Run Fit Coach

Have you ever been told to “fire your glutes” when running but not really known what that means? 🔥

A lot of runners have heard this advice at some point. If I am honest, there have probably been times when I have said it to myself.

The phrase can create a bit of confusion because your glutes are already working when you run. They help extend the hip and stabilise the pelvis as you move from one leg to the other. If they were not active, running would look very different.

Just because a muscle is working does not mean you will clearly feel it working. Running is a fast, coordinated movement where lots of muscles share the load. That is very different from gym exercises where a muscle is more isolated and easier to feel.

For example, during strength work like glute bridges I will often ask runners to squeeze their glutes at the top for a second or two before lowering. Holding the contraction briefly can help improve awareness of the muscle and reinforce the neuromuscular connection during the exercise.

But once you are running, the movement itself is largely automatic. Your brain organises the pattern, so you do not need to consciously try to fire individual muscles while you run.

Sometimes we overcomplicate things. The body is often better at organising movement than we give it credit for.

I was speaking with someone during a recent video running assessment and we ended up talking about the data on their watch. It reminded me how easy it is to assume these numbers are direct measurements. ⌚

Take cadence for example. Most watches estimate cadence from arm swing rather than measuring your feet directly. Because arm swing usually matches step rhythm it works fairly well, but it is still an estimate.

If someone has limited arm drive, a negative arm swing pattern, or a twisty running gait, the watch can easily miss steps or misread cadence. 🏃

Heart rate is similar. Wrist based monitors measure blood flow changes at the wrist. It is convenient, but the wrist is not the ideal place physiologically to measure heart activity. ❤️

A chest strap is still considered the gold standard for heart rate. Using a small amount of conductive gel or lotion on the sensors before putting it on can help improve the signal and give a more reliable reading.

None of this means the data is useless. Far from it.

These metrics are great for spotting trends and patterns over time. They just should not be treated as exact numbers you must hit.

The numbers can help guide your training, but they are only part of the picture.

Is Your Middle Back Limiting Your Running Efficiency?

Runners often focus on mileage, pace and VO₂ max when trying to improve performance. But the way the body moves, particularly through the middle back, can quietly influence rhythm and efficiency more than many realise.

Most runners are used to thinking about training in terms of numbers. Weekly mileage, interval sessions and race pace tend to dominate the conversation. While these factors are important, they tell only part of the story. How the body moves while running is just as relevant, and one area that is often overlooked is the thoracic spine, commonly referred to as the middle back.

Working both as a sports therapist in clinic and a running coach observing athletes in the field, one pattern appears regularly when looking at running mechanics. Many runners show limited mobility through the thoracic spine.

The middle back plays a key role in coordinating movement between the upper and lower body. During running the pelvis rotates slightly with each stride while the upper torso rotates gently in the opposite direction. This interaction helps maintain balance and contributes to the rhythm that characterises efficient running. When this coordination works well it often goes unnoticed. Experienced runners tend to look relaxed and fluid, with a natural arm swing and steady timing through the body.

One reason restrictions can have an impact is that the thoracic spine does not have a large amount of movement available in the first place. Research examining normal spinal motion shows the thoracic region typically allows about 30 to 40 degrees of flexion, around 20 to 25 degrees of extension and roughly 30 to 35 degrees of rotation to each side across the region. Compared with joints such as the hips or shoulders these ranges are relatively small.

Because the available movement is modest, even a small loss of mobility can influence how the body organises movement. If thoracic motion is reduced through posture, prolonged sitting or reduced movement variability, the body still has to create rotation and postural adjustment during running. Instead of occurring through the middle back, the movement may shift elsewhere. The arms may swing more across the body, the shoulders can become tense, or the lower back may begin to absorb more rotational load.

Modern lifestyles can contribute to this pattern. Long hours spent sitting at desks, driving or looking down at phones often place the thoracic spine in sustained flexed positions. Over time this can reduce movement through the middle back and runners rarely consider how this might influence their running mechanics.

Video analysis often makes these patterns easier to see. A runner who feels relaxed while running may actually display a rigid torso, reduced trunk rotation or disrupted rhythm when viewed on screen. In contrast, experienced endurance athletes often demonstrate subtle but well timed thoracic movement that allows the upper and lower body to work together smoothly. The movement is small but it helps maintain coordination and efficiency.

Improving running performance is not always about increasing mileage or pushing harder in training. Sometimes it begins with understanding how the body moves and identifying mechanical restrictions that may quietly influence efficiency.

For runners curious about how they move, structured video analysis and running assessments can provide useful insight. Seeing how posture, rhythm and mobility interact during running can highlight small adjustments that may help improve comfort and efficiency over time.

If you are thinking about joining a running group, it is great to see so many options appearing in local communities. More people getting active, enjoying running, and supporting each other can only be a positive thing. 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

What many people may not realise, however, is that setting up and managing an organised running group involves more than simply getting people together for a run.

If you are joining a group, it is worth being aware of a few things and asking a few simple questions so you know the group is organised safely and responsibly.

For example:

• Are those responsible for organising the group qualified and insured?
• Do they have permission from the landowner to meet regularly in that location?
• If runs take place in parks or public spaces, local councils will usually need to be notified and may require the organisers’ details, risk assessments, and proof of insurance.
• What training or governing body do the run leaders or coaches come under?
• How are runners booking onto sessions, and are organisers collecting relevant health information to ensure the activity is appropriate for participants?
• If personal or health information is being collected, is it being stored and handled appropriately in line with GDPR requirements?
• Are In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact details collected in case something happens during a session?
• Are sessions structured appropriately for the ability level of the group?
• Is there a clear route plan and a system in place so no runner is left behind, such as regroup points or back markers?

In the UK, organisations such as England Athletics provide recognised training for run leaders, with the Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification being a common minimum standard for leading group runs.

At Longford Striders, all our leaders and coaches are trained through England Athletics. This means we are DBS checked, fully insured, and have mandatory training in safeguarding, and qualified in first aid for sport every three years.

Community running is a brilliant thing and the more people we can encourage to be active the better. This is simply about helping people understand what good governance and safety look like when choosing a running group.

When everything is going well these things may not seem important, but they really matter if something unexpected happens.

An established and well organised running group will be more than happy to answer these type of questions and explain the structures they have in place to keep people safe.

Taking a little time to understand these things helps ensure that everyone involved can enjoy running safely and confidently.

Getting More From Your Local Running Track 🏟️

The running track can feel intimidating, but it is one of the most useful training environments available to runners of all abilities.

A standard track measures four hundred metres in lane one, giving you a measured distance every lap. That accuracy makes it ideal for pacing work, interval training, and learning how to control your effort without relying entirely on your watch.

Understanding basic track etiquette also makes the experience better for everyone. Lane one is generally used for faster running and structured sessions, while warm ups, cool downs, and recovery should move into the outer lanes. Always check behind you before stepping into lane one and avoid stopping suddenly on the inside lane or finish line.

You may also hear runners call “track” as they approach from behind. This is simply a signal that a faster runner is coming through on the inside lane, giving you a moment to hold your line or move slightly outward so they can pass safely.

The track is not just for elite athletes or brutal sessions. It is simply a tool. Used well, it can help you develop pacing, speed, and consistency in a controlled environment.

If you take part in track sessions, how do you find them? If you don’t, what stops you? 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

Getting fitter does not automatically make you faster 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

If you feel like you are training consistently but not getting any quicker, this is probably relevant to you. A lot of runners put in the miles, build fitness, and still feel stuck. They are doing what looks like all the right things, yet speed never really improves.

Speed is not the same thing as fitness. You can run plenty of miles, build decent endurance, and still lack sharpness. That is because speed is about timing, coordination, and how efficiently the nervous system turns effort into movement. It is a quality that needs practice, not just mileage.

One of the biggest gaps I see is runners doing lots of steady work and very little true speed exposure. Track sessions can be excellent for this, as they put you in the right environment and mindset to move with intent, but speed work does not need to be complicated to be effective.

Rather than squeezing speed in at the end of tired sessions, schedule it when you are fresh. That might be on a dedicated speed day, at the start of a run, or on the track. Speed is a nervous system quality, and the nervous system does not produce sharp movement when it is already fatigued.

Strides can look like 4 to 6 reps of 20 to 30 seconds, building smoothly to around 85 to 90 percent effort before easing back down. Take 60 to 90 seconds of easy recovery between reps and focus on tall posture, quick light steps, and relaxed shoulders.

Flying 30s can be done once per week. Use roughly 30 metres to build into speed, hit max velocity for the next 30 metres without any drop in pace, then ease down over the final 30 metres. Then take a gentle jog or walk recovery of around 2 to 3 minutes. Start with 3 or 4 reps and gradually build to 5 or 6. They should feel like an 8 to 9 out of 10 effort while maintaining max velocity, and you should feel recovered before starting the next rep.

If you have been plateauing recently, or you constantly feel flat and tired, it is worth looking at how you are stacking your training. Doing too much in a short period does not drive adaptation, it just creates fatigue. A fatigued nervous system does not produce sharp movement.

Speed based sessions should be done when you are fresh, kept short, and performed with intent. A small dose, applied consistently, is often enough to reconnect you with that higher gear.

As we move into our 40s and beyond, this becomes even more important. The body naturally becomes more protective with age. If we do not expose ourselves to faster running, that ability gradually becomes less accessible. It does not disappear overnight, but the nervous system stops prioritising it.

If you want to maintain speed as you age, you have to practise moving fast in a sensible, structured way. For many runners, that is the missing piece.

If you found this information useful, give it a like and a share.

⚙️📐 Foot Under Hip Landing. But More Importantly… Where Does the Force Enter?

There are plenty of schools of thought that say foot position does not really matter. And to a degree, that is true. If you are running pain free and performing well, your body usually finds its own rhythm.

But one thing that is often overlooked in these conversations is where the force actually enters the foot at contact. It is not just where the foot lands. It is how it loads. A foot landing closer to the hip with force travelling smoothly through the midfoot and up the leg tends to be easier to absorb and more efficient. When force enters aggressively through the heel or far in front of the body, braking increases and tissues higher up the chain often take more stress. That does not automatically mean injury. But over time, it can contribute to ni**les and inefficiency.

Looking at your running biomechanics is not always high on a runner’s priority list. Yet in the cycling world, having a bike fit is hugely popular and for many people it is simply part of buying a road bike. I have had a number of bike fits myself over the years, all to great benefit. We happily optimise our bikes, but often overlook how we move when we run.

With a biomechanics assessment with Run Fit Coach, where the force enters the foot is easily identified on video capture, and whether it is entering at a point that could be problematic 📊 We capture you running in your natural environment and look at how load travels through your whole system, not just foot position. If you would like to know more about a field based running biomechanics assessment, capturing video of you running in your natural environment, why not visit the website and complete the form. We will take it from there.

The aim is to help you understand how you move, so you can run more comfortably, confidently and effectively.

🏃‍♂️ Modern running apps are clever… and I use them too

I often get asked about running apps like Runna and Coopah.

Full transparency, I’ve used Runna myself and still do.

They genuinely offer a lot:

✅ Clear, structured training plans
✅ A degree of periodised programming
✅ Help with consistency and motivation
✅ Affordable and convenient access to guidance
✅ Strength and mobility sessions built into plans

It is great to see strength and mobility being integrated more intentionally, as these elements have often been overlooked in the past in recreational running.

For many people, that is a massive positive.

But here’s the limitation.

Training apps cannot see how you run.
They cannot assess how your body is coping with load.
They cannot feel tissue sensitivity.
They cannot spot subtle changes when fatigue builds.
And they cannot coach movement.

They work from algorithms and data.
They do not work from you as an individual in front of them.

So while they may give you a structured plan, they cannot:

• observe your gait
• adjust technique in real time
• help redistribute load when something starts to ni**le
• factor in injury history with clinical reasoning
• account properly for strength levels, lifestyle stress, or recovery variability

And that matters, especially when people are returning to running, increasing mileage, or training for big events.

Personally, I see modern coaching as much more of a hybrid these days.

Runners can train with their apps for structure and convenience, but also benefit from regular coached sessions where skills development, technique, and biomechanics analysis are factored in.

That way, you get the cost effectiveness and accessibility of a training app, alongside the physical input, observation, and real world decision making of a coach.

Structured plans are helpful.

But running is still a physical skill, performed by a human body, under real world stresses.

Apps manage training.

Coaches manage people.

If you’ve had any experience in training with an app, I’d love you to drop a comment in below 👇