Don’t Run On Your Toes…Or Heels

You may or may not agree with my ideas and practices. But that’s ok. The world would be so boring if we all had the same ideas and philosophies. Don’t you think?

So I would like to share my opinion on running skills. Particularly regarding the strike in this blog post. First of all I base my running technique on POSE Method and Chi Running elements as well as Natural Running. Plus I bring into it some elements from Karate. Yes, Karate and running have common grounds, believe it or not.

About heel strike

I’m not saying heel strike is good or bad but I am asking the following questions:

Why don’t children (up to the age of 5) run heel strike? If heel strike was the natural way.

Why does running feel so heavy when we heel strike? You only notice the heaviness when you experience the opposite, lightness.

Why so many people struggle so much when running? …and most people heel strike

Why does our butt stick out when we heel strike if heel strike is the natural way? Then back arches and we end up with back pain, thus hating running.

Why don’t we run heel strike first when we don’t have padding/platforms (that’s shoes)? The moment we try to heel strike barefoot that impact goes right up the head is it’s too aggressive. Have you ever felt that? I tested.

Why do we feel so much pressure on the knees when heel striking? And why does it look so aggressive on the body when we heel strike? Have you ever notices the aggressive force on the body? I notice it by watching runners every single day…

Why do we lose control and easily slip on ice, snow or mud when we heel strike?

Why is running so difficult for my clients before I teach them the “other way”?

About toe strike

If we run on our toes, without placing the heel on the ground, there are other problems.

As the foot touches the ground, knee bends and if the heel doesn’t touch the ground then the knee bends further passing over the toes and so receives all the pressure and weight. There is a similar principle in Karate.

You can also get shin splints and force the ankle too much. Add to that the poor weight distributions and poor alignment of the body which keeps it in a weaker form. Let’s not mention the strain on the calf.

No heels, no toes….then what?

There’s another option: Ball of foot – Midfoot strike

That is landing with the ball of the foot (has nothing to do with the toes) a fraction of a second before the heel touches the ground. It’s really that long, a fraction.

You should not point your toes and never land on your toes as this can indeed lead to other types of injuries.

Ball of foot is wrongly mistaken for toe landing. It is completely different and the body works in a different way. It is actually heavy and difficult and you bounce up and down all the way. Who’d want that! It can be exhausting.

Conclusion

I do not claim to know the best way to run. All I know is that since I changed my running form there is less pressure on my body, running feels light like gliding over the ground and it’s so much easier.

I also have a lot more control when running on different surfaces and can apply the principle of body weight transfer so I don’t push off.

Because push off action, or pushing against the ground, causes will lead to a response an equal and opposite reaction – according to the laws of physics.

When you heel strike you end up pushing off to move forward. Alternatively when you lean from your ankles, using gravity and using the body weight transfer principle you make use of that source of free energy. You also nicely and smoothly lift your foot and place it softer on the ground. More control, more enjoyable run.

And this doesn’t come only from my experience. Once I begin teaching running techinique my clients start smiling and begin enjoying running. Even those who hated it before. They feel lighter and more in control of their own bodies. And they look like runners from their first session. Because it’s about forma AND efficiency.

You must also bear in mind that landing is only ONE element of the running technique I teach. There are many other elements which when brought together transform your running and how it impacts your body.

So there you have it. What I stand for in terms of running and the reason why I stand for this. As mentioned the technique is much more complex but this gives you a glimpse.

Review your running technique

If you’d like me to have a look at your running film yourself running 50m a few times, book a call with me and we will look at it together

Do You Hate Running? Here Are Three Steps To LOVE It

Many people tell me they don’t like or even hate running. The most common 3 reasons I get when I ask them why (but not the only) are:

1. It’s boring
2. It’s difficult (running out of breath)
3. It’s painful (on the joints, muscles)

If you feel you don’t like running because of the reasons above or other reasons (let me know which) here’s how you can overcome them:

1. It’s boring

I don’t blame you. Running can be really boring when you’re just…….running. Unless you reach “the zone”, which requires time and practice.

So to counter that here’s what I do. I take my clients through drills such as breathing techniques, fluidity in running, relaxation while running (yes, that’s possible and recommended) and posture.

Bringing mindfulness into running makes it a lot more enjoyable. And it’s not me saying this, but my clients themselves.

[tweetthis]Bringing #mindfulness into #running makes it a lot more enjoyable.[/tweetthis]

Photo Credit: Alain Limoges via Compfight cc

2. It’s difficult (running out of breath)

It’s true that if you run out of breath after running for a few minutes there’s not fun or enjoyment in running. You need patience and consistency to overcome that.

Ooor you could do breathing exercises three minutes before you fall asleep. Don’t tell me you don’t have time. No one falls asleep within three seconds from placing their head on the pillow. If that’s the case then that’s not good.

Three minutes before falling asleep do a breathing technique. Here’s one to get you going. Do it for two weeks, ever week, religiously and you will see improvements. Do it for longer than three minutes and the progress will be even greater.

Triangle breathing technique:

Imagine an equilateral triangle. It has 3 equal sides

• BREATHE IN through your nose on a count of 4.
• HOLD on a count of 4.
• BREATHE OUT through your nose on a count of 4.
• No hold after this one. Repeat

If 4 sec is too much take it down to 3 or 2. If it’s too little take it up.

Note: make sure that when you breathe in you breathe into your stomach (making the stomach big) and when you breathe out you squeeze your stomach, pulling your belly button towards your spine. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

After you increase your lung capacity running will not be a nightmare anymore.

At the end of this blog post you have 2 other breathing techniques if you need progressions. But believe me if you go up to 10-20 sec with the triangle you won’t need any progression.

3. It’s painful (on the joints, muscles)

Ok here’s a real pain. Literally. Although we’ve been designed to walk long distances and to run, that’s what history of evolution shows us, and although we have such amazing technology around and comfy shoes we still experience loads of running related injuries. Ever wondered why?

Here’s the thing. Any sport you practice can lead to injuries, whether we’re talking about running or not. So let’s leave the running leads to injury part and see how we can reduce the pain you feel so you enjoy running.

It’s simple really. Technique, mindfulness, breathing, fluidity and posture. Five elements that will take the stress off your joints and make you not run but glide over the ground (won’t promise you will levitate though)

[tweetthis] Five elements that will take the stress off your joints and make you not #run but glide over the ground[/tweetthis]

A good running technique looks at the following major components:

• posture
• stride and pace
• landing and kick off
• using gravity instead of brute force
• arm movement, angle and hand position
• leg and foot movement
• hips movement
• breathing rhythm

[tweetthis]A good #RunningTechnique looks at the following major components:[/tweetthis]

Read my blog post on What Can Running Do For You and you will understand what I am talking about.

Need advice on your running, get in touch.