University of Wisconsin study shows shorter strides are better.

[Barefoot Mary]

Ok, so I liked this article and thought I'd share:

http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/2010/08/aug-24-new-study-reports-that-shorter-strides-can-have-many-benefits.html?cm_mmc=training-_-2010_10_05-_-training-_-NEWS%3a%20Peak%20Performance


Very nice!

Good study, U of WI, especially being part of the growing proof that this type of running is softer on the body! We always need more back-up studies in addition to Lieberman's!



But I would like to know where this guy found heel-striking barefoot runners. He's probably referring to minimalist runners, one of my favorite media mix ups. Bah!

 

[Blind Boy]

The mix up here is that there

The mix up here is that there are no heel strikers among barefoot runners. We put too much focus on foot strike when that's IMO the least important part of good running form. As long as you don't over-stride it doesn't matter what part of your foot touches down. Sure, landing on your heel (which requires amazing ankle flexibility) barefoot will generate a little more impact than a forefoot one but it's still way better than it is if you're over-striding. Same thing with the opposite, it's enirely possible to run with a forefoot strike and still over-stride. I did it for a while when I didn't know better and it's not comfortable even if it's possible. Still, your overall posture and where your foot lands in relaion to your body is way more important than what part of the foot touches down first.

If you want to see a barefoot heel striker I give you Rick. He doesn't like it when I point it out but look at the slo-mo section at the end of the video, around 2:20 in. http://www.barefootrunner.org/video/stride.htm He's not exactly new to barefoot running and I wouldn't dream of critiquing his form, I'm just pointing it out.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Rick's stride is a healthy

Rick's stride is a healthy stride for him, as apparently, he is able to continue running every single day for years. He possibly holds the record for the most consecutive days run barefoot. Oh, and Rick says he doesn't heel strike continuously, just sometimes.

Victor, Secretary and co-founder of the BRS, however, admits that he did indeed heel strike for the first 8 years he ran barefoot. It became such a problem for him that he recently had to have surgery to remove the bone spurs in both of his heels.

So it is possible to be a barefoot runner and a heel striker. Being a barefoot runner doesn't automatically ensure that you will be a mid/forefoot runner. Shame, I know. I wish it were true, but just as we must appreciate the positive aspects we are learning from one another's barefoot running experience, we must also face the negatives that come with it. If we don't, then we (like the shoe companies) are being irresponsible and negligent.

 

[saypay45]

Yeah, I would say that just

Yeah, I would say that just because you CAN heel strike doesn't make it a good thing. I can heel strike as well while barefoot, but it doesn't feel good or natural. The Harvard study that we always point to in support of barefoot running makes it pretty clear that heel striking is bad for you because of the impact forces that are transmitted up your leg as a result. Those don't exist with a forefoot strike.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I would totally recommend a

I would totally recommend a mid/forefoot landing over a heel strike anyday, or you may end up having surgery yourself. Yikes!

 

[Barefoot Mary]

Wow! That is amazing, I

Wow! That is amazing, I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be comfortable heel striking barefoot! I started out heel striking but it made my achilles tendon ache like nothing else (not to mention feeling...eh...crunchy.)

Eh, whatever works.

I learned something today

 

[Longboard]

Barefoot TJ wrote:Victor,

Victor, Secretary and co-founder of the BRS, however, admits that he did indeed heel strike for the first 8 years he ran barefoot. It became such a problem for him that he recently had to have surgery to remove the bone spurs in both of his heels.

I remember Victor attributing his spurring to poor form in the forums shortly before undergoing surgery, but always wondered if that really was the culprit.

My assumption was that he was a barefoot runner and liver, but had a tightened plantar fascia that he neglected to stretch daily, and the result was an attempt by his body at elongation through heel spurring.

I'd be curious as to what Doc N's hindsight wisdom would be in this matter.

 

[miqie]

Watching his video:  Not to

Watching his video: Not to be critical of Rick, obviously for him it works, but shouldn't his knees be bent a little more and shouldn't he be landing more under his COG?

 

[Blind Boy]

SP: Sure, a heel strike will

SP: Sure, a heel strike will generate a larger impact, or rather the heel isn't as effective at damping as the forefoot. However, the only joint that will see an increased impact on heel strike if your knee is bent is the ankle joint. The energy will travel to the knee, sure, but if it's bent and not "locked" it will do what it does best, bend a little more. The hip joint won't notice the increased impact. Sill, I agree that forefoot and mid-foot strikes are superior since it adds two important things, energy storage in the arch and another joint capable of converting the impact to rotational energy.

miqie: I wouldn't recommend copying him to anyone, no. I do believe there's an ideal form that will look similar in just about everyone and Rick's is not it, at least not in that video. As you say, a more bent knee would be better most likely, as would a more relaxed foot in the landing phase. This would most likely eliminate the heel strike.

 

[hmduey]

To comment on the

To comment on the heel-striking thing...I've found that when I really shorten my stride, I heel strike frequently. It's not painful, but I notice it because I run on the sidewalk and I "hear it in my body" (i.e. the impact is obviously harder). This always makes me lengthen my stride again though. I don't know why the shorter stride makes me do this; I've tried to be more cognisant of it, but after a few minutes I laze back into the heel striking.

It's just something I've observed in my own runs, and again, it's not caused me any discomfort at all (yet - I don't run very far, not more than 5 miles VFF/BF combined). Amazingly, I've only noticed this when I'm actually barefoot - but that is when I usually try to decrease my stride length and go a tad faster.

 

[Abide]

hmduey, try to lead your

hmduey, try to lead your stomach/hips and lean with your ankles more. It'll help keep your feet below your center of gravity and hoefully stop the heel strike.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Heather, we really need to

Heather, we really need to see that heel striking/shorter stride on video. Can you have someone video tape you and then put it on You Tube to share?

Board, please write a question/s (in fact, load it up), offering background, on the subject of bones spurs, heel striking, plantar fascia, etc., and I will submit it to Doc for an Ask the Doc Column. I think it could be very helpful to many, many people. Thanks.

 

[Longboard]

I'll do it TJ.Got home from

I'll do it TJ.

Got home from work around 8:45 pm tonight, figured I better check in with the BRS before having dinner or reading the snail mail. Started w/ the Pub, and have been listening to metal ever since. I hung up my axe for the bass years ago,

but now I've got to dig it out from under a bunch of junk and try to play like your guy.

At least the Eagles finaly got unstuck! Thanks!

 

[Danjo]

I'm pretty sure I was

I'm pretty sure I was actually heel-striking every now and again during my 10 miler, but it didn't hurt at all, and it still wasn't really a "strike", the front of my foot was just slightly tilted up, and my heel happened to come in contact with the ground first. It wasn't the whole time, or even most of the time, but every now and again my foot would touch the ground a little different and I'd think "What was that? Hmm... heelstrike maybe? Focus, Dan, focus." I wouldn't ever try to heel strike on purpose, and I wouldn't recommend doing so, but if the rest of your form is good enough you'll probably be okay coming down heel first every once in a while. Not that this knowledge is helpful in anyway, because if you catch yourself heel-striking you should probably fix it anyways.

And Board, just so you know, your inter-mixing of threads is kinda confusing, and I was even following both of them!

 

[Longboard]

Barefoot TJ wrote:Board,

Board, please write a question/s (in fact, load it up), offering background, on the subject of bones spurs, heel striking, plantar fascia, etc., and I will submit it to Doc for an Ask the Doc Column.

I submitted it to "Ask the Doc Forum is Now a Column" in the health section. Is that where it's supposed to be?

 

[Art]

So, I was really intrigued by

So, I was really intrigued by this discussion over at Ted's google group about stride length and frequency. Granted, that group is a little more concerned with performance than folks here at BRS, but I think it is worth a read for everyone.

Here's Harry's take-home in his start of the thread:

I know it's a controversial topic and many will say, "don't
concentrate on lengthening the stride," but I challenge that. I also
challenge the definition of "over-striding" which is the common
response as to why one should not increase stride length. Now, I'm
not saying to reach out in front with your leg but I see many folks
actively shorten their natural stride which may be a big mistake.

Having now watched a few super-slo-mo videos of elite runners, they generally appear to have their first ground contact directly under their knee (where a line between the ankle and knee is perpendicular to the ground), but I don't think the weight really loads onto the foot until it is under the center of gravity. After all, these folks are moving pretty quick.

I agree with one of the posters on that thread that thinking about shorter strides is a very useful teaching tool in learning to run barefoot or minimalist, but once you've got that and want to start speeding up, that stride is going to need to start getting longer...

 

[hmduey]

Abide, thanks for the tip,

Abide, thanks for the tip, I will try that. I have found that I tend to lean forward a bit when I run. I don't know whether it's the hills or the fact that I started all this with POSE running and the "lean until you fall" thing is just ingrained too well. ;-)

TJ, I'll see if I can get a video of my stride; I've been wanting to do that anyway and this gives me a good excuse. It will be a week or so though, as we are heading to Universal Studios (FL) this weekend.

Speaking of Universal, anybody know whether they any more BF friendly than Disney? The pavement will probably be too hot for me to go all day but it would be nice to walk around bare at least some of the time.

 

[Longboard]

Like night and day. Universal

Like night and day. Universal is pretty easy, you will be told occasionaly to put on shoes, but can take them right off again or just ignore them. How SayPay managed two days barefoot at Disney is still a mystery to me!

Boarding a ride will be the trickiest part. after the gate.

Have fun and be sure to report on your success!

 

[hmduey]

Thanks Board, I'll try it.  I

Thanks Board, I'll try it. I might "cheat" and wear some of those foot thong/barefoot sandals things to give the illusion of wearing shoes (as seen in Jen's profile picture). I've done that at work with great success.