I started running in the last few months with a conscious effort to land on my forefoot/midfoot. I heard about this style some time ago, but it wasn’t until I bought some walking shoes at Costco that I could really implement the new style of running (I bought the shoes because they had the quick tie laces and I wanted that for a triathlon earlier this year). The shoes allow me to feel the ground with my feet and so it’s easy to adjust my form (or at least where my feet contact the ground).
In just a few months, I’ve gone from being afraid to run more than once month because of knee pain and a 5k time of about 32 minutes to running once a week with no knee pain and a very recent 5k time of 28 minutes. I think I can continue to improve on that time until I get to around 27 minutes by simply keeping my present training program of running once a week. After that, I’ll have to do some interval training and probably also try to improve my form in other ways.
This experience has me sold on the whole forefoot/midfoot strike form and also with regard to the minimalist shoe movement. Any runners out there want to provide your thoughts on this?
Forefoot striking means your achilles tendons take all the force of landing and then must also transmit all the force of the stride.
I can tell you from personal experience that you are much more likely to develop achilles tendinopathy by adopting this style of running.
I run more often than you (5k at least 3 times a week). After 5 or 6 years of forefoot striking, I got to the point where I couldn’t walk after getting out of bed in the mornings.
I have since changed to heel striking, and my achilles tendons are thankful for it.
[quote=“monkey”]Forefoot striking means your achilles tendons take all the force of landing and then must also transmit all the force of the stride.
I can tell you from personal experience that you are much more likely to develop achilles tendinopathy by adopting this style of running.
I run more often than you (5k at least 3 times a week). After 5 or 6 years of forefoot striking, I got to the point where I couldn’t walk after getting out of bed in the mornings.
I have since changed to heel striking, and my achilles tendons are thankful for it.[/quote]
It makes sense that what’s going on is a transfer of the shock of the landing to another part of the body. But with the knees, there’s nothing there to absorb the shock. I’ve been trying to go for a midfoot strike because going too far forward seems forced and unnatural, while midfoot seems very natural to me. In other words, I still land with my heel off the ground, but with that distance as small as possible. I wonder if that would minimize the possibility of achilles tendon problems down the road?
I think a lot depends on your body type and age, as well as how often you run, how fast you run, and on what sort of running surface.
If I was to do my time all over again, I’d mix it up more, using different running styles and running shoes to minimize stress on any one one tendon or joint.
I have no idea whether my tendon damage is permanent. I guess only time will tell. I try not to provoke it now.
I switched to more minimalist shoes about a year ago. I used to get a little knee pain before then but I could still run two or three times a week. Now I’m not getting any pain at all but I’m not sure if that is because of the shoes or because of something else. Not long after I got the new shoes I also moved house and, therefore, had to find a new route to run. My old route was flat but my current one starts very gently uphill and gradually gets steeper, with the last few hundred meters being fairly steep (I basically run up to the base of a hill, then up the hill, then turn around and run back home). And, somewhat annoyingly, there is a set of pedestrian lights I usually get stuck at, about 800 or 900 meters in. So I often run fast (relatively! ) up to the lights knowing I’ll probably be forced to rest there. Perhaps because of these lights I started breaking my route up into a series of faster, shorter runs, especially on the way out, where it’s all uphill. But I also feel that having shoes with a minimal heel to toe drop, and a thinner sole, has encouraged me to increase my cadence too, because it just feels better for some reason.
[quote=“monkey”]I think a lot depends on your body type and age, as well as how often you run, how fast you run, and on what sort of running surface.
If I was to do my time all over again, I’d mix it up more, using different running styles and running shoes to minimize stress on any one one tendon or joint.
I have no idea whether my tendon damage is permanent. I guess only time will tell. I try not to provoke it now.[/quote]
The way I’m mixing it up is by doing other sports. I work out three times a week (sometimes four). Only one of those is a run. I hope your injury completely heals.
Fartlek runs are probably the best way to go. And I’ve also experienced a faster cadence with the minimalist shoes. I know I can speed that up even more by leaning forward a bit. That’s probably what I’ll do next after I get more used to the new running style.
Fartlek runs are probably the best way to go. And I’ve also experienced a faster cadence with the minimalist shoes. I know I can speed that up even more by leaning forward a bit. That’s probably what I’ll do next after I get more used to the new running style.[/quote]
Fartlek eh? I had no idea there was a name for that kind of run.
I had a good run on Saturday but now I’m down with a cold and it might be Wednesday or Thursday before I get out again.
Forefoot strike? sounds weird to me. I definitively do heelstrike instead, and I understand that forefoot strike could be way too much effort for a normal tendon. I guess that the posture / footprint depends on the surface and type of movement/speed/acceleration/etc…
Last Sunday I went to run and surprisingly enough my legs did OK… but I got my ribs sore xD
I also employed a heel strike. I stopped running for four years because of my knees. It was a blessing in disguise, really, because I discovered swimming. Then I started running again at around this time last year.
The four-year break allowed my knees to recover quite a bit, but things were definitely not back to normal. So I kept things to once a month or so and my times were bad- real bad.
Then I bought some shoes that helped me feel the ground and I decided to try out the forefoot/midfoot strike. No more pain and my times have been inching up to something halfway respectable. It worked for me. I have no idea if others would also experience something similar. I’m still cautious, though, and run only once a week. I also stretch quite a bit starting around two days before a planned run (my feet and calves especially). I would definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re experiencing any knee pain when (or after) you run.
[quote=“marasan”]
I also stretch quite a bit starting around two days before a planned run (my feet and calves especially).[/quote]
Do be careful when doing this. Stretching cold muscles is something I learned to not do ever since I started endurance sports back in high school.
In the height of my knee injury, the morning of a ride, I would always wake up and start stretching my leg muscles. I later read and article (and remembered that my HS cross country coach) said that stretching cold muscles is a big no no.
) up to the lights knowing I’ll probably be forced to rest there. Perhaps because of these lights I started breaking my route up into a series of faster, shorter runs, especially on the way out, where it’s all uphill. But I also feel that having shoes with a minimal heel to toe drop, and a thinner sole, has encouraged me to increase my cadence too, because it just feels better for some reason.
but now I’m down with a cold 
and it might be Wednesday or Thursday before I get out again.