I have talked about minimal or barefoot shoes in past writings. I have always advised that the shoe is not what changes your running, it's the form. So for a few moments, I would like to talk about form. There are all kinds of information on form out there. I am just going over some key areas common in all the information out there.
There are some key areas to work on if you are going to change your form for a minimal style. Please understand this takes some time to develop. There is no easy lesson and you are good to go. The idea is to land with more of a midfoot strike, and not as much of a heel strike.
First, you need to work on posture. You want to "feel tall" as you are doing this. As you run, you want your head up, looking ahead. I know we all tend to look down, but the moment you do, you begin to slump. So head up. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle, and swing easily. No wild motions, or flailing with arms. Keep them relaxed and swinging.
Second, you might want to try what I call marching band movements. This is when you march in place, landing the foot down flat. Do this several times, so you get a sense of landing on the midfoot. Try to avoid landing on the heel or forefoot. Heel striking can lead to overstriding. Landing on the forefoot can strain the shins, calves or achilles.
Third, you want to lean as you run. Don't lean from the waist. Lean from your ankles without bending at the waist. As you lean forward, it may feel like you will fall forward. This is what will propel you forward.
As I said, learning a new form takes time. No 1 day miracles. The secret you may not know is, you don't need the minimal shoes to do this. The form can be learned and done using any running shoe. Just know if you are learning the form, and using minimal shoes, expect some muscle pain at first, because you are using muscles you haven't used in the past.
Did I mention this takes time? Slow integrate this into your running, and you will reduce the instances of injury.
Charlie
3 comments:
Right, whether changing form, changing shoes, or both, it takes time.
I do think the shoe matters to form, though. The foot is going to hit the ground differently when in a shoe with a heel vs one with little or no heel, for example. Whether the sole is very flexible or very rigid -- that has to affect how your foot meets the ground right?
Not necessarily. The steps I mentioned do not require a certain kind of shoe. Now as we get more fatigued on a run we may go back on our heels more, but by in large, you should be able to do this with any shoe.
True :)
Post a Comment