My New Running Style
Since springtime, I've been working (to varying degrees) on changing my running style from being a heel striker to being a mid-foot/forefoot striker. I did this because I believe it will help my running performance, but I also believe it is a healthier way to run.
When we strike the ground first with our heel, shock is absorbed by the heel of our shoe, but the energy remaining is transmitted up through the foot, ankle, lower leg, knee, upper leg, hip joint, pelvis, spine and eventually to the head. The point is that all of those impact forces add up, beating up the body, adding a recovery burden and increasing the "cost" of training.
If we strike with the mid or fore foot, then lower our heel to give our calf and achilles rest, then raise back up, accelerating us, then it should be possible to both run faster AND bear less punishment in training. This information is well described in Ken Bob Saxton's Running Barefoot website. I have done a couple of training runs barefoot and have found that it can be a wonderful feeling, but if you find yourself running over debris, it can fast become painful and unpleasant. The reason for introducing the concept of barefoot running is that because of the lack of cushioning, barefoot runners MUST use this type of form. It could be argued that this form is more natural, but I won't bother with that, rather I will ask that you look at pictures of top distance runners and you will see that they rarely have their feet flat on the ground (some of my favorite pictures can be found on Leo Kulinski, Jr's website - with the shot of Craig Virgin and Toshihiko Seko, about 2/3 down the page, as my favorite among these).
I have now progressed to a level where I can run several miles with a mid/forefoot strike without either unreasonable calf soreness or irritating my plantar fasciitis. I now consider this to be my normal running style. This post should be considered as a warning to those of you who have been near me in races, that if this works as I expect, you'll be seeing my back in races next spring and summer.
When we strike the ground first with our heel, shock is absorbed by the heel of our shoe, but the energy remaining is transmitted up through the foot, ankle, lower leg, knee, upper leg, hip joint, pelvis, spine and eventually to the head. The point is that all of those impact forces add up, beating up the body, adding a recovery burden and increasing the "cost" of training.
If we strike with the mid or fore foot, then lower our heel to give our calf and achilles rest, then raise back up, accelerating us, then it should be possible to both run faster AND bear less punishment in training. This information is well described in Ken Bob Saxton's Running Barefoot website. I have done a couple of training runs barefoot and have found that it can be a wonderful feeling, but if you find yourself running over debris, it can fast become painful and unpleasant. The reason for introducing the concept of barefoot running is that because of the lack of cushioning, barefoot runners MUST use this type of form. It could be argued that this form is more natural, but I won't bother with that, rather I will ask that you look at pictures of top distance runners and you will see that they rarely have their feet flat on the ground (some of my favorite pictures can be found on Leo Kulinski, Jr's website - with the shot of Craig Virgin and Toshihiko Seko, about 2/3 down the page, as my favorite among these).
I have now progressed to a level where I can run several miles with a mid/forefoot strike without either unreasonable calf soreness or irritating my plantar fasciitis. I now consider this to be my normal running style. This post should be considered as a warning to those of you who have been near me in races, that if this works as I expect, you'll be seeing my back in races next spring and summer.
posted by Scooter at 7:01 AM
2 Comments:
This is the whole point of minimalism - to improve running mechanics and efficiency. I ditched my overly cushioned gimmicky trainers several months ago because they were killing my feet (something I'm still recovering from) and went to lower profile shoes mixed up with some barefoot mileage, and it was just great. Running barefoot is the best form of minimalism, but there are some excellent minimal shoes for protection out there, and right now I'm completely sold on the Puma H-Streets. Plus they really catch people's eyes ;)
S,
I'm following a middle ground, using Puma Heras and I just got some Adidas Bostons. It's really a matter of adjusting form, but as you say a minimal shoe tends to force this type of form.
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