How not to heel-strike?

http://www.yourrunning.com/forum-how_not_to_heel_strike#comment-4591

Q: Here's a serious question from someone who definitely doesn't have perfect form. What can I do to improve my form so that I'm properly landing on the balls of my feet - and thus be a candidate for a pair of those garish colored Newtons?

I do have issues with recurring shin splints from time to time, so I'm guessing that being more of a ball-of-foot striker would be good for me. How would I go about changing my running form to join the elite Newton-wearing corps?

simon says:
The "proper" form for any runner is whatever enables him or her to run their fastest and stay injury-free. For some people that might be heel-striking.

That said, if you spend any time at all watching elite distance runners, it appears that the majority of them are forefoot strikers. The lower down any race field you look, the more heel-strikers you will see. There are gradations of forefoot and heel-strike as well. The REALLY slow runners land firmly on the very back of the heels with straight legs -- and are often leaning backwards as well!

The reason they are so slow is that landing on the heel with (usually) a straight leg acts like a brake to any forward momentum.

This remains a controversial issue. I have textbooks that say, like the running shoe industry, that a "normal" gait is to heel strike and then "roll" to a toe-off. The standard answer to this is to ask people to run barefoot on a hard surface and see just how "natural" heel-striking feels then.

The glaring problem with heel striking, especially when carried out with a straight leg, is that it completely cuts out the natural shock absorbtion and spring "rebound" of the foot, with its inbuilt arches and "suspension" mountings of ligaments and tendons, never mind the gastroc, soleus and the like. Instead, heel striking transmits massive forces straight up the leg to the knee, the hip, the lower back and so on. Instead of addressing the cause of the problem -- heel-striking -- the running shoe industry treats the symptoms by ever more bizarre attempts to provide protection at the heel.

I've always been a natural forefoot striker. I don't even land heel first when I walk. So I guess that means that I and the millions of other forefoot strikers worldwide are "abnormal"!

So it's not a question of elitism and/or arrogance -- sorry if it comes across that way. It's more that when you start looking at things biomechanically, or even just from the point of view of running efficiency, it just "obvious" that forefoot striking is "superior" !!!

But...there are people who struggle to change their form and end up running slower and/or getting injured. So I am not saying this is a cure-all for all your running problems and I would like to repeat -- perfect form is whatever works for you.

OK. But if you seriously want to change... the short answer is Drills! That is, technique exercises that will gradually introduce you to forefoot striking and the other elements of form that tend to go with it -- such as a faster cadence (less time is spoent rooted on the ground or "rolling" over it -- a forward lean and a "sneaky" quiet footfall executed with "alive" feet. (You thought this was going to be simple, didn't you?)

IF you just go out and try running more on the balls of your feet you will inevitably end up with sore calves, blown Achilles tendons and cursing me :) So take it slowly. Try experimenting with a flatter footfall first.

OK... what drills, I hear you ask? The best source I know of is the book on the Pose Method of running by Dr Nicholas Romanov. The Pose Method goes "too far" for some peopole, but Dr R knows his stuff and his books and DVDs are excellent. There are other books (and DVDs) out there that I've seen, and I was VERY surprised to see that they are basically rip-offs of Dr R's work by, in one case, a KNOWN student of his, who does not even acknowledge the source. The Pose website is here. Get the book, "The Pose Method of Running" and the associated video if you want the total package.

If you are a serious runner you would get a lot out of attending one of Dr R's workshops (or a workshop with one of his accredited trainers; details on the website). But again, take it easy or you will end up with Achilles trouble -- he advocates using really, really flat shoes. If you have injuries that are chronic or always repeating, Dr Romanov will always lay the blame at your running style. If you learn to run correctly, you will stay uninjured. In my opinion, he doesn't emphasise enough the need for corrective strengthening exercises before a runner dives wholeheartedly into switching to a more forefoot style. If you have had years as a heel striker you simply won't be strong enough where it counts, yet.

I also highly recommend Danny Dryer's work. Danny is the author of Chi Running and was the first person EVER to suggest that I tried a forward lean when I ran. Again, he has books, tapes and workshops. He is an ultra-distance runner who includes a more forefoot running style as part of his T'ai chi-like approach to "softer", more effortless running. Like the Pose Method, Chi Running can also get your running in such a way that old injuries clear up and new injuries are rare. His lead book is "ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-free Running".

If you spend some time on the Pose and Chi websites, you should find some good examples of drills and how to get started.

Another worthwhile idea is to get some one-on-one time with a coach who knows what's what: book a form and gait session with still picture or video feedback. This is how I started with Bobby (McGee); I also trained with Nicholas (Dr R). If you know any serious triathletes, ask them for a recommendation. I don't know whether you are within striking distance of Boulder, but here we have Bobby and you can also get a session with "Mr Newton" Danny Abshire.

Hope this helps: let me know if you need any more info. If there's enough interest we can always set up a gait and form clinic in Boulder with one of the "gurus" !