Heel striking or forefoot striking?
For almost 20 years, I thought that heel striking or forefoot striking was like being left or right handed. One wasn’t really better than the other, you could change if you wanted to or you could learn to do use both. Either way it didn’t make any difference – we are what we are…or so I thought?
How wrong I was…
A chance pick up of a “mens fitness” magazine in a waiting room (the sort of magazine where you can smash/destroy/blast your fitness goals – every issue!) started me thinking.
There was an article about a revolutionary way to run, run in such a way that you would be qualifying for the olympic team in your spare time.
I had seen the pose method of running but dismissed it as elite athlete fodder. And like I said, I thought it made no difference.
At that time I was working away, living in a hotel in the week. I had money and time on my hands at night.
So, I thought, why not? and I sent for the book and the DVD and got to work.
So I got the book, had a look at the forum – everyone talks of special drills to develop previously inactive muscle groups. Spent some free time in the evenings doing these (and feeling rather silly doing them).
To say that trainers with large heels protect your calf muscles and make them lazy is an understatement and run… don’t make me laugh. I couldn’t even walk forefoot style for more than a couple of hundred yards without pain.
But I persisted with the drills and most of the time, the next day, I felt like I had been shot in the calf muscles.
In May 2006, I went on a course as part of a study. The course was 1 hour theory and 2 half day practicals. It completely revolutionised my thinking.
I now understood the basic physics of the running action and why heel striking is biomechanically inefficient.
Of course, the hardest thing for a runner to do is stop running and thinking about races and events. This was no problem for me as hotel food meant I put on some weight…
Did it work?
The first 10k I did forefoot striking felt like I had concrete setting in my calves from around 6k but I am able to do slightly slower times on a lot less training time.
Converts to pose are criticised because they are very vociferous in online forums.
Why is this ?
Because we now understand why we couldn’t go any faster without risking injury or overtraining.
Will it work for you? Maybe, the only way is to try it.
Here is the link
One final question?
In the photograph, the runner on the left is showing a classical pose action and the runner on the right is a classical heel striker.
Which looks more graceful and athletic and which looks more cumbersome and awkward?
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- Running Blog Carnival - Issue #2008-04 | kdays.com | February 21, 2008
- roadrunning.net » Pose running or chi Running? | February 25, 2008
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- Benefits of Running – Seeing things other people miss : roadrunning.net | December 12, 2010
My running form is not something that I don’t think too much about but after reading this I analyzed my form. I do strike with the forefoot. It’s rather difficult to strike with the heel. You push off with your forefoot and if you lean slightly forward (as you should) then it’s a natural movement to strike with the forefoot. As I was finishing a long run and getting tired I was running more upright with shorter strides and this made a heel strike more likely.
Hi Mark & thanks for the comment
(It’s not difficult to strike with the heel if you have been doing it for 20 years or more)
What I have learnt is that the ground is a “given”. I don’t have a background in higher physics but I am assured that it means that it always stays the same. The harder you push the it, it just pushes back with the same force. So actively pushing off is a good way to waste energy..
Leaning forward is good – the gas pedal is the torso area. Again, my understanding of higher physics is limited but moving an extremity (in this case the feet) requires a high and therefore inefficient internal force.
Proof? When my kids got to junior athletics, as part of the conditioning session, they lay on the floor and just raise the feet a few inches from the ground. The moans and groans are VERY audible and most get up rubbing stomach muscles. (which are nothing to do with the feet..)
I think longer strides are bad – because they cause you to be unbalanced and (I will go away and find some proof shortly) I once read that when the leg gets in front of the perpendicular, the quad muscles are OFF (not working) and therefore waste energy moving them there and back.
(wow long commment but as you can see – I now realise what I was doing wrong for 20 odd years..)
I agree about longer strides being bad for long distance running. That is more appropriate for sprint races.
I read an article a while back about the number of strikes per minute of top distance runners; most seemed to be in the 90-100 range. Longer strides rely more on muscle strength which can not be counted on when competing in a marathon. Shorter strides rely more on overall conditioning.
Even with the shorter stride, a forefoot strike can still be a natural movement. But as you stated, it depends on what you are used to doing.
I really enjoyed reading your post!
Your article was submitted to appear in the kdays.com Running Blog Carnival.
Issue #2008-04 came out today.
Cheers,
Kerrin
kdays’s last blog post..Running Blog Carnival – Issue #2008-04