Does anyone run on their toes?

bwoz11

heel-striking is terrible haha... supposed to land mid-foot

maserati185

I am a heel striker.

There have been numerous studies that state this is not bad for you.

My dad does it, he has ran over 50 marathons.

In my opinion, run the way in which you are most comfortable, and causes the least amount of injury.

I agree with this... even though I am a toe runner. I also most enjoy running as fast as I can... 6-7minute/mile range. So toes touching the ground and pushing off toes makes sense to me, for me. I imagine there can be a lot of factors - weight of person, speed they are moving, bone structure, muscle, comfort. Soooo... that's just my two cents. Run enough and you'll get an idea of what is best for you.

BerryH

Sometimes I run on other people's toes. That often leads to injury :laugh:

Inspired2run

I wondered the same thing as I naturally started to run on the balls of my feet.
Check this article out from the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine http://aapsm.org/ct0102.htm

Part of the article is below:
Some say to run on the ball of your foot, others say contact the ground with the heel. I take a middle of the road approach. Studies have shown that good long distance runners usually contact with the midfoot. Slower runners contact between the midfoot and the heel, faster runners a bit further forward. Only sprinters or short to middle distance runners should contact the ground with their forefoot or the ball of the foot. While there may be exceptions to the rule, this is a good way for most beginning and intermediate runners to start out. It allows for better shock absorption, less stress on the calf muscle and Achilles tendon, and better rolling forward onto the next stride. Your muscles will then be used in a manner that is similar to how you walk, and this is the pattern of muscle firing and contact pattern which the muscles are accustomed to.

Bill Bowerman, in his coaching days at the University of Oregon, would say "Run Tall". This sums up the style of many of the recent and current greats in long distance running. You should run standing up fairly straight, not leaning forward, twisted to one side, or tilting backwards. You should be looking ahead at where you are going, not staring at your feet or the ground. Of course on a trail run, you might be checking out the ground and what is coming up next, if you value your ankles.

Inspired2run

Sometimes I run on other people's toes. That often leads to injury :laugh:

Ha ha! :happy:

Yogi_Carl

"We are designed for our ball/midfoot to hit the ground first. Try running barefoot outside for just a short distance, you'll see. Shoes messed us all up. "

What she said :-)

I run barefoot and I would soon stop running if I was heel striking. The mid-front lands first and the foot arch and transition to the heel just "kissing" the ground before taking another step is the natural shock absorber - no thigh aches in the morning, no knee damage from heel striking, just smooth running; just lovely.

mikeyrp

"We are designed for our ball/midfoot to hit the ground first. Try running barefoot outside for just a short distance, you'll see. Shoes messed us all up. "

What she said :-)

I run barefoot and I would soon stop running if I was heel striking. The mid-front lands first and the foot arch and transition to the heel just "kissing" the ground before taking another step is the natural shock absorber - no thigh aches in the morning, no knee damage from heel striking, just smooth running; just lovely.

What sort of distances are you running? I understand teh technique is good for all distances but the shoes are not a good idea for anything over 10K

kyodi

I used to land on my heels. My knees would kill me afterwards. Did that for two runs, read up on running "posture" and found the land mid-foot beneath your center of gravity stuff. Knees have ZERO pain now, I can run/jog longer and for greater distance.

I have tried sprinting 100 meters a few times and I remember landing ball of foot/toe area.

So from MY personal experience; heel strike = BAD, mid-foot = AWESOME, toes = if a pack of hungry tigers are after you.

SueGremlin

I apologize wholeheartedly for posting bad information. I have apparently been doing it wrong under the advice of another runner, and I didn't do any research, I just took his word as gospel.

I am sorry for that.

MinnieInMaine

I guess its more of a jog. I want to run though. I will continue to plug along and hopefully get there soon. It's starting to get cooler outside so the gym membership will come in handy. I struggle to try and remember how to breathe while trying to concentrate on my feet? I still can not breathe in through my nose. I feel like I am going to sufficate. I have to breathe through my mouth. Does anyone else do that?

Yup, I'm a mouth breather too. I've got droopy nostrils that just don't want to stay open so I have no choice. Basically I'm the prime candidate for those Breathe Rite strips. LOL! Anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with it but you may find you get side stitches from time to time if you're not breathing deeply enough.

As far as your strikes - I'll pass on a piece of advice a good friend told me when she was helping me run - keep your feet underneath you. This will put you in a more natural position to mid foot strike and as you get better, your pace will loosen up. Trust me, it will feel natural in no time.

Yogi_Carl

What sort of distances are you running? I understand teh technique is good for all distances but the shoes are not a good idea for anything over 10K

I presume you mean Vibrams or other kind of barefoot running shoe? I don't use them unless it is freezing and I need a bit more grip or insulation; otherwise I am actually barefoot.

Distances - the longest I have run has been 5K and that was without blisters or much more skin damage than I would have got with running shoes. You gain far more feedback with each step so you run lighter and do less damage.

The one thing I would say is I run slower when I run barefoot as you don't tend to step out like when you are heelstriking.

GiddyupTim

This gets into the whole barefoot running debate. That is, most running coaches used to say that you should run with a heel strike first, and most running shoes were built with thick soles at the heel. Now, some running coaches have begun to question that. They say the more natural way to run is on the ball of your foot, and that this style of running provides much better shock absorption.
If you are interested in the subject, read Born to Run. It is all about how a tribe in Mexico runs super long distances barefoot or in sandals. They run on the front of their foot.
The author of that book also wrote a very interesting article for the New York Times Sunday Magazine last year titled "The Once and Future Way to Run.' In it, the author claims to have discovered a secret training technique of one of the most storied runners of all time, W.G. George. The technique is a way to train yourself to run on your forefoot.
That could be important. Some of the recent research suggests that forefoot running probably is best -- smoothest and easiest on the body. But, that only about half of people can learn to do it naturally. The others are probably going to hurt themselves if they go out and try to run barefoot or in minimal shoes. George's training technique might help those who do not naturally run on their forefoot.

EccentricDad

If anyone has any advice on how to stop being a toe runner (I was a sprinter in high school) and how to get my body to naturally be a middle striker please private message me. I am also a penguin walker (toes point naturally outward) so this makes jogging even harder.

LovelyLumos

i usually run on my toes my heels dont touch the treadmill i never found that odd ive always done it this way

peuglow

If anyone has any advice on how to stop being a toe runner (I was a sprinter in high school) and how to get my body to naturally be a middle striker please private message me. I am also a penguin walker (toes point naturally outward) so this makes jogging even harder.

http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-267-268-0,00.html

This is a pretty good page on form. It mostly has to do with being concious of how your body is lining up in relation to the pavement.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-268-14043-0,00.html

This is a good article on turnover.

lorierin22

Thanks for the tips! Speaking of side stiches... my daughter gets them really bad but I've only had a few. Are they always on the right side? We were wondering if so and why? Just curious.

From what I understand, stitch is a type of cramp caused by not getting enough oxygen to the muscles. Focus on taking deep breaths (which is best done by breathing out as much as you can - breathing in is natural!) and they will pass quite quickly.

It is usually because of breathing, but they are caused from your diaphram not being allowed to fully extend when you are breathing (i.e. not taking deep enough breaths or shallow breathing). They will be more common at first until you learn to control your breathing while running. If you push your hand against the side that is hurting and breathe out with your mouth really deep and hard it will help the stitch go away.

ETA: I only run on my toes when going up hills...somehow it helps me make it up.

macdiver

What sort of distances are you running? I understand teh technique is good for all distances but the shoes are not a good idea for anything over 10K

I'm not sure I understand your post. Are you saying you can't run in minimum shoes or barefoot for over 10k? I think that the 18 miles I did completely barefoot two weeks ago without pain or blisters or losing any skin would start to prove that wrong. A lot of people have completed marathons barefoot and in minimum shoes. The 1960 Olympic marathon was won by a barefoot runner. (somewhat proving barefoot running is not a new fad). I know of at least one person who has run 100 miles barefoot.

sarafil

That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

Heel striking is not a proper way to run. It will lead to injuries. The proper way would be to land mid-foot, with the foot underneath the body.

luvhandles74

That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

Um....no. Heel striking is not good. One should naturally mid-foot strike. We heel strike because its easier and most people do it because they're fatigued.

It also can result in long term problems, especially knee issues. Foot strike should be the ball of the foot, this produces a slightly faster motion as well as eliminating many problems in the long run..no pun intended

VAMommyAgain

That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

Um....no. Heel striking is not good. One should naturally mid-foot strike. We heel strike because its easier and most people do it because they're fatigued.

^^^THIS exactly!!! Heel striking is old school info as is wearing heavy shoes with a crapload of support. Research has shown that heel striking is NOT good for your body. You should land midfoot unless sprinting which is when you would land on the ball of your foot while leaning forward. Also, getting a good pair of minimalist shoes is a good idea (lots of companies are moving toward this...you don't need Vibram's...lots of companies are making 0mm shoes now).

I've heard great things about the c25k program for learning to run.