Is it possible for your running gait and/or your foot strike to change over the years as you progress as a runner? I think Russ Brandt (sp?) posted about his run form changing which seems very logical, but what about your natural footstrike and gait?
I was a diagnosed overpronator when I started running 5 years ago and have been sticking with stability shoes (Asics 2000 series mostly). I have had some nagging leg issues recently and one person observed that my foot strike was very neutral and questioned my stability shoes.
So I am confused as ever and wondering if I should seek out a gait analysis and rethink my shoe choice. Any thoughts?
NOTE: I realize that running injuries are very complex and shoe choice is only one variable in the equation, but these nagging pains are not occurring at a time when my training is very stressful regarding intensity or duration.
This is the real question to answer in regards to the last couple of days threads.
If the 70’s were the great era of running, then with today’s runner’s does it not make sense to take advantage of technology. We are not all elite runners in the Prefontaine class. We are average Joe’s who like to run. We might not have started running seriously until we were 23. At this point, our natural gait has set in. Is there any going back? Or do we play with the hand that we are dealt and do the best we can in a shoe that corrects what would have been corrected had we started running track at age 5.
Is it better to take 2 years to correct your gait or to run naturally in a shoe that will help compensate for your running problems?+
I was s severe overpronator when I started running about 3 years ago. Orthopod that I was seeing even suggested I get custom orthodics, which I did. I could run without motion control shoes or else my knees would just kill me. Early last year I started noticing that my feet felt like they were being pushed toward the outer edge when I ran. The next time I went to buy shoes I mentioned this to the guy at the running store. He is very knowledgable, was a running coach at a large university for may years. He told me it was natural for my footstrike to change as I became a stronger runner. Less heel strike, higher turnover, less pronation. I switched to stability shoes and immediately noticed the difference. So, in short, YES, I think you running can and does change as your body changes.
Footstrike, definitely. You can go froma heel striker to a forefoot striker fairly easily.
Gait, not quite so easy. The person who saw your “neutral” gait, may be missing something. Perhaps they’re watching you run in your 2090’s (or 2100’s or whatever it is you’re wearing). If they observe a neutral gait that probably just means that the shoe is doing its job correctly. Also, they may be missing some early stage pronation. To the untrained eye an early stage pronator appears to be neutral.
My advice is stick with your current shoe if you have been using it this long and it has worked for you. If you’re still thinking about switching, consult your local running store associate and have them check out gait in a neutral shoe to see if you can pull it off.