More Footstrike Stuff

The other day I talked about foot striking. You are probably thinking "what more could he say?" Lots.

I went out yesterday morning for an easy 5 mile run. My hotel in Ann Arbor is right on a golf course as well as at the beginning of a running trail that goes on and on. My foot strikes went pretty well. Still not completely "natural"--I had to constantly pay attention or I would go back to a heel strike. That being said, I still think it was better/easier compared to Sunday's run. This morning I hopped onto the treadmill for a 5 mile speed run. I went right into the midfoot strike. It definitely felt more natural because I didn't even think about it. I also noticed I didn't have to concentrate as much as I have with my other runs. Even during the speed portions, I did very well. I can also say that my knees don't hurt at all these day; it seems like my knees were always hurting, especially after long runs. Heel striking sucks.

There are a couple of important thing to remember when doing the midfoot strike. First, it helps to lean forward slightly. Not sure if it is gravity pulling you along (as I read on a Chi Running website) or what, but it does help. Also, you will take shorter strides. Don't expect those big long strides you are taking with the heel strike. So, if you are having problems implementing the midfoot strike, try shortening your stride.

Here is a great little demo Newton Running's website. Check it out here. Play with the different options to get a better idea of what the heel strike is doing to your running and your body. Notice the exaggerated stride on the heel strike demo vs. the midfoot one. BTW, a triathlete friend of mine swears by the Newton's.

I have uploaded an article originally posted in TRI-DC Magazine by Christine Hinton. Christine is my running coach (she can be yours too --click here) and sent me the article after she saw the discussion about gait and striking. Take a few minutes to read it--lots of great information in there. You can download it here.