Form Modifications & Scuffed Toes

[kozz]

@kozz: The 5th (and 1st-3rd) are happy as clams. No issues. But those 4th toes, both feet, are unhappy.

They're also not dextrous or strong like the 5th is. The first 4 flex up and down, while the 5th rotates outward and down. This out-of-plane rotation is similar to what the thumb does on the hand.

If you hold your hand flat like you're making a shadow hound, your thumbnail should tilt slightly toward your palm. Move your thumb down toward your little finger, and your thumbnail will tilt to the right instead. That's out of plane rotation, and is responsible for the human power grip which apes can't do. The 5th toe has a similar function, not as dextrous, but certainly more dextrous than the other toes and thus more useful for balance.

I'm not an anatomist, but I would bet that if your 4th toe is suffering more wear, then it's doing much of the 5th toe's work.

About pushing off, it is not physically possible to run forward without applying force backward. This is why it is hard to walk on ice. Even a slow walking step involves pushing off. Try running pose on slick ice and see which direction your feet slip.

 

[devilnuts]

I get this happening every so often. For me, it has to do with running on different surfaces. I have a much different stride on nice, smooth asphalt than I do on rough asphalt. The same is true for side walk and dirt trails. I find that this usually only happens to me on very long runs. My best guess is that after about 6 miles, I tend to get a little sloppy and lazy with my form, so my stride is not being continuously adjusted to the running surface. One of the ways that I have dealt with this is walking just about everywhere barefoot. I walk about 6 miles a day barefoot (about 2.25 each way to school and about 0.5 around school). I tend to vary how my foot strikes the ground and sometimes will try to "grip" the ground as I push off to simulate the friction and position of running. It has helped make the skin tougher, but I notice that now instead of the skin just coming off on a run, I will get a semi-blister that usually doesn't even break skin...until I take it off so I can make sure to toughen up the skin underneath before my next run. Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

 

[Bare Lee]

About pushing off, it is not physically possible to run forward without applying force backward. This is why it is hard to walk on ice. Even a slow walking step involves pushing off. Try running pose on slick ice and see which direction your feet slip.

When people talk about 'not pushing off' I think what they're really trying to do is reduce their time in stance, but because there are so many silly folk notions floating around the barefoot world, they actually believe they are no long exerting force backward, that gravity, a downward or vertical force, has somehow magically provided them with forward /horizontal momentum. In an interview with Usain Bolt, they asked him what technique he used after he had achieved initial acceleration to pace, and he said something like "I push, push, push." Obviously not a Pose adherent.

 

[Bare Lee]

after about 6 miles, I tend to get a little sloppy and lazy with my form

I get sloppy with fatigue too, and that's usually the only time I spend much time thinking about form. Sometimes I try a slightly higher cadence, in order to reduce force application in favor of muscle activation, shifting the energy expenditure from one aspect of my gait, stride length, to another, stride rate. I picked that up somewhere, I think it was in RW. It said that a lot elite distance runners employ this strategy during their final kick, although some shift energy expenditure in the opposite direction, towards greater force application, if they're high cadence runners, in order to relieve the fatigue of high muscle activation.

 

[devilnuts]

Yeah, as soon as I start to notice it I start shifting my strategy. I might focus more on a mid sole strike and just letting my foot kind of "flop" as I move forward. This is also useful in shortening my stride and leaning forward a bit more. Then it feels more like my own momentum is moving me forward. The downside to this is that it is a slower pace since I'm not actively propelling myself forward as much. But it helps in a pinch when I start to feel like I'm getting sloppy and a bit fatigued. One technique that I have been working on is to be able to recover just by slowing my pace. So I will go out on a run and start out at a pretty fast pace and get to where I am pretty exhausted and then pull back to a slower pace for a half mile. Then I resume a faster pace and try to get back to my faster pace. I repeat this process a few times. It is like a run/walk cycle, but my goal is to be able to recover and lower my HR some without having to stop running. Mainly because I'm lazy and it is so damn hard for me to start running again once I stop...hahaha

 

[barefootandagile]

Koss

""Try running pose on slick ice and see which direction your feet slip""

Here are some pose runners on ice

 

[Bare Lee]

Good job finding a surface where Pose running has a purpose. Too bad there's not a lot of ice in Louisiana though.

 

[barefootandagile]

Lee,

You must be confused.lol. Pose works on all surface and terrain. As for ice in Louisiana. It is indeed rare. I actually wish I had some occasionally as I find running on snow and ice a fun challenge.

 

[Haselsmasher]

They're also not dextrous or strong like the 5th is. The first 4 flex up and down, while the 5th rotates outward and down. This out-of-plane rotation is similar to what the thumb does on the hand.

.....[and].....

I'm not an anatomist, but I would bet that if your 4th toe is suffering more wear, then it's doing much of the 5th toe's work.

Fascinating. I never knew/understood the phenomenon of out-of-plane rotation.

If the 4th is doing the work of the 5th, any take on how to improve that? Does it just come naturally with time out of the shoes? I know Dr. Cucuzzella has recommendations for toe dexterity work. Maybe that would be smart to do.

Thanks for the info.

Jim