Democrat vs Republican…
CrossFit vs the fitness world…
Pose Method vs Chi Running vs just running…
Each of these are passionate groups of people.
So passionate in fact, most of the members will defend their camp’s view no matter what. I think this blog post, which is really more of a discussion, will show this.
No matter what camp you belong to…
Pose Method…
Chi Running…
Barefoot Running…
Or you just run…
Have an open mind.
Let’s talk and look at both scientific data and real world data (experience) to maybe not be so rigid (and anal) on how your foot hits the ground with each stride you take.
After all, that’s what we’re talking about here. How your foot hits the ground when you run.
Here’s how we going to talk about this controversial topic (yep how your foot hits the ground when you run is hyper controversial):
Part 1: What’s Really Important?
Part 2: The Magic Pill
Part 3: The Science
Part 4: The Results
Sound good to you?
Cool… let’s get started then.
What’s Really Important?
I feel like, and correct me if I’m wrong, that runners (all athletes really) these days obsess over the wrong things.
From the shoes on their feet to the flavor of gel in their pocket, everything is up for debate and freaking out over.
Am I eating at the right time before my run?
Am I eating the right thing after my run?
Am I wearing the best shorts, sports bra and tank?
What about this water bottle, is it good enough?
My Garmin isn’t syncing… How can I run without my GPS!?!?
Oh my goodness, I am pretty sure Forest Gump didn’t obsess over all these details. After all to him, he “just felt like runnin”. And run he did.
I mean granted it was a movie, but I think we can all learn a bit about running (and life) from Forrest, Forrest Gump.
So yea, I think runners obsess way too much about stupid things.
I could be wrong, but in the grand scheme of becoming the best runner possible, obsessing about how your foot hits the ground doesn’t seem like it’s going to have the best return on investment. (Unless you’re suffering from injury or pain.)
Personally, I think as a runner (which I’ve been for over a decade), what makes the biggest impact on you is focusing on:
– Running, but not over running.
– Strength training to produce solid joints and muscle makeup.
– Flexibility and mobility.
– Your mental game.
I say this because through all the research I’ve read and uncovered…
How your foot hits the ground changes depending on 4 core factors:
1). How your running (treadmill, road, trail)
2). What your running (sprinting 50 yards or cruising 15 miles)
3). What kind of shoes are you running in (do they have a lift?)
4). How you naturally run (like a golfer with a natural swing, we all have our natural gait).
The Insane Passion That Drives A Runner
Do you want to know what’s crazy?
And stupid?
Rioting when your team loses or wins a championship. Yeah… even if the team wins, people riot.
Don’t believe me?
– In 1992, the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. Fans rioted (and “partied” hard) causing $10 million dollars in property damage. Becoming the second most expensive sports riot in history.
– In 1998, the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl. Fans went crazy burning cars, looting stores, destroying downtown Denver. Even while the police bombed them with tear gas.
– When I was in college, I visited some friends at Clemson and went to a game. It was a great game, Tigers won and at the end the entire student body ran out on the field to celebrate! They celebrated so hard they tore down the goal post.
The entire post came down as more and more students hung, swung and climbed up. Because of that incident, they changed the posts to make them electronically come down after games.
It’s insane that a group of people can be so passionate about something to cause harm, damage, and lose their damn minds.
Passion is dangerous. And if there is one group of athletes who exude a deep (crazy) passion, it’s runners.
This isn’t an insult by any means. I’m a runner. I’ve run more times than I can count on when I shouldn’t have. I have run farther than was safe, ignored painful signs from my body all for the sake of getting my run on.
And a runner’s passion, as far as I can tell, has never been more explosive than when it comes to:
Forefoot Running vs. Heel Strike Running
To put a better way… basically barefoot running vs. lifted shoes.
Okay, let’s just get one thing out there… we’re all here to learn.
If you’ve talked to a “runner” they’ve shared their 2 cents on this topic… and perhaps even so “matter of factly” that you were made to question yourself as a “real” runner.
I don’t know how this battle started and how the two camps (forefoot runners vs heel strikers) have become so dichotomous.
It’s like republicans and democrats… blondes and brunettes… or the dangerous question, is cheerleading a real sport or not? (The answer is YES).
And let’s face it, there are already thousands of passionate blog posts, dozens of studies, and tens of thousands of comments debating whether you should land on your forefoot or your heel when you run.
So Why Am I Writing This Article?
Because not long ago (right before I broke my leg), I was contemplating (okay, I was dead set) on changing up my stride from being a heel striker to a mid-foot striker.
In fact, Dan and I both were. Especially after reading books like Born To Run. You can’t help but think, “I’m doing this all wrong!”.
For 8+ years I had been running just fine.
Even winning several age group awards, and a few overall wins at small races, but for some reason I was pulled into thinking the way I ran was wrong.
But I knew better than to just rely on the blog posts… articles… and passionate commenters. (There’s no question, these days fitness has become an emotional battlefield of “my way or you’re an idiot and you’re wrong.”)
If you know me, then you know I like to do the research behind fitness principles in order to form my own opinion.
So that’s what this is.
I am invited you to join my research journey to learn:
1). What does the science say about how to land on your foot when you run?
2). What does common sense say about how to land on your foot when you run?
And my final conclusion… how I decided to run for the foreseeable future. Did I choose forefoot or heel strike?
I only ask a couple things…
1). Leave your emotions at the door.
2). Read with an open mind.
3). And remember, we are talking about how your foot lands when you run… not religion… not politics… and nothing personal…
How YOUR foot lands on the ground when YOU run.
Should you run with a heel strike?
A mid-strike?
Or a forefoot landing?
So are you ready?
Looking For That Magic Pill
Everyone is looking for that little magic pill.
The one pill that if taken can help improvements come with minimal effort. Whether that’s weight loss, strength, speed, endurance, etc.
That magic pill that is just what we were looking for!
The search for the magic is what keeps supplement companies raking in billions of dollars each year. It’s what helps keep trainers who promise miracles continuing to stay in business and it’s what keeps us digging around for tips and suggestions on being a better, more efficient runner.
For some runners, trying to change their stride is a magic pill.
They think, “If I can just run this way instead, I’ll pick up a few minutes and get a shiny new PR at my next race without having to put too many extra miles on my shoes.”
And I get it.
We all want to find short cuts for results, hence why I was thinking about my own foot strike and stride not long ago.
What Does Science Says About Your Foot Strike
Okay, so I was a bit surprised just how many studies are floating around.
Like a ton! I don’t have time to share every single one, just like you don’t have time to read every single one.
Instead, I’m going to cherry pick a few for each side of the debate.
Keep in mind, I’m not a statistician nor a sample expert. I’m just a passionate runner, sharing information to other passionate runners.
Plus, several studies are crap. Flawed by poor sample sizes or sponsored by companies clearly wanting to give biased material.
The Cross Country Team
A cross country team of 52 runners was observed. 36 were heel-strikers while 16 were predominantly forefoot runners. While 74% of the runners experienced some sort of pain or injury during the year, the heel strikers had more repetitive injuries, almost twice as many.
Okay, I may be no statistician, however I understand field size. There are twice as many heel strikers in the test group, so wouldn’t the rate of injury naturally be higher? Also, no other factors are studied… perhaps the group (as a whole) has such a high pain percentage because their cross-training is weak or their range of motion work poor?
The Force
Have you heard the old “running is bad for your knees” comment? I bet you have, I’ve heard it more times than I can count. In fact, I’ve long been criticized for being a “heavy” runner. Meaning, I don’t know how to land softly (ninja-like) which of course can create a ton of force driving up my legs with each stride.
What else can cause more force?
According to a study published in New York Times, heel striking resulted in 16% more force to the knee than by landing more forefoot. That sucks. BUT… by landing more on the front of the foot results in more force being placed on the ankles and achilles… almost 20% more than those hitting the ground with their heel.
Is one better than the other? Force is force is force and the results of F = Mass X Acceleration. If you’re running the same speed, it doesn’t matter which way you hit your foot to the ground, the force will be the same. The only difference is how that force is absorbed by the body.
Does that make sense? So there is not MORE force one way or another. See, sometimes having a science degree does come in handy.
The Heel Strike Supporters
This study divided up sub-elite athletes into either “rearfoot strikers” or “forefoot strikers”. What they found was the rearfoot strikers were MORE economical. They had more contact with the ground and shorter flight time than the forefoot runners. What does that mean? Their feet made contact with the ground more often allowing them to power themselves forward more efficiently.
In an article entitled, “Is It Harmful To Heel Strike When Running”, makes a great point… 95% of runners have a more heel strike tendancy.It’s only been in recent years that a forefoot strike has grown in popularity with the idea that it is safer in preventing injuries.
Here’s a segment from that article that I really love…
“Although appealing, the belief that switching to a mid or forefoot contact point will alter injury rates and improve efficiency has never been proven. Research evaluating injury rates associated with different contact points in more than 1600 runners has shown no difference in the incidence of running-related injuries between rearfoot and forefoot strikers.”
University of Massachusets conducted a running study and found that while heel striking does send more force to the knees increasing injuries there, forefoot striking delivers more force to the ankles, achilles and calves causing an increased risk of injuries in these areas.
What the studies all shared?
A difference in opinion versus skilled runners and recreational runners.
95% of recreational runners heel strike. Whether the blame can be put on the often lifted shoes or simply the slower speeds… it’s what works for the majority of us “everyday” running folk.
The elite runners on the other hand do have a tendency to be more of a forefoot runner. Because it’s more economical or better? No… it’s because of their fast turnover. Once a pace hits around 6.25 minute miles (source), there really is no difference in efficiency from one strike to the other.
I think the forefoot strike becomes more popular simply because the stride is faster. Test for yourself… go sprint 50 yards then go jog/run it. Your foot hits differently without you thinking about it.
The Fear Of Changing
Let’s talk about injury rates one last time.
We know that heel striking causes more force to be places on the knees.
We know that forefoot striking causes more force to be placed on the ankles and achilles.
But do we know which causes more injuries?
No.
There have been NO studies to validate that one form of striking increases injuries over the other.
What has been proven is the increased risk of injury if you attempt to switch your strike. Often times we like to rush right into things and instead of taking it progressively, runners throw out their 11mm lift shoes and grab a pair of barefoot shoes and go.
This is a disaster and a cause for many injuries. The body has adjusted to the way you run, and to change that, it has to build new stability muscles, change range of motion abities and focus on the areas that are needed for a new strike.
Most often the cause of injury isn’t in the strike, it’s in changing the strike.
Pretty cool stuff, right?
So now we’re right back where we started…
Which Is Better: Heel Strike Or Forefoot Strike?
The strike you have.
Why fix what ain’t broke?
Sorry to sound all redneck but if my point is made, it’s worth it.
Just like in all things, there is a unique way we run. Your stride and the way your foot hits the ground is unique to you.
And if it gets you from point A to point B without pain… Keep doing what you’re doing.
If you’re suffering from knee pain, before you automatically put the blame on your heel, ask yourself if you’re training safely. Are you stretching? Foam rolling? Strength training?
Because all 3 of those factors can plan a HUGE in knee pain.
Bottomline…
Focus more on balanced training with running, speed work, flexibility and strength training than with the way your foot hits the ground. Everything will balance out.