What's really holding you back

I came across this article talking about five important things, which we often neglect, that can keep us from reaching our full potential as runners:

1. Postural alignment: deviations from optimal alignment can reduce efficiency and lead to injury
2. Range of motion: limitations can shorten your stride and keep you from completing a "full" gait cycle, leading to muscular imbalances
3. Joint integrity strength: weak ligaments and tendons do not properly absorb the shock of impact, which takes its toll on your joints
4. Muscle activation: efficiency can be improved by reinforcing proper movement patters through activating the correct muscles
5. Biomechanics: by thinking about good posture ("running tall") and proper running form (midfoot striking), efficiency will be improved by maximizing energy return

Luckily, there are some simple tests you can do to see if you've fallen victim to one of these:

1. Postural alignment: see what changes when you stand against a wall (optimal alignment) versus when you move a way and stand "comfortably"
2. Range of motion: tests for (1) chest / pectoralis major, (2) hamstring, and (3) hip abductor, as well as the appropriate range of motion are described in the article (also note differences between the left and right sides of your body, as these can indicate problems with alignment)
3. Joint integrity strength: muscles work in antagonist / agonist pairs to ensure balanced motion; tests for these key muscle pairs (1) hip abductor / adductor and (2) quadriceps / hamstring are described in the article (also note differences between the left and right sides of your body, as these can indicate problems with alignment)