Ankle Turnover.
Compact ankle path = faster turnover = less energy. The fix you can feel in your cadence and ground contact time.
What it is
After your foot pushes off the ground, let your heel rise toward your butt — compact, not exaggerated. Think of your leg as a wheel, with your foot tracing a circular path. Keep your ankle dorsiflexed as though balancing an egg on your toes.
Why it matters
By keeping your ankle close to your center of mass, you decrease the moment of inertia of your leg, allowing quicker leg turnover. This is particularly important for maintaining speed with less effort. It also engages your hamstrings effectively, promoting balanced leg muscle use.
The neuroscience
This technique focuses on optimizing the swing phase by promoting efficient hip extension and knee flexion. It encourages a shorter lever arm by bringing the foot's center of mass closer to the body's rotational axis, reducing the moment of inertia and facilitating faster leg turnover. Proper execution leads to improved running cadence and reduced ground contact time — both associated with enhanced running economy.
How to practice it
- 1After toe-off, let heel rise toward your butt — not kicking back, rising vertically
- 2Think cosmic elevator: ankle goes straight up and straight down
- 3Keep ankle dorsiflexed — balance an egg on your toes
- 4Don't exaggerate — compact and close to your center of gravity
- 5Look for changes in cadence and ground contact time over your next few runs
Beginner
20s slow, 10s consistent, 10s fast x 3 reps
Intermediate
20s slow, 20s consistent, 15s fast x 3 reps
Difficult
5s slow, 15s consistent, 20s fast x 3 reps
Who needs this fix most
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