Don't Look Down When Running on Rocky Roads

[Vendoskt]

I run on a rocky road. By rocky, I don't mean gravel, I mean a concrete road with pea to marbel sized rocks randomly scattered everywhere due to recent road work. Typically I am very vigilent watching what is infront of me and picking the least rocky parts to run on. Unfortunately, this has not been working for me. I have been getting small bruses on the soles of my feet due to stepping on rocks. I have been getting frustrated because I have tough feet, I have good form, and I have strong legs, so I have all the ingredients to be able to run on such a road.

Today I went for a 5 mile run on this road. Shortly into my run I had an epiphany. I may have good form, but I lose my good form when I start looking down to find the least rocky path. So, I kept my head up, and ran as if I were running on a smooth debris free surface. Of course I would scan the road ahead of me to keep an eye out for "boulders" but I was no longer searching for the best path. I was only scanning the road so I could answer the question, "Rocks, yes or no." I stepped on just as many rocks, if not more, than I typically would have, but none of them stabbed my foot bad enough where it actually hurt. I also noticed that I shaved a few minutes off my typical time to do this particular run.

As I was running, I tried to define what "looking down" was as opposed to "scanning the road." I decided that if I could see my own feet, then I was looking down WAY too far down. If fact, if I could see the road about 5 feet in front of where my feet were landing, then I was looking down too much.

In a nutshell, don't look down when running on rocky roads (or running on any suface for that matter). Keep your head up, focus on your form, don't search for the least rocky path, and only scan the road a good ways ahead of you for potentially dangerous debris. Once you start looking down in search of the least rocky path, you will lose your good form, and the toughest feet in the world will not be able to save you.

 

[migangelo]

it's easier to say than do.

it's easier to say than do. i've found speeding up and bending your knees more also helps. oh, can't forget to stay relaxed.



Mike

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Vendoskt, great post.  Thanks

Vendoskt, great post. Thanks for sharing your experience. I find that what you are saying also translates to running at dark. I found that if I am tense and worrying about what I could possibly step on, I tend to step on stuff that bothers me. If I relax and just run without worrying about stepping on stuff, I rarely step on stuff, and if I do, it doesn't seem to bother me.

 

[dunetraveller]

Yeah. I had this epiphany

Yeah. I had this epiphany myself just yesterday. On a slight downhill, the only way to take advantage of the speed increase was to scan ahead a ways and not look down. Like you, I did manage to step on small rocks (thanks to kids who like to scatter them about while playing) but nothing to write home about. Also allowed me to focus on a nice posture and stop hunching, which also allowed me to stay looser than I would have been otherwise. It felt mentally like a video game. Rocks, go left. clear. rocks right. clear.

John T.

P.S. I agree with Mike that it's easier said than done. Fear of the unknown is a hard thing to ignore.

 

[Jonny00GT]

I find my form is at it's

I find my form is at it's best if I run expecting to step on something. Then when I do, it's not a surprise, doesn't unsettle me and I'm already loose and relaxed. It's also pretty much a given, since 90% of my running is in the dark...probably not going to see it coming anyway! In fact, the 2 things I visualize to check my form is that I'm about to step on loose gravel, reminding me to stay relaxed with quiet soft steps, and a slippery floor, reminding me that anything that would make me slip and fall is wrong.

-Jonny

 

[ajb422]

I agree about the dark

I agree about the dark statement. I find it impossible to just not look down if its light out. My body refuses to believe that it won't hurt. But in the dark I can run on surfaces that I can't in the light and do it way way faster.

 

[HobbitFeet]

Great post, I've just been

Great post, I've just been grappling with this my last few runs. Focusing on staying upright and loose while also looking at my feet is really hard. But after reading this and just ignoring the road (mostly) it did feel better. So thanks for the idea!

 

[kentox]

I realized this when i was on

I realized this when i was on a trail. If I looked down i freaked out to see what I was running on. I let my feet guide me. A big leap of faith from a foot scanner But my steps were lighter and i didn't hit many rocks etc. But I find it is a very mental thing for me as well. If I'm tired it just goes kaput due to lack of focus.

I've been practicing the looking straight ahead but I'm running in my Soft Stars while my feet heal as I keep damaging them on every barefoot run recently Over winter. I want my summer feet back again!

 

[Vendoskt]

It is very hard to not look

It is very hard to not look down, as many have been saying. I went for another run today, and I kept catching myself trying to look down. However, I maintained my discipline, kept my head up for the majority of the run, and had a great run as a result.