Training for Runners in Austin: Faster and Longer Starts at the Hip

Running faster and for longer comes down to how force travels from the ground up through the hip, every stride. Kinetic Blueprint is a Functional Patterns movement and biomechanics training studio in Old West Austin. We film how you run from the hip to the foot, find where the stride leaks power or piles up load, and train the pattern, then film it again.

More miles is the classic answer to getting faster. It's also the classic way to get hurt. The miles aren't the problem. The pattern they're run on is.

What we look for

We look at the hip first. In a two-year study of 400 healthy female runners, the 15 who went on to develop knee pain had shown more inward drift of the thigh at the hip before they got hurt (PMID 23274607). That study was in women runners only, so we don't stretch it to everyone. But it's why we don't start at the knee, even when the knee is where it shows up.

Then we watch the rest of the stride:

• how the pelvis holds as each foot lands,
• where the foot meets the ground relative to the hips,
• how the trunk and arms carry rotation,
• and whether each side of the body is doing the same job.

Can running form actually change?

Yes. In distance runners, gait retraining reliably changes running mechanics, raising step rate and lowering the impact loading rate on the body (PMID 35128941). What we add is measurement before and after, so you can see your own stride change on video instead of taking it on faith.

How we measure it

We run one method: Measure, Map, Move.

1. Measure. Gait analysis in Austin: filmed video of you running, read frame by frame from the hip to the foot.
2. Map. We connect what the video shows to where your stride leaks power or piles up load.
3. Move. We train the running pattern, then film you again so the change is on video.

Runners who want the full engine picture add VO2 max testing. You can see runners' results, including a fastest marathon after recurring back pain, on our results page.

Who this is for

Road runners, trail runners, marathoners and triathletes in Austin who want to run faster or longer. Runners who keep getting the same niggle at the same mileage. Anyone who's been told their form is fine and still feels like something's off. If you're running through pain, see our knee pain page too.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be injured to train with you? No. You can train with us simply to run faster or longer without breaking down. If something does hurt, we'll look at that too, and if it needs a doctor first we'll say so.

What does gait analysis show a runner? Filmed video of how you run, read frame by frame from the hip to the foot: how the thigh travels, how the pelvis holds, where the foot lands. We film it again later so you can see what changed.

Do you work with triathletes and trail runners? Yes. Road, trail, marathon and triathlon all share the running pattern, and that's what we train. Cycling and swimming are different patterns, so we don't claim them here.

Where are you located? 507 Pressler Street, Suite 100, Austin TX 78703, in Old West Austin. You can reach us at (512) 215-8106.

See every sport we train on our performance page.