Check out the info at Newton Running.com
How did it come to this? The heavy heel strike.
Lift from the hip, drop foot (with ankle neutral...not flexed for heel strike) under body AND recover (heel to butt)...all with little strain, letting gravity do the work!
So, why not? The effortless mid-foot strike makes people think of "fast" running...and fast running means getting tired...and most folks give themselves a "vote of no-confidence" on holding that form (beyond say 50m). Thus, sit back into the hips, flex toe to shin, reach way out with heel, and plod away trying to conserve energy.
Yet perhaps that's the paradox. The scissor straight leg, heel strike stride (ie, running with the brakes on) that is associated with slow running (ie, not getting tired) may be more fatiguing...starting and stopping momentum with each step along with the increased ground£.
Stay light!
Check out this excellent CrossFit explanation of stride/strike/recovery using the wheel analogy.
Or read good review at NPR here:
For Humans, Slow and Steady Running Won the Race
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3 comments:
Great stuff. This all makes perfect sense. When you put this into action it is a lot more difficult and you will need to constantly remind yourself of your body position. Particularly on long runs and hill runs. Matt, any advice on hill running? Traditional advice is to lean into the hill more but I have heard that may not make any sense.
My advice is: Get to the top as fast as you can. Recover later.
The consequences of leaning are less visible in running...so let's take Mtn Biking where the consequences are clearer. Lean too far forward, back wheel spins. Lean back, can't generate force. Same physical principles apply. But I will defer to Livewrong to clarify this ragged analogy explaining the center of mass, force, rate of pedal/stride issues and what runners can learn about steep climbing from mtn biking in a future comment.
If you run with Mike, he's a good climber. Picks a good line. Shortens stride (low gear) so doesn't over reach. Lifts from hip, stays off of pushing with calves. Leans to keep mass over feet. Lots of changes in relation to the demands of the ascent (talking steep trail hills here).
One clarification on my hill climbing skills. The only reason Matt knows this is because he is at the top already watching me struggle to catch up.
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