortening my stride make me slower? 

No. The key is finding the most appropriate stride length for your body/event/goals. Shortening your stride and upping your cadence is probably the best way to learn the technique quickly. From there, you will be able to fine-tune and adapt your stride to your specific needs.

Am I too old to change my running technique? 

No. The older the runner, the more ingrained habits are. It just takes commitment and practice to learn something new. Runners in their 70’s and 80’s report significant improvement.  

How do you run hills with GFR?

While running up a hill, you will naturally shorten your stride. Lean into the hill from the ankles and not the hips. Use your arms a little more, concentrating on a little more upward movement - this will help to get slightly more knee lift to move up the hill. And remember to ‘aim’ with your chin - this will work to adjust your posture and direct your energy up the hill.  These are essentially the basic principles of GFR.  An uphill seems to corral us into better mechanics despite our normal inefficient habits.  The keys to climbing hills are: maintain posture, keep your cadence up, and focus on maintaining effort instead of pace. That said, a great way to practice Good Form Running is on a slight incline, or even a treadmill set to a small grade. This also reduces the amount of impact and is easier on our joints.

Running downhill tends to be considerably more destructive on our bodies.  Our natural tendency is to throw our weight back and our feet forward.  If you have ever done a hilly run and your legs are beat the next day, more than likely it was the downhills that wore you out, not the uphills.  Trying to brake against the incline is very inefficient, and much more damaging to our joints.  Generally speaking, we can categorize hills into two varieties.  First, for a gradual hill, work at using the same GFR mechanics that you would on the flat ground.  Your legs will need to move a little quicker just to keep up, but welcome the ‘free speed’ and relax as much as possible. You should feel as though you are falling and just barely in control. This is an adjustment for your nervous system, but completely within the capabilities of your muscles. For the second class of hills, steep hills, approach it like you do a set of stairs.  When you go down stairs you don’t throw your weight back and try to brake on every step.  Just try shortening your stride and keeping your feet underneath your hips; keep your posture upright and let your knees bend a little more to keep things in control.

The golden rule of running downhill: stay off your heels!

I use a supportive shoe, will barefoot running work for me?

Needless to say, we weren’t born with shoes on our feet.  As important (and functional) as shoes are, their major shortcoming is they allow us to move our bodies in ways that are potentially damaging.  If you were barefoot, the discomfort of taking big, heavy steps would immediately initiate change and adaptation.  In a shoe, there are no immediate consequences to landing heavily or heel striking, so habits develop.  Had you grown up without shoes you would have developed a different set of moving habits; you would walk and run lightly and efficiently.  GFR is basically trying to recreate the biomechanics of being barefoot, the way our bodies were meant to move.

If you have been in a supportive shoe for a significant amount of time, your feet have likely become accustomed to, and possibly dependent on, the additional support. This means that there will probably be some adjustment soreness when that support is taken away. Your feet, along with the rest of the body, are now required to work a little harder to cushion and stabilize. But stress is good in small amounts. Adjust slowly and allow your body to recover and adapt. Stress + rest = strength.

Conclusion

The important thing to remember is that GFR is meant to make your running more enjoyable, and with fewer injuries.  So with that in mind, here are 3 things to leave with. 1) Don’t stress out on your runs trying to get everything perfect.  An incremental adjustment can make a monumental difference.  Perhaps think about one thing at a time until it becomes more natural, then focus on something else.  2) Record yourself. Use the camera on your cell phone, or use a video recorder. We have found the app “OnForm'' to be the easiest to use. If you are comfortable with this option, go back to the store to hop on the treadmill for a quick two-minute assessment. 3) Remember: Posture, Landing, Lean, and Don’t Overstride!