Running Style: weight on the balls of your feet?

[Hats26]

Before Christmas, my running style confidence went down when I realised I had shin problems. The pain went after a while (luckily- As I went skiing in January!) The pain then came back so I stopped immediately and eventually changed my shoes. The guy in the shop said it is better for you to run on the balls of your feet.. So I am trying to adjust the way I run, but I thought it would be good to ask other Fitbit members on their running style? One thing I do not want is to be out of exercise to wait for the agony/weird tension to go. The gym staff suggested helpful ways to strengthen my leg muscles, so fingers crossed things improve. Prior to my shin problems (only a couple of issues), I had been doing ParkRuns and had trained for Survival of the Fittest. The first time I realised I had a shin issue was when I actually touched the front of my shin and it was not very comfortable. 

I am a newish runner and am hoping for some advice on how to improve? I now have better trainers- I hope! Vivo barefoot and the actual barefoot ones, but I only wear them inside. Around the time I got shin problems was when I bought a pair of trail trainers that I wasn't necessarily using during the correct running environment. 

[TandemWalker]

Interesting read indeed. I would like to share with you my own experience and hopefully offer some insights into this. Sure, proper footwear, be it for walking or jogging, is of paramount importance. But what really made a difference for me, in terms of avoiding pains and aches and having to take two and three weeks off walk/jog workouts, is interval training. I start with a brisk walk for 3 min, followed by a jog for another 3 minutes; and cycle through for the whole duration of my walk.

You don't use your joints and leg muscles the same when walking and jogging. So alternating between the two allows you to relax those joints and muscles that take most of the beating while running. I can go on for 90 minutes of walk/jog intervals and I won't be as tired at the end as when I used to do just a 60 min. brisk walk; and yet 45 min of that 90 min workout was jogging. As a bonus, I found that I am burning more - the peaks and troughs in HR of the interval scheme has a direct impact, perhaps not enormous but still, on your caloric burn.

My take.

    TW     

[Scubamuppet]

Having made this transition myself I feel it important to mention that transitioning to a forward fooot strike requires you to retrain your body how to walk, not just run.  When first starting off, running in this manner, even a mile or less, should not be on your "to do" list" for at least a couple months.  Jumping the gun can lead to severe calf and foot injuries.

My advice is to start off *slowly* by walking barefoot (as much as practical) around the house, concentrating on foot placement and stride.  You're likely to notice that when you're walking / running in this manner, your feet will barely (if at all) break the plane of your knee)...this is normal.  Do not try to over-extend, or over-exert yourself.  You will feel off balance at first, so keep the pace low.  Keep the distance low at the begining too.  To be on the safe side, do this for at least a couple of months before you attempt to run.  Relearning how to walk this way requires you to build muslces you were not aware of before.  Believe me....you will be aware of them if you rush it, and it will not be pleasant.  A treadmill is also a good tool for this method.

Find a pair of shoes appropriate for this type of running (avoid and overabundance of "support", particularly in the heel).  Once you get your feet under you, start off by running no more than 1/2 mile mixed with walking for the first week and then increase the distance slowly over time.  Do worry about pace.   Don't try to do too much at once.  You may fall off the wagon fitness wise a liitle at the begining, but that will improve with time.  The important thing is not to rush it.  Listen to your body and take your time.  After a while, it will become second nature.

I used to have moderate back/knee pain.  Having switched to this method several years ago, I can attest to the benefits as I no longer have run induced back/knee pain.  I now walk/run several miles daily in this manner without really any conscious effort.

Here an excellent reference (not specific to running, per se) for your perusal:

www.KatySays.com  (Katy Bowman - biomechanist)

I would also recommend giving her interview with Joe Rogan a listen.