So, let’s talk about how you run like garbage and how it’s time to fix that. I’m sorry, that was aggressive and uncalled for. But, one thing I’ve noticed as a trainer and someone who teaches running mechanics, is that many avid runners don’t run very well. This is due to a lot of factors. Our main conversation today is going to be about the foot and where it should land when we run.

There are a few terms worth knowing when we discuss running strides. Stride length and stride time are two of them. Stride length is the distance between successive foot strikes with the same leg and stride time is the time it takes for that to happen. Stride frequency is the amount of strides that occur over a period of time (usually in seconds). When we run, our goal is to increase our stride length and frequency, while consequently decreasing our stride time. Basically, we are trying to cover more ground in a shorter period of time. All of this lends into our stride efficiency. That was a lot of words, so if you have to read that paragraph again, I totally understand.

The Running Stride

Let’s talk about the typical running stride. There are different phases in the typical running stride. We haven’t discussed foot placement yet, but if we are to initially assume that an individual is striking with their rearfoot (heel), then there are 5 phases: initial contact, mid-stance, heel off, toe off, and mid-swing.

Initial contact is, you guessed it, when the foot first hits the ground. For a rearfoot runner, as most are, the heel will strike first. This image, however, portrays a forefoot runner, who is striking first with the ball of their foot.

As the runner progresses forward, their foot will flatten on the ground if they are a rearfoot runner. This doesn’t happen for our forefoot runner, whose heel never hits the ground. In both cases, however, our runner’s foot travels further under/behind their center of mass (the line of gravity through their body). This is called mid-stance.

The next phase is heel off, which doesn’t occur for our forefooted friend. So, I do not have an image of it. You’re smart, I’m sure you can imagine what that would look like.

Now, we have toe-off, where the piggies leave the ground and the foot is now traveling through the air.

Toe off is then followed by mid-swing, which is when the leg and foot are now traveling forward through the air on their way back to Earth for another cycle.

Now you know what a running stride looks like. So, let’s get into one of the hottest debates among runners and people who watch runners run:

Where should the foot initially contact the ground?

To begin the conversation, we will discuss the traditional running shoe. Even if you aren’t a runner, you’ve probably bought a pair of traditional running shoes to go to the gym in. These are the ones with the elevated and cushioned heel, arch support, and stiffened midsole you are used to seeing. These big, puffy shoes came about initially in the 1970s and actually had a large impact on the way that people run. With these big heeled shoes and people’s newfound interest in running, people began to land on their rearfoot as opposed to the forefoot. This became so prevalent, that now anywhere between 88-95% of distance runners run with a rearfoot strike (Neumann).

It makes you probably beg the question: John, if over 90% of people are running with a rearfoot strike, what makes you so certain it’s wrong? That’s a great question, mainly because I’m usually wrong and it’s good to question my haphazard logic.

Despite my history of lying, I believe my arguments for the forefoot strike are pretty sound. To start it off, I want to draw your attention to a 2015 study titled “The Effect of Minimalist Footwear on Running Efficiency.” You’ve probably heard of minimalist shoes, and they came hot on the scene around the time Christopher McDougall wrote his bestselling book, Born to Run. He argued that the traditionalist running shoe was actually making runners slower and more prone to injury because of the unnatural stride these shoes produced. This study aimed to find out how smart Mr. McDougall was and summoned 15 experienced runners to 90-second running trials using either traditional running shoes, minimalist shoes, and barefoot.

According to this study, runners had the most rearfoot strikes in traditional running shoes and up to 47% less while barefoot. This led to increased running efficiency between traditional running shoes and minimalist/barefoot running. There was no significant difference between the efficiency of minimalist shoes and being barefoot (Gillinov et al.). We evolved shoeless. So, it makes sense that our stride is better in environments that replicate minimal footwear.

Now, why is a forefoot strike more efficient? Well, there are a lot of reasons. But, I want to discuss the most simple one: Isaac Newton.

We all might remember from high school physics Newton’s Laws of Motion. Well I want to bring you back to those times, whether you like it or not, to discuss Newton’s Third Law. This law states “that for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction,” (NASA). Why does this matter? Give me a chance to explain.

When you plant your foot down, it’s relation to your center of mass is going to effect the efficiency of your stride. We can see this when we apply Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

If the foot is planted heel first, the initial heel strike will result in the foot landing in front of the center of mass. If we consider this Law, then we will then realize that the equal and opposite reaction will cause the resulting ground force to push our leg backward. In other words, as our foot pushes the ground forward, the ground will push us backward in an equal and opposite direction. Obviously, when we discuss running forwards, being pushed backwards should be a bad thing.

If the foot is planted forefoot first, you can see now how that center of mass line has moved forwards to where the foot is actually planting down. So, now you’re working with the laws of physics, instead of against them.

Like I said, most people run rearfoot first. If you want to stay slow and hurt your knees, continue to be like most people. If you want to be fast, ditch the cushioney shoes, hire a trainer who can whip you into shape, fix your running stride from rearfoot to forefoot, and watch your mile time get cut in half! (Not literally!)

References

Gillinov, S., Laux, S., Kuivila, T., Hass, D., & Joy, S. (2015, May). Effect of Minimalist Footwear on Running Efficiency: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Retrieved June 15, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482302/

Neumann, D. A., Kelly, E. R., Kiefer, C. L., Martens, K., & Grosz, C. M. (2017). Kinesiology of the musculoskeletal system: Foundations for rehabilitation. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

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