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WHAT IS RACEWALKING
Do you feel the need for speed?? Racewalking may be your
answer. Although racewalking is a technique that can be used at any
walking speed it is generally used by walkers to increase their speed
and endurance. Plus the racewalking technique provides a great aerobic
workout and burns more calories per mile than fitness walking or
running.
There are two basic rules of racewalking. (USATF #39 & 150).
1) Racewalking is a progression
of steps so taken that the walker makes contact with the ground so that
no visible (to the human eye) loss of contact occurs.
This is what differentiates
racewalking from running. It means that there is a moment when the heel
of the front foot and the toe of the rear foot appear to be in contact
with the ground at the same time. Before the racewalker takes the rear
foot off the ground, their front heel must make contact with the ground.
Contact with the ground appears (to the human eye) to be maintained at
all times.
2) The advancing leg must be
straightened (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first
contact with the ground until in the vertical position.
This differentiates racewalking
from other forms of walking. It does not mean that your legs are
straight at all times. The rule is that the knee should be straight when
the heel strikes the ground. It must remain straight until it passes
under the body. Then the knee bends and swings forward taking the next
step.
Many people visualize racewalkers
as very clumsy looking, with chicken-like awkward movements. This may be
true for a beginner, but an experienced racewalker moves in a fluid
forward motion.
If you want to racewalk you must learn proper technique. And practice, practice, practice.
The best sites for technique information are:
Racewalk.com
Racewalking.org
eRacewalk.com
Racewalk.com, an excellent site by Jeff Salvage is the official race walking home page of USATF. It has good instructions for Flexibility/Technique Drills and Stretching, and Jeff has a lot of amazing racewalking photos on the site as well.
Be sure to see Dave McGovern's site
for a ton of good articles on racewalking and training. Dave is
informative and has a unique sense of humor. He also travels around the
country conducting weekend racewalking clinics.
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