Running. Why do they do it?

[Eric Arthur]

Your heels probably will.

 

Clearly it's natural though, we spent a million years evolving to do it.

Maybe, but your heels, plantar fascia, achilles, calves, quads, glutes and hips have been conditioned over your lifetime to have a differential between your heel and toe and they will hate it.

 

 

I'm not advocating no cushioned sole by the way, I just find now that a large jacked up heel alters my stride and pretty much forces my heel to come down first. Which is biomechanically inefficient.

 

There's a little if any correlation between cushion and drop. Try walking without using your heel coming down first and you'll soon see what's biomechanically efficient. Track sprinting is up on toes but you won't see the front of the marathon pack wearing flats and virtually all of them are heel strikers.

 

I'm not going to tell Mo or Wilson that they've chosen the wrong shoes.

[Cyclone]

They don't seem to hate it... Took a few months to stop having tight calves, but after that it feels fine (for me).

 

Walking is entirely different to running...

[TimmyR]

Maybe, but your heels, plantar fascia, achilles, calves, quads, glutes and hips have been conditioned over your lifetime to have a differential between your heel and toe and they will hate it.

 

 

 

 

There's a little if any correlation between cushion and drop. Try walking without using your heel coming down first and you'll soon see what's biomechanically efficient. Track sprinting is up on toes but you won't see the front of the marathon pack wearing flats and virtually all of them are heel strikers.

 

I'm not going to tell Mo or Wilson that they've chosen the wrong shoes.

 

Discussion of heel/toe foot strike here:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2014/oct/09/is-heel-striking-the-enemy-of-good-running-form

 

Not conclusive basically.

 

I find that when I run fast, sprinting or downhill, toe striking is best but that on long steady runs heel striking becomes prevalent. It more habit than anything.

Edited July 15, 2015 by TimmyR

[hyper]

having read the last couple of pages, I don't feel such a dick now for having been specific about the type of shoes I wanted. Had I asked for general purpose trainers, as one or two on here suggested they would have done, I could have ended up with some nice Nikes as worn by the gangsta rappers and enjoyed running a lot less... and damaged myself in the process

[TimmyR]

having read the last couple of pages, I don't feel such a dick now for having been specific about the type of shoes I wanted. Had I asked for general purpose trainers, as one or two on here suggested they would have done, I could have ended up with some nice Nikes as worn by the gangsta rappers and enjoyed running a lot less... and damaged myself in the process

 

On the other hand, don't believe all the marketing rubbish that insist you replace your trainers every 400 miles. I've done well over 1000 miles in my last pair.

[Waldo]

I'm probably heel striking. I think it's happening as I'm bringing my lead foot too far forward before it touches the ground, which is also having a mild braking effect. I've been experimenting with leaning slightly forwards and raising my knees a little higher as I run, and planting my foot not as far forwards (so it's already kinda going backwards as it hits the ground).

 

Too early to jump to conclusions, but it did seem to increase my pace, without feeling like I was putting in much more effort in to my legs.

 

I'm also pretty sure I've read in several places, ideal running technique is to have your center of gravity over your lead foot as it hits the ground. I'm guessing that implies not landing on your heel (as your foot would then be too far forwards).

[Allen]

1. When you put your body through "stress" it releases endorphins which make you feel nice.

2. We didn't evolve sitting around on our lazy backsides, our ancestors ran great distances around the plains of africa. Running is quite simply a primeval instinct

3. Its means you can eat whatever you like and not get FAT

4. It gives you a sense of achievement.

5. Its sociable

6. Its fun

 

Your last point is mind numbingly ignorant of the effects of sitting on ones lazy backside - the numerous diseases that result from sedentary lifestyles are debilitating and fatal, diabetes, heart disease. The likelihood is that these would be much worse than any joint related issues running may cause (and actually the joint related issues that being overweight all your life will cause are likely to be much worse). That said I don't think running does cause any kind of joint related issues unless done in the extreme.

Eh?

Where did I say sitting on your lazy backside is good?

[I1L2T3]

On the other hand, don't believe all the marketing rubbish that insist you replace your trainers every 400 miles. I've done well over 1000 miles in my last pair.

 

You can overdo it though. I had a pair of trainers I loved and would keep rotating back into them for shorter races. As months progressed I started getting heel pain and naturally blamed my new trainers as they weren't as good (to me) as the old ones.

 

Experimented with not rotating into the old trainers and the heel pain went away. By that time the old trainers had 800+ miles on and I realised I should have binned them a couple hundred miles before.

 

I've had other trainers that were no good after 2-300 miles.

 

I suppose you've got to listen to your body.

[The Mush]

I'm probably heel striking. I think it's happening as I'm bringing my lead foot too far forward before it touches the ground, which is also having a mild braking effect. I've been experimenting with leaning slightly forwards and raising my knees a little higher as I run, and planting my foot not as far forwards (so it's already kinda going backwards as it hits the ground).

 

Too early to jump to conclusions, but it did seem to increase my pace, without feeling like I was putting in much more effort in to my legs.

 

I'm also pretty sure I've read in several places, ideal running technique is to have your center of gravity over your lead foot as it hits the ground. I'm guessing that implies not landing on your heel (as your foot would then be too far forwards).

 

You're doing all the right things Waldo - one of the main things to focus on is much shorter stride, landing with your foot under your knee/ hip/ shoulder. It'll feel really weird at first - like your taking ridiculously short strides - but persevere.

 

Make sure you are running quite upright (if you do lean forward try to focus on leaning forward from your ankles NOT from your hips - sounds (and is) difficult).

 

There's a website link below that has helped me enormously with making the transition to barefoot/ minimalist running (not specifically about barefoot running - but just help with running in general), and look up Lee Saxby on google - lots of good articles, videos from him about running barefoot.

 

Kinetic Revolution

[Blaster Bate]

Impact on joints is good for them, it reduces the risk of age related arthritis.

The study was posted earlier..

Not according to medical advice, that is why power walking is recommended.

Read this

 

http://clogs.org/2015/07/16tip....I-shoe-choice/

Edited July 16, 2015 by Blaster Bate