The Speed Of Speed: The Physics Of Running

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Running is a very simple task, all it is is rapid leg movements, along with arm swinging, through long strides while on foot. To be considered an act of running, both feet must be held off the ground at regularly spaced brief intervals. Believe it or not, there is actually a lot of physics behind running. There is the speed of the runner, the length of each stride the runner takes, the energy you use and how to save it, and then you have the pendulum law. The speed of the runner is very easy to determine. It's only stride length times stride frequency, for example if you travel five feet in one stride and you take three strides per second you're speed will be 15 feet per second. Basic math. Although, there are three different types of stride lengths, takeoff, flight, and landing distance. Takeoff distance is the distance that the body's center of mass is ahead of the toe of the front foot at the instant the back foot leaves the ground. The flight distance is the distance that the body's COM travels while the runner is in the air. The landing distance is the distance that the toe of...

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