Does anyone run on their toes?

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  • avasano
    avasano Posts: 487 Member
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    When I run I am trying hard to keep going, I can't think about my feet, lol!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    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?
    Runners don't say jogging, you're just running at a different speed. Congratulations, you are now a runner!

    Try as run outside as much as you can before the weather gets too bad - a little cold air and drizzle can actually make it easier to get faster and stop you getting too hot. Not to mention the passing scenery making your run feel quicker.

    Yes, most runners breathe in through their nose and mouth together, we need a lot of oxygen! I run three steps in, three steps out. Many people do two and two, but I find I'm going too fast if I need to do that and I can't keep it up. Once you get a rhythm going you won't need to think about it.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    If I run ball 1st I end up with shin splints. I had to say to myself over and over again Heel Toe to break that habit. Now I run mid foot / heal toe. My longest run in 10.5 miles with no issues and when I'm in a running phase I'll to 6-8 miles at a time.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    Actually wrote that before your question on breathing. All breathing technique seems to work best when you focus on emptying your lungs rather than filling them. Definitely true of running, swimming and weight lifting anyway.

    also - best video on running form ever (probably)!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6x2cD6Y8Q

    I think the key is that you are not 'landing on' your feet, but passing them underneath you - focus on moving them backwards - as if you were lifting yourself over a treadmill and just catching the belt as it comes past.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
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    When I first started running, I ran on my toes. My boyfriend tried to correct me but I could't think about how I was running as well as trying to keep a pace AND breath so I didn't worry about it. Now that I've been running for awhile, I still streak with my toes but don't run completely on them anymore, my heels do get a workout :love:

    How to change it, I can't tell you but honestly, run the way your body naturally wants you too
  • PrimalGirl
    PrimalGirl Posts: 148 Member
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    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?

    Hi, I transitioned to mid-foot striking over the summer and my calves were in agony the first dozen times. I could only run once a week because it took that long for my calves to recover - however, it wasn't injury, just pain from the muscles adapting. I now run three times a week mid-foot with no problems at all. My calves, ankles and feet are much stronger. One of best things you can do if you want to run "barefoot" is to buy "barefoot" trainers - Vibram Five Fingers or Merrells Barefoot. They have minimal cushioning at the heel and you find this automatically makes you raise your heels, otherwise it hurts to heel strike. It was only the invention of the modern trainer in the 1970s with its large padded heel that caused people to begin to heel-strike, and that's only because the padding is so great you have little choice but to land heel-first.

    Also, with breathing, I start off breathing through my nose and end up breathing through my mouth towards the end of the run. It dehydrates you faster but unless you're running ultra-marathons I wouldn't worry about that.

    I also found that to avoid getting stitch you need to breathe regularly - in for two strides out for two strides - always inhaling when the same foot hits the ground.

    Good luck and keep at it. Even five minutes a day will see your strength and ability increase.

    PrimalGirl
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
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    This technique is only really supposed to be used for sprinting. Any long distance running you should be aiming to land mid-foot, underneath your centre of gravity.

    A good test to see if you''re doing it right is to run across sand - you should have a balanced foot print - not a hole at the back where you heal strike (its rare to land toe first)
    ^^^This.

    Let your leg swing naturally under you and let your foot land under your body, not in front of it which would cause a braking action. You should find you naturally land mid-foot, the rest of your foot absorbs the impact, then you push off on the next step.

    Forced heel landing, especially in beginner runners who think that's what you're supposed to do, can lead to discomfort and injury including shin splints and plantar fasciitis.

    A good way to work out where your midfoot is, is to run on the spot for a few seconds before you set off...you'll naturally land on your mid foot when you do this, and then you just need to carry it on. If you have to stop to cross the street, run on the spot to remind yourself where the midfoot is.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Son's friend not only runs on his toes he also walks on his toes, he's a lightning fast sprinter.
    Due to injured knees I can't jog slowly as I lose my form and start to land heavily. I used fartlek training to get back into running when my heart/lungs couldn't keep up with the speed I needed to maintain to run smoothly.

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/qa-how-do-i-do-fartlek/722.html
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    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?

    I been running for just over a month & only breathe through my mouth. Nothing wrong with it cause as long as I'm still breathing. Don't stress on the jog vs run thing.... my RUN is someone elses jog.
  • 4flamingoz
    4flamingoz Posts: 214 Member
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    I've been a runner for 20+ years, and my knees are testament to it. After a debilitating toe surgery last year that forced me to be sidelined for 2 years prior to the surgery, and friend gave me the book "Born to Run". I have since changed the way I run, to the balls of my feet, and voila-no more knee pain. I am finally building up my endurance, and losing a little weight as well. It's not for everyone, but if you love to run, sometimes adjustments are necessary. Good luck!
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    I used to when sprinting... now I try and midstrike ...

    oh and when I am playing/jogging with the wii, as I am normally in socks in the living room and for some reason I find myself jogging on my toes!
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    If you are not running competitively it is much better to run on the balls of your feet, using your built in shock absorbing system instead of relying on shoes that don't hold a candle to your biomechancial shock absorbing system.

    Heel striking, LOL, heel striking is virtually impossible to do without modern running shoes. Clearly that is how we were meant to run.

    Most people can't run on the balls of their feat because their feet muscles and calves are too weak from a lifetime of atrophy due to shoes. At one time you were a toddler, you walked around the house on the balls of your feet for a while, and this strengthened your lower legs, creating your arch and gave you the ability to run. Unfortunatly that is the last time that many were able to actually run the way we were built to do it, as that is when the shoes went on.

    It is easy for a toe striker to lighten their tension a bit and midfoot strike when needed for speed. A lot of people that aren't toe strikers that think they are midfoot strikers really aren't, they convicned themselves that their heel striking is actually midfoot striking. Just like a toe striker, a true midfoot striker should have virtually no wear on the heels of their shoes, by the time the heel touches the ground when midfoot striking, it is soft enough and lacking any movement that the heel of the shoe receives no wear. If the heels of your running shoes don't look virtually brand new, you are not a midfoot striker.

    When you toe strike you become liberated from the shoe industry. You no longer need to go to specialty running stores to get fitted for expensive running shoes to fit your exact gait. Since you use your shock absorbing system instead of the shoes when you toe strike, any shoes will do as long as they are comfortable. You feel the need to run in dress shoes, you can run in dress shoes. Aqua socks? A fine set of runners. The cheap blue light special at the discount mart? Yep, they will work great. Of course the shoes industry and the running magazines they sponsor really don't want you to know this.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    If you are not running competitively it is much better to run on the balls of your feet, using your built in shock absorbing system instead of relying on shoes that can't hold a candle to your mechancial shock absorbing system.

    Heel striking, LOL, heel striking is virtually impossible to do without modern running shoes. Clearly that is how we were meant to run.

    Most people can't run on the balls of their feat because their feet muscles and calves are too weak from a lifetime of atrophy due to shoes. At one time you were a toddler, you walked around the house on the balls of your feet for a while, and this strengthened your lower legs, creating your arch and gave you the ability to run. Unfortunatly that is the last time that many were able to actually run the way we were built to do it, as that is when the shoes went on.

    It is easy for a toe striker to lighten their tension a bit and midfoot strike when needed for speed. A lot of people that aren't toe strikers that think they are midfoot strikers really aren't, they convicned themselves that their heel striking is actually midfoot striking. Just like a toe striker, a true midfoot striker should have virtually no wear on the heels of their shoes, by the time the heel touches the ground when midfoot striking, it is soft enough and lacking any movement that the heel of the shoe receives no wear. If the heels of your running shoes don't look virtually brand new, you are not a midfoot striker.

    So true!!! The exception is hill running of course, whereby going up a steep hill you inevitably toe strike (there is a technique where you turn sideways to run up steep hills - pretty good for preventing injuries from overextending your calf) and coming down you are going to be on your heals a little as you will need to break.

    I've tried running down a steep hill leaning forward enough to mid foot strike - you just keep on accelerating and I literally lost control - any attempt to slow down would have forced me to trip so I just tried to stay ahead of falling on my face through raw speed! Luckily the path levelled out before I actually had an accident but I consider it to have been a very close thing - I was petrified and somewhat exhilarated at the end of it. Good runners seem to bounce like a mountain goat down these terrains - I just cant work out how they do that! One hint I do understand is that you can lean back and then never fully extend your legs so they can act as shock absorbers rather than putting that impact straight into your ankles & knees.
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
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    I try not to touch my heel. I used to run with a heel strike, but I began doing research, and I started changing my style, mid strike and front strike, or toe strike.

    I used to get lots of chin splits when I did the heel strike. Now I also feel lighter and its easier to bounce back from every strike if do not land on my heel. I believe everyone has a different way of running that works for them
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    I used to have some knee pain when running so last year I changed my stride to a fore/midfoot strike. Now, no more knee pain even with running 7 days a week.

    On breathing: Breathe through your mouth. Breathe through your nose. Suck the air in through your ears, if you can.
    Quote from Arthur Lydiard
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I'm a mid-foot/toe striker. Always have been. I can not run "heel-toe". I run for speed and the mid-foot/toe strike really helps with that. I've tried to run "heel-toe" and it's not only uncomfortable but it's not exactly good for your joints either. I just found this on a running website:
    Foot Plant

    One of the most important phases of running mechanics is the position of your foot when it lands on the ground. When you foot strikes the ground it will land either; toes first, ball of the foot first, flat footed or heel first. Many runners make the mistake of reaching out in front of their body and landing heel first. That type of foot plant is inefficient and can be the cause of a long list of injuries. When you land on your heel, your leg is straight and extended in front of your body. The combination of a straight leg and a hard heel landing transfers a lot of impact through your heel and up through your knee to your hip. The excessive stress a heel strike places on your joints can cause pain and injury to your hips, knee, ankle and foot. Shin splints (pain of the front of your lower legs) is an example of a common running injury that can be caused by heel striking and over striding.
    A heel first foot plant also means you are over striding. You are reaching out in front of your body with each step you take. When you reach out in front of your body, you will land heel first and will be putting on the brakes with each step. It is like trying to drive your car while pressing on both the gas pedal and brake pedal at the same time. You are wasting energy and making your training run harder than it should be. Landing toes first is not an efficient style for distance running. Toe first landings result in a lot of up and down motion and puts a lot of stress on the calf muscles. Toe running is more appropriate for sprinting than for distance running.
    As a distance runner, your most efficient foot plant is one in which your foot lands directly under your hips or your center of gravity. You may land on the ball of your foot or flat footed. The ideal landing position is slightly toward the outside edge of your foot, just behind your little toe. Your foot would then naturally roll slightly inward while pushing off over your big toe. The slight inward roll of your foot is called pronation and provides some cushioning during the running stride. A small amount of pronation is normal and desirable, but excessive pronation can also be the cause of injury and stride inefficiencies. Excessive pronation can be prevented through the use of motion control shoes. That type of shoe has strong heel inserts that stop the inside rolling motion of pronation. While motion control shoes will temporarily solve the problem, it is like putting a band aid on a cut that will never heal. It solves the immediate problem but it not a long term cure. Pronation can be caused by weak muscles in your lower leg or stride inefficiencies. Doing some barefoot walking and running will help strengthen the ankle and foot stabilizing muscles in your lower leg. Doing exercises and drills on an unstable surface such as a wobble board or stabilization pads can also help with this problem. If you pronate severely I would suggest consulting with a physical therapist to find out of there are alternatives to motion control shoes in your specific case.
  • Sojaided34
    Sojaided34 Posts: 113
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    My son is a "toe-walker" he has shortened calf tendons. We have been doing PT with him 1x a week along with daily stretching. Trying to avoid having to get him leg braces to keep his foot in a flexed position. He always walks/runs/stands on his toes. Maybe they also have something along that line where it's just more comfortable for them to be on their toes where they don't put so much tension on the calf. Just a thought.

    My son does this too. He chooses to do it. LOL because he does walk on his full foot.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
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    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.
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
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    That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.
    This. is. so. wrong.
  • macdiver
    macdiver Posts: 145 Member
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    That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

    Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You are meant to land on the ball of your foot then lower the heel to the ground. This allows the arch and lower leg to counter the impact forces. Heel striking leads to greater impact forces.


    I do not know if others responded before me I hit quote before reading other responses.

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