Running technique

teamvic
teamvic Posts: 140 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've heard that running and landing on your toe first helps with reducing stress on the foot and heel. Does anyone know how to convert to this?

Replies

  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    This is just my personal uneducated/non-coach opinion. Unless you are competing at college/Olympic/elite level I don't see the need to mess with your form. The vast majority of people heel strike, especially as they get faster. When you first start running, you need to build up slow so your muscles and tendons can recover. Don't do too much too soon. That's the biggest reason for injury, not someone's gait or foot strike pattern.

    But I will let other more experienced runners weigh in.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited March 2016
    I went to a seminar a few weeks ago in which the speaker said that unless you are training at an elite level, you should run with whatever footstrike comes most naturally. Toe landing serves best for running uphill and sprinting short distances. Foot strike seems to be a bit of a trend item; for a while heel striking was forbidden, now it's not discouraged. Midfoot strike was a big deal, now people are trending more toward forefoot. I think it's best to run whatever way comes most naturally if you aren't having any problems with it currently. Trying to change your foot strike will change the way your weight is distributed through your whole leg and utilize muscle groups differently (esp if you are changing to a forefoot/toe strike) and can lead to injury if you don't do it with supervision of a coach OR do it basically from the ground up by starting back at zero.

    Edit to add: if greater performance is your goal, it's better to work on speeding up your cadence and strengthening your core/back to run with better form, rather than trying to land on a different part of your foot.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    teamvic wrote: »
    I've heard that running and landing on your toe first helps with reducing stress on the foot and heel. Does anyone know how to convert to this?

    There's increasing amounts of research that suggest that there is no need to change your strike pattern. What does seem to help is to keep a high cadence, avoid overstriding, and lean slightly forward.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    go to a running store, and get properly fitted for minimus shoes.
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    go to a running store, and get properly fitted for minimus shoes.

    not necessarily the solution. i'm a distance runner, and have tried these minimal shoes, and they fu(k up my feet/heels/ankles. I hate them.

    OP, run using your natural stride and footfall.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    edited March 2016
    teamvic wrote: »
    I've heard that running and landing on your toe first helps with reducing stress on the foot and heel. Does anyone know how to convert to this?

    Yeah, I do forefoot strikes in minimal shoes (Chucks or equivalent). Heel strikes put the stress on your knees and forefoot landings will hit your calves. Which is why distance runners are traditionally always destroying their knees. So you'll need to build up your calves gradually.

    How to:
    Short strides! Leaning forward! It's a little different, yes, and your tempo will be a bit faster. It's easier to get used to it if you're running up hills and stairs first, and then transfer that technique onto flatland.

    Kinda like little ninja patterings vs. BAM! BAM! BAM! heelstrikes.
  • nathan_haveagoodday
    nathan_haveagoodday Posts: 38 Member
    As an obese man who wants to run but couldn't because of heel pain I put in some time doing research. Read a couple books and put in at least 6+ hours perusing various running websites. Here are some of the general things I have heard. Have not had much opportunity to use them because I am gradually transitioning myself to a barefoot/minimal style of movement.

    1. Shorten your stride and move your legs faster. Taking shorter strides is more energy efficient because it supposedly allows us to make better use of our tendons rubber band effects.
    2. Avoid overstriding. The farther forward your feet lands the more stress it places on the foot/legs/knees/hips/back.
    3. Try and keep your feet under your center of body mass. This helps your body absorb the shock.
    4. Cross-train. Do yoga, weight training, bicycle riding ect. This keeps your fitness level up and gives your running muscles/bones/tissues a chance to heal.
    5. Listen to your body. If you hurt while running you are going too fast too soon or just not in the right way for your body.
    6. Do not put too much trust in your 150 dollar running shoes. There have been zero scientific studies (ZERO!) that prove that expensive custom orthotics or specially fitted running shoes prevent or even lower the chance of injury. Considering how many billions of dollars are spent yearly on shoes this is intriguing to say the least.

    If you want to transition to forefoot/midfoot striking it will take time. I suggest reading The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard. You can get a PDF of it here (http://beginningbarefoot.com/2012/06/12/books-books-books-and-a-free-one-for-you/) for free. This is with the author's permission.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    teamvic wrote: »
    I've heard that running and landing on your toe first helps with reducing stress on the foot and heel. Does anyone know how to convert to this?

    Yeah, I do forefoot strikes in minimal shoes (Chucks or equivalent). Heel strikes put the stress on your knees and forefoot landings will hit your calves. Which is why distance runners are traditionally always destroying their knees. So you'll need to build up your calves gradually.

    How to:
    Short strides! Leaning forward! It's a little different, yes, and your tempo will be a bit faster. It's easier to get used to it if you're running up hills and stairs first, and then transfer that technique onto flatland.

    Kinda like little ninja patterings vs. BAM! BAM! BAM! heelstrikes.

    Really? Any research to back up this claim?

    http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/marathon-training-doesnt-hurt-knees-even-in-beginners
    http://www.runnersworld.com/newswire/running-might-protect-against-knee-osteoarthritis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556152/)

    http://running.competitor.com/2014/02/injury-prevention/is-it-harmful-to-heel-strike-when-running_95678

    I have looked at this issue extensively over the past year and have not found any evidence to support this claim. Above are just a couple of the articles and studies I have read.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    michellemybelll wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    go to a running store, and get properly fitted for minimus shoes.

    not necessarily the solution. i'm a distance runner, and have tried these minimal shoes, and they fu(k up my feet/heels/ankles. I hate them.

    OP, run using your natural stride and footfall.

    minimus shoes doesn't mean the 0 drop five fingers type of shoes.

    but it does mean a minimal heel raise to allow a mid-foot fall. you also need to adjust your stride, where you land more forward and under your feet.
  • KiwiAlexP
    KiwiAlexP Posts: 186 Member
    I'm slowly working up to running a 10k so no expert but after a broken ankle and having to work with a physio we discovered a propensity for over-pronation ((made worse by the break) and shin splints. The physio got me running on the front of my foot so my heel never hits the ground which has completely stopped the shin splints which were impact related. It feels (and looks) a bit weird at first but now feels normal.
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    michellemybelll wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    go to a running store, and get properly fitted for minimus shoes.

    not necessarily the solution. i'm a distance runner, and have tried these minimal shoes, and they fu(k up my feet/heels/ankles. I hate them.

    OP, run using your natural stride and footfall.

    minimus shoes doesn't mean the 0 drop five fingers type of shoes.

    but it does mean a minimal heel raise to allow a mid-foot fall. you also need to adjust your stride, where you land more forward and under your feet.

    I know that. I've never used the five finger toe shoe things, just minimal shoes like you describe above. Hate 'em.
  • gdyment
    gdyment Posts: 299 Member
    Just run - your stride will naturally adapt. Try to land with your foot below your center, not out in front (this is overstriding/heel-striking in the sense that it's a jarring/braking force). If you're landing under your center of gravity it doesn't matter if it's a heel, fore or mid foot. I run on concrete so I wear trainers with good support. Racing is lighter, less support.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    michellemybelll wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    michellemybelll wrote: »
    Capt_Apollo wrote: »
    go to a running store, and get properly fitted for minimus shoes.

    not necessarily the solution. i'm a distance runner, and have tried these minimal shoes, and they fu(k up my feet/heels/ankles. I hate them.

    OP, run using your natural stride and footfall.

    minimus shoes doesn't mean the 0 drop five fingers type of shoes.

    but it does mean a minimal heel raise to allow a mid-foot fall. you also need to adjust your stride, where you land more forward and under your feet.

    I know that. I've never used the five finger toe shoe things, just minimal shoes like you describe above. Hate 'em.

    You were being given quality minimaslistsplaining. How dare you have intelligent insights into your own running.
  • chipwilson3
    chipwilson3 Posts: 1 Member
    I went trail running yesterday and concentrated on shortening my stride, hitting forefoot, and making sure my toes didn't point too far out when going up or downhill and I didn't have the knee soreness I usually have. Just my two cents.

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