i think it's a mistake to overanalyze your foot strike. it'll naturally be different at different paces and on different surfaces and may change over time as you get stronger and fitter. being too intentional about it is a recipe for injury IMHO. there's no universal "ideal" footstrike or running posture.
cool to see you adding volume steadily.
Could we say that heel first is a recipe for disaster though? I think anything other that that is where you want to be.
no, i don't even think that's necessarily true. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2014/oct/09/is-heel-striking-the-enemy-of-good-running-form
I should clarify what I see when I think of heel strike. I see that leg fully extended and straight. Overstriding and that massive force going through the heel being partially cushioned by the mattress being worn under the guise of a shoe (otherwise knows as Hokas).
I read the article though and here's what stood out to me:
- heel striking is generally seen to be less than ideal.
- studies suggest that changing foot strike can just change the loaded area for potential injury
- speeding up cadence will positively affect running form (=less heel strike)
- researchers found at the 5 mile stage of a marathon 93% of runners were heel striking (fewer of the faster runners landed on their heels)
- foot strike cannot an independant change. Alterations to cadence and strengthening must be taken into consideration
- AND anyone who commented in the article runs doesnt' heel strike haha
I really like this article too.
https://therunningclinic.com/runners/blog/archives-anglaises/why-a-majority-of-runners-even-among-international-elites-are-heel-strikers/With the main points being:
3. The majority of these good level athletes, however, have what we call a"prorioceptive heel strike" (the foot flattens smoothly as soon as it hits the ground). We believe this way the foot grounds is no more harmful and no less effective than midfoot or forefoot striking because it doesn't involve a strong braking phase or brutal impact force.
and
6. The heel strike is not the only thing to look at. A heel strike may be acceptable if the shinbone is vertical, the knee is bent, and the impact loads just in front of the center of gravity. A biomechanical analysis must therefore be global. The 4 biomechanical clues which often combine and express the same problem are:
- less vertical orientation of the tibia/shinbone
- deceased knee flexion during contact
- ground contact far ahead of the center of gravity
- the heel strikes the ground first
So maybe in summary, heel strike under the right conditions isn't a bad thing. Heel strike for the general population without consideration of overall running form potentially is.
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