Runners: technique question

mmultanen

I've never had a running coach or trainer. I run and have participated in triathlons but all my formal training was as a US Masters Swimmer.

I run like I walk: heel strikes first. I observed some other runners this week and they seem to strike with the ball of their foot first. Is this a difference in gait thing meaning there's no reason, it's just how they run vs how I run or is it a coached running technique?

After observing I tried it out and holy crap did I have to think hard to run like that. Also it felt like it used way different muscles in my legs. If its a technique, whats the benefit?

cstehansen

Ideally you should run primarily on the balls of your feet. Running heel toe is very unnatural if you think about it. If it weren't for all the padding in your shoe, it would shatter your heel bone.

If you can run as you would if you were barefoot, that is the best for you. I learned this at about age 41 or 42. It was a bit awkward relearning how to run, but it made all the difference in the world.

Before that, if I ran longer distances, it was common for my knees, ankles and/or hips to hurt afterwards. Now, no pain at all. Also, the second 5k I ran after changing over I won my age group and beat my previous personal best by over 2 minutes.

There are even running shoes you can buy now that are basically just a thin layer on the bottom to make it as close to simulating being barefoot as you can get.

mmultanen

Well poop. I really did have to think hard to make myself run that way. Lol.

But maybe this explains some of the random foot injuries ive had ovee the years.

blambo61

Try running up hills. That will get you on your toes. If you ever try to sprint, you will need to be on your toes.

kirkor

Ya, mid- to fore-foot striking is the way to go.



Look up "pose running" for more info.

Here's one sample:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Si14HZdAs

emaline2210

I mean, I can't even walk correctly, so props to you for all of this!

Just_Eric

It's hard not to heel strike in conventional running shoes. The huge heel pad almost makes it impossible for that part of the foot not to hit the ground first. There's a chain of misalignment when you heel strike. There's a force exerted on the ankle that kinda jams it. Your arch isn't acting like the spring that nature intended it to be. Another frequent result is landing on a leg with a straight knee rather than a flexed knee. The hips rotate unnecessarily because the whole leg gets kinda jammed forward. Then you've probably got this sort of wobbly motion of the foot as the hip comes back into alignment on the next step causing a whole bunch of rotational torque on joints that are meant to move forward and backward.

Heel striking affects every joint up the chain. And like kirkor's graphic points out, you're losing a substantial amount of force by not having your legs in a proper position at foot strike and not allowing all the musculature to load like they should.

If you can, get into a lower drop or a zero drop shoe. It's amazing how much difference it makes. Really try to pay attention to having your knee flexed at the moment if impact with the ground.

Pick up Kelly Starrett's "Ready To Run" if you'd like more detail on the ills of bad running form and how to correct it.

Smoked33

One more tip I haven't read here(otherwise great advice!) is to really ease into it. When i made the switch I started 250m at a time. It felt weird only running for a few seconds but you need to retrain your body and ease into increasing the distance. If you dont' you're just going to invite injury. Once you do adapt your body will likely thank you and your speed and endurance will go up! Good luck.

macchiatto

When an expert runner friend was looking at the wear pattern on my Brooks Adrenaline (helping me figure out if they needed to be replaced yet) she commented that I had good mechanics and it looked like a "perfect midfoot strike." I hadn't been coached but I guess that's just how I ran naturally? I've never been very athletic so it was nice to know there was something good in the realm of fitness that came naturally.

Funny thing is, I had gone to a specialty running store to get fitted before I started C25K and they told me I pronated and suggested the Adrenaline. When I went to a different specialty running store for my second pair, they told me I was neutral and didn't need the Adrenalines. I tried out Ghosts and Ravennas but I had gotten so used to running in the cushy Adrenalines that I decided to stick with them after all. If you haven't gotten fitted for shoes at a specialty running store, that might help. Even though I apparently didn't "need" the Adrenalines, they definitely haven't hurt.

cstehansen

Smoked33 wrote: »

One more tip I haven't read here(otherwise great advice!) is to really ease into it. When i made the switch I started 250m at a time. It felt weird only running for a few seconds but you need to retrain your body and ease into increasing the distance. If you dont' you're just going to invite injury. Once you do adapt your body will likely thank you and your speed and endurance will go up! Good luck.

Along these lines, as I was re-training myself, I had to run much slower and work my way back up to speed over the course of a few months.

rungirl1973

Everything I was going to say has been said. Haha

Mid-foot strike for me. After a while, you don't have to think about it anymore.

anglyn1

I'm definitely not a hard core runner...I just do short trail runs once or twice a week because I enjoy it but I do the mid-foot strike. When I first started running I wore New Balance minimus shoes which have no padding and that definitely helped me. Now I currently wear Skechers Go Runs which are padded but I'm already in the habit of not heel striking so I don't have to think about it.

mmultanen

Holy cow. Ok im on board with trying to change my strike point. I just run. Ive never put thought into it but after observing those folks yesterday and seeing your posts I'm going to work on this.

Interestingly I've stalled out on speed and am getting some annoying ankle and foot pain. Clearly its related to form!

I wont run again till the weekend but any other suggestions (videos etc) you have for self training point me in that direction!

kimberwolf71

This is great information thank you! I have been struggling trying to learn how to not hate running and am using the C25K app with limited success/endurance increase. I am going to have to pay attention when I go out tomorrow about what my feet are actually doing!!

kirkor

One mnemonic re: "how" to run a coach friend gave me was:

Pull
Place
Pace
(Ninja)

The pull & place refers to the deliberate picking up and putting down of your feet, and this conscious (at first) effort to "pull up" your feet (sometimes I imagine a deer stepping through tall grass) will affect your stride so you don't land on your heels.
The pace part refers to the regularity in your stride, and this helps avoid "bounding" that can happen when heel striking, where your stride length and timing varies.
And (ninja) is just kind of a fun reminder ---- try to run silently like a ninja would; don't have your heels or soles slapping on the ground making noise.

mmultanen

I felt like a complete moron but i walked a mile before I ran and made myself strike with the ball or mid of my foot while walking...felt like i was prancing. Lol But i think it made the following run easier. I pretty much kept up the new form for 2 miles then my mind started to wander and I realized I was heel striking again so I stopped for the day.

I think it was easier once i got into a rhythm. The hard part is going to be making that my default way of running. Right now its definitely not.

lemurcat12

mmultanen wrote: »

I felt like a complete moron but i walked a mile before I ran and made myself strike with the ball or mid of my foot while walking...felt like i was prancing. Lol But i think it made the following run easier. I pretty much kept up the new form for 2 miles then my mind started to wander and I realized I was heel striking again so I stopped for the day.

I think it was easier once i got into a rhythm. The hard part is going to be making that my default way of running. Right now its definitely not.

There is some disagreement from experts on how much heel strikers should try to change, but one thing that helped me (I'm in the camp of heel striking being more likely to lead to injuries and converting into a ball striker has made a difference for me) is increasing cadence and decreasing stride length. Often newbies (or just people with longtime bad habits, which was me -- I blame being short and always thinking that longer strides better mimicked those with longer legs) lengthen stride when increasing speed, or trying to, and much better (to actually be faster with less effort and avoid injury) is to work on shorter, faster strides. You can download music aimed at particular cadences (I have not, but experimented with this at a running camp) and Garmin and other trackers will track cadence, but also you can just think about it and do it. It made a huge difference for me.

Just_Eric

Not sure why none of us mentioned that, but ^^yes, this^^.

kirkor

Well, I did with my "pace" comments, but ya........