Bend the Knees!

Barefoot Gentile

Barefooters
Apr 5, 2010
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Fairfield, CT
We all know this one of most important things to do when it comes to running barefoot, but are you actually doing it? If you think you are bending your knees, bend even more!

With two years of running barefoot, I am bending my knees more. I have been re-reading Ken Bob's book with more focus this time around, and the bending of knees really stuck with me. Another factor that inspired me to tweak and work on my form was the lasted race photo's of me. There is not much knee bending going on.

So this past week, I started tweaking my form. And really, if you think you are bending knees, you are not, bend more (as in the words of Ken Bob).

Here is what I discovered with more knee bending:

1. No calf soreness. Logging many barefoot miles, I still would experience some slight soreness in the calfs in the morning. This week nothing, not even a hint of tightness.

2. A much more fluid stride, and I found bending the knees allows maintaining a high cadence much easier.

3. A more relaxed ankle (this was another topic of Ken Bobs that sparked interest, relaxing the ankle). A relax ankle allows more tolerance to handle rough survices.

4. Foot placement. I never focused on my foot placement, that should just be natural. But bending the knees more, the foot has no option of heel striking, and generally a nice forefoot landing automaticlly happen.



I found it takes work to bend the knees, and it's almost like i am starting over again. But like anything time and practice is rewarded with wonderful results.
 
I agree wit everything you

I agree wit everything you just said!

However, anyone making the change should be careful as they make this change and try it out on shorter runs before experimenting on a log one (should be common sense, but I know I made this mistake).

Back in may, after reading the aforementioned literature, I made sweeping changes to my knee bend, an a few shorter runs and then went out for a 13 mile run and wound up with IT band problems that made me walk 3 miles (with a sore knee/leg, barefoot, on crushed limestone) back to my car and lose about a week of running before I was able to start creeping my mileage back up.

The short version is, at least in my case, that bending the knees more puts extra stress on your thigh muscles you may not be used to. Ease into it just like everything else and experiment on shorter runs before trying your new skills out on a long one! :)
 
Smelph, excellent point on

Smelph, excellent point on making a change with shorter runs! Glad you mentioned this becuase it is imporant.



I can actually feel different sensations in my thighs and ligaments working a bit harder with this new found form of more knee bending. Like anything they will adapt in time, but taking it slow is a must.
 
I actually have been trying

I actually have been trying to focus on this...im still having some problems but as im just starting running altogether im low on miles abd im trying to perfect form early on before really uping the mileage
 
I am relatively new to

I am relatively new to running barefoot, only the last 5 months or so and the 5 weeks I haven't been able to run do to a calf injury from TMTS and not listening to my body. While I have been running barefoot during this time I did not know the bending of the knees concept or relaxing the calves part either. I took this 5 weeks and really studied BF Ken Bobs book. Today was my first run back, and it was just a very short 1 mile run for fear of re-injuring my calf. I really focused on bending the knees more and relaxing the calves. It was amazing how much better this felt on my calves, not to mention my soles. I ran on an area of sidewalk around my home that I refer to as the cheese grater because it is really rough and chews through your soles if you push off at all. I did not have a problem at all on this, even with trying to hit all the little rocks and twigs and pinecones that were on the sidewalk. It is weird trying not to straighten your leg while doing this, and instead bending the knee even more. I am shocked with the results and what I was able to run over with relatively no pain. BF Ken Bob really knows what he is talking about. I do agree also that my thighs felt much more of the work load.
 
We all could stand to bend

We all could stand to bend our knees more, but whenever I make a conscientious effort to do so, my calves get sore/tight. Moderation over short distances is the key to adapting like Mr. Smelph said.
 
This is one of the hardest

This is one of the hardest things for me to remember to do, especially when I start getting tired. I totally agree that the form gets more fluid, and rough surfaces are much easier to handle when bending more, but I really struggle with getting this aspect of my form locked into muscle memory.

I really need to check out Ken Bob's book... I don't think it's available for the Kindle, which is why I haven't yet...
 
Could you knee-benders

Could you knee-benders describe, how you do it?

I mean: On what exactly do you focus when you bend your knees more?

When I started BFR, I read this probably exaggerated line: "I have never seen anyone who bent his knees too much. So bend your knees more." or something like that. I´m sure this is somewhere on BFKB´s site.

So I tried it. And it didn´t work at all. It was very exhausting, felt stupid and looked stupid, as you can see in this video.

I know now that one mistake was sitting back in order to bend the knees more. But I discarded the whole knee-bending-focus.

Instead I concentrate on driving the knees forward and a little up in order to lift the feet. At the same time I relax the ankles. This works very good for me. Maybe this IS how you focus on bending the knee and I only don´t know?
 
For me, I bent my knees more

For me, I bent my knees more to a level that I was somewhat uncomfortable with. This way I knew that I was running with a more bent knee. Not to where it was painful, just slightly awkward or uncomfortable. I found as I ran it actually got easier for me and I felt better in general. But maybe that's just me.
 
NickW wrote:For me, I bent

NickW said:
For me, I bent my knees more to a level that I was somewhat uncomfortable with. This way I knew that I was running with a more bent knee. Not to where it was painful, just slightly awkward or uncomfortable. I found as I ran it actually got easier for me and I felt better in general. But maybe that's just me.



+1
 
I remember reading about one

I remember reading about one runner from several years ago who reported that when he ran he appeared to shrink 6 inches just because he settled down so low. When I focus on it, I think of lowering my hips more than bending my knees. It woerks for me.
 
Try to lift your feet and not

Try to lift your feet and not your knees when you are running and bending your knees.
 
I've not run on chip seal,

I've not run on chip seal, but I would think after a while that might hurt a bit. Is it more of a mental thing than anything else?
 
I believe it is more of a

I believe it is more of a mental thing. I think you have to want to do it. I think you have to want to push yourself (nothing crazy). I think you have to want to learn.

Yes, Smelph, that's a good way of thinking about it. I tell myself to run low too, and I think it really helps. It helps me to not bend so much that I am taxing my calves, but bend enough so that I run lightly without heel striking.
 
I'm not sure if I would say

I'm not sure if I would say it's mental or physical. Probably a little of both. Chip seal is really pokey, so it helps you learn to "run lightly" (which for me means bending hte knees more), and the rough surface can create a lot of friction, so if you have any skidding and twisting going on with your feet it can be, while pretty unforgiving, a valuable learning experience.

plus it helps if you're a little crazy ;)
 
Have y'all found this to help

Have y'all found this to help on up hills as well? I generally run so that any more knee bend will pull my heels off the ground, but this is a great reminder! I'm rarely sore in my legs unless I run a reaaaaally slow pace or run a rout with lots of hills.

I'll put knee bend on top of my "pay attention" list for Wed or maybe tomorrow night...

-Jonny
 
Barefoot Gentile wrote: I

Barefoot Gentile said:
I have been re-reading Ken Bob's book with more focus this time around, and the bending of knees really stuck with me.



My wife and I have been re-reading his book as well. I guess I am re-reading and she is getting through for the first time. Nevertheless, the focus on knee bend has also something that we have been coming back to as we discuss our form. It is interesting that you were rethinking it as we were.

Gracia y paz,

a
 
Like anything, there's a

Like anything, there's a point of diminishing returns. Most brand new barefoot runners lock their knees at some point in their gait cycle, hence the importance of bending the knees. However, too much bend puts unnecessary stress on several structures, which can lead to injury. The "you can never have too much knee bend" isn't necessarily good advice for everyone. The trick is figuring out what knee bend is appropriate.