I’m getting confused by all the information I got here on the past and through Internet in general.
I have an history of having ITBand and move my stride to toe striking , after two years doing that I got shin splints and after that a tendonitis in the posterior tibial tendon. During the rehabilitation I realized that heel striking is much better for the tendon and I’m forcing back to heel striking.
Another point to be observed is that on treadmill I can control the “noise” of the stride ( I used to make a huge noise on every step , which maybe was consuming too much energy every step ) using heel striking.
What’s the common sense on the subject ? ( if is there one ).
I think if you were to just run and have never read what is “right” or “wrong” your body would figure it out for you. I’ve always been a midfoot/toe striker. I’ve had some PF and tight calves and tendonitis, but I don’t think I will change to heel striking.
I think you need to run how is comfortable and ramp up stretching and mileage to accommodate what is natural for you.
I agree totally with you. The problem is that I don’t know anymore what’s natural ( really!!! ) I’m thinking to start doing some short barefoot running to realize what my body wants without the influence of the shoes.
That is a good idea, but you will run MUCH differently barefoot as the proprioceptive feedback is a lot different than in shoes (esp ones with higher heels).
You will also have a different gait pattern entirely based on your velocity (i.e. sprinting vs. jogging), and I don’t mean just “foot strike”, but arm swing, hips, etc.
The vast majority of runners (even elite African marathoners at speeds most of us don’t even run a 5K at) “heel strike”, bad term as they really land more midfoot, so don’t worry too much about it. Great road level slow mo camera footage of the NY marathon a few years back you can google and see hundreds go on by (the FIRST hundred that is) if you want to google around.
Or, if you really want to see great, natural running form that most people can achieve (without major biomechanical issues), google for images/video of Craig Alexander running. Perfect. I’d say Ryan Hall, but his speed/leg extension is so profound, I can’t really run like that for more than 400m
run the way that comes natural too you, quit thinking about it. the ‘best’ way to strike will depend on pace, weight, your build, your shoe, surface, how tired you are, and on and on
Hello ,
I’m getting confused by all the information I got here on the past and through Internet in general.
I have an history of having ITBand and move my stride to toe striking , after two years doing that I got shin splints and after that a tendonitis in the posterior tibial tendon. During the rehabilitation I realized that heel striking is much better for the tendon and I’m forcing back to heel striking.
Another point to be observed is that on treadmill I can control the “noise” of the stride ( I used to make a huge noise on every step , which maybe was consuming too much energy every step ) using heel striking.
What’s the common sense on the subject ? ( if is there one ).
I’m getting confused by all the information I got here on the past and through Internet in general.
I have an history of having ITBand and move my stride to toe striking , after two years doing that I got shin splints and after that a tendonitis in the posterior tibial tendon. During the rehabilitation I realized that heel striking is much better for the tendon and I’m forcing back to heel striking.
Another point to be observed is that on treadmill I can control the “noise” of the stride ( I used to make a huge noise on every step , which maybe was consuming too much energy every step ) using heel striking.
What’s the common sense on the subject ? ( if is there one ).
Many thanks,
The common sense part is what almost all the top runners share in common: good form from the knees to the top of the head. All top runners do not necessarily have the same foot strike, but they almost always look the same around the core.
My experience from 20 + years of running is, like the others said, is run naturally. As all advice can have downfalls, if you're natural form is bad or faulty, you will get injured.
Here are some things that have worked for me (and many of the people I run with):
do 4 - 6 100 m strides at the end of long day and speed days. This is when your legs are most fatigued, yet during strides, most people have reasonably good form. I have found that running with focused, good form when your legs are tired is an effective way to teach your body to run with good form when it is tired ie- at the end of a race.
trail run!!! really look for trails that have a variety of footing…real cross-country style course. It forces you to shorten your stride, run with higher knees and have quicker steps so you don’t fall. When your form gets better, try doing trail runs towards dusk. This can be dangerous, but I have found it really forces you to have good form because you cant see as well so you have to be light on your feet to compensate for the unstable footing.
Do your speed workouts (intervals) on the track and USE racing flats or waffle racers. This is the same concept as Nike free or barefoot running as there is very little support in these shoes. Track/ XC runners have been doing this for decades. Warm up with your regular shoes and then change over for the intervals and then warm down with your regular shoes again. I have found it really helps my form.
Once your form starts to break down…stop running. Clues to form break down, louder foot strikes, arched back, leaning backwards, chin lifting higher, lower hips, foot spending longer on the ground. All of these lead to injuries.
Finally, if you have a history of running injuries, look into running orthotics made by a podiatrist who treats runners.
Go out, but a pair of minimal racing flats - no stability… just plain old flats. This will be close to running without shoest. Put on the shoes and just go run… Run 5k. Then next time you run… thrown on the shoes and run 5 k. Next time… yep you got it. 5 k. Do this long enough and you will develop your own natural style of running. The shoe that you are wearing can be part of the issue. Forcing you to do something that your body does not want to do.
stop over thinking running. What part of your foot hits first is a moot point and changes with speed, gait, ect and will be different for each person.
Just focus on landing with your foot centered under your hips. If your foot lands out ahead of your hips, you are over striding. It’s as simple as that. Running up a hill really seems to nail this point home.
This is true if you are talking to a 4-7yr old who hasn’t had their body altered by desks and shoes, but if you are talking to someone 8+ who has fallen victim to modern circumstances then I would disagree.
Just focus on landing with your foot centered under your hips. If your foot lands out ahead of your hips, you are over striding. It’s as simple as that. Running up a hill really seems to nail this point home.
this is the most important thing, keep your core solid, keep your shoulders back, don’t twist while you run and you will be fine. You shouldn’t be mid-foot striking unless you are running barefoot or with vibrams but it doesn’t matter that much anyway. If you are running in a shoe that has any sort of heel you are going to land on the heel just by the nature of the dimensions of the shoe.
Here is an example between barefoot and with a shoe, the foot is in the same position however in one case you are landing “mid/fore” foot and the other you are heel striking.
this is probably why your perioreception is different because your body position is the same between the two but in one case you are getting a sense in your heel and the other up at the front of your foot
What’s the common sense on the subject ? ( if is there one ).
Work on good posture.
Don’t worry so much about heel or toe strike. The more critical factor is where your foot is landing. Your foot should land almost directly underneath your body.
