Technique First

Have you ever been told that you land on your heels when you run? If you have, I hope you know how much it can really beat you up.

I'm not going to preach and bombard you with details because there is so much information online about heel striking. Some say it's ok. Some say it's a huge no-no. It's a controversial issue because it depends on the runner but I'll tell you what I believe--it's damaging to joint health and sets you up for injuries you would have never seen coming. Maybe you've been told so many times to avoid landing on your heels but still shrug it off as if it was some trivial matter. All I can say is I'd rather you not run at all if you keep landing on your heels. It puts too much unnecessary pressure on your joints and body as a whole. It actually slows you down even though you think you're going fast. You can be faster than that if you change your habits.

To run efficiently, you should be putting all your weight onto the balls of your feet. Lets say, how should you run on glass? Yes, that's right. Heel striking will kill you. The glass will shatter. If you want to see the force differences between heel and forefoot/midfoot landing and specifically how/when/where you're applying them, take a look at these fascinating videos. You really learn a lot by wasting time on YouTube!

Distinguish the impact and technique differences between barefoot heel strike and barefoot forefoot strike. Here, you'll see rough lines (heel) as opposed to smooth (forefoot/midfoot). Smooth is good. You put force once. Your body is happy. Rough is bad. You put force more than once. Your body begs for mercy.

Now let's look at shod running. Even if you have running shoes that have been properly fitted by an expert, don't assume it completely changes the way you run. You have to make the changes yourself as properly fitted shoes are just there to provide "assistance" and protection. This video shows that heel landing can still happen in properly fitted shoes. So change your ways and make your running look like this.

Here's another cool video, if you're interested, about forefoot running in Vibram FiveFingers. I've never tried the Vibram but I can tell by its minimalist design that helps you learn to run/walk more naturally and at your best.

Basically, the goal is to reduce force as much as possible when you run or walk. Make the force as smooth as possible like the "good" lines you see in the videos. Shift body weight from the heels to the balls of your feet, lean slightly forward from the ankles, and take quick, shorter strides so the foot strikes directly underneath the hip. Another way to reduce large impact force is to minimize bouncing (vertical motion). You waste energy if you bounce too much. You don't want to go up and down. You aren't jump roping. You are running so keep your head level to devote all your energy into moving forward. Do all that and better yet, practice it barefoot on grass so you get a better sensation of how you're landing.

Even after years of running, I still make technique work part of my routine to gain and maintain muscle memory. I'd squeeze in a couple minutes of drills, barefoot or with shoes, after a warm up or in the middle of a run. Train your body to adapt to proper mechanics. Be patient--it takes a while and you'll be running more comfortably, I promise.

Lastly, if you seriously want to know what it takes to run like the wind effortlessly, take a look at one of my favorite videos that I sometimes use to show people who ask me for running technique advice.

Happy running!