Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my running form, specifically my gait and if I am possibly moving in a way that is more inefficient than it could be.
It seems there are two schools of thought out there when it comes to running gait and one group seems to be more pre-dominant than the other:
1) Accept how you run, go with what comes naturally, wear shoes that correct any pronation issues.
2) Alter your gait to improve form, prevent injury and increase speed.
I’ve read that the majority of running shoes are built in such a way that a heel strike is almost promoted, yet heel striking is more jarring on your joints and will cause your running years to be shortened.
Then there are books out there, like ChiRunning and the Pose Method, that advocate moving to a midfoot strike. I have to admit, I am thoroughly fascinated by the ChiRunning book and the concepts therein.
There seems to be a movement toward shoes that are supposed to help guide the foot through a midfoot strike. New Balance has a model that is actually marketed toward ChiRunners & ChiWalkers. Newton Running shoes are pricy, but are all about finding your natural running form. Karhu shoes seem to promote a transition between the heel strike that many runners are used to, but is supposed to help move the foot through a more natural movement. And Ecco’s Biom Project shoes seem to really let the foot move wherever it may go naturally, so much so that they include a training program that spans several weeks about how to adapt to the shoes.
And then there is the whole trend of barefoot running… That just scares me, I’ve seen how much glass is on the roads near my home. And the barefoot forums on Runner’s World where people post pictures of their nasty-dirty feet after running barefoot… ew! But the Vibram FiveFingers shoes do seem intriguing, I’d give them a go on a treadmill if I had the opportunity.
I’ve been trying to be more mindful while running, paying attention to my footstrike. I still notice my foot rolling inward when I stop paying attention, even in my stability Brooks Adrenalines. I do think that we can always look at areas for improvement in running, but there are some things that I’m just not entirely sure 100% where the right answer lies.
I guess like everything in running, you have to find what works for you as an individual. But I’m curious to hear your thoughts on re-working your gait. Is it something you can or even should do? Have you worked on that yourself?
I like to tinker with my form quite a bit. I have recently found the Saucony Hurricane (I need the stability), and they seem to provide a number of features to deal with the same issues you are dealing with.
http://thequestfor135.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/hurricane-vs-omni-from-the-horses-mouth/
Best of luck.
I’ve thought about this a lot lately too! I want to get new shoes, but have never put a lot of ‘thought’ into how my shoes affect my form. I always go for comfort……after a few races this definitely becomes a problem! ha.
I think it’s worth ‘reworking’ your gait to a certain extent. Go with whats natural, and Perfect it to make sure you prevent injury.
Your last paragraph says it all – find what works for You.
I’ve often put a lot of thought into my shoes, but only in terms of trying to let the shoe correct my biomechanic deficiences. I think I need to apply myself a little as well!
I tend to go w/my natural gait. I’ll be interested to learn what you think about the Vibram shoes, if you try them out.
Maybe I should start a campaign for Vibram to give me a pair, so I can review them and share the info with everyone via the site! 😉
Hey you know me. I am all about messing around with things in your running and seeing what happens. I have continuously tinkered with my gate over the years and have had some nice improvements.
You are right though you have to find what works for you. Advice is a great thing but there is no one fit for everyone.
And your advice is always helpful to me! You’re part of the reason that I feel confident to try new things!
This is the beauty of the sport – you can try a lot of different things and see what works best for you.
After having to see a podiatrist I was told I don’t overpronate, which I thought I did! So for the past 3 years I’ve been wearing the wrong shoes. My point being, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Also, the one part of my running I am changing is my stride. I’ve just started the Jeff Galloway marathon training program, and part of it involves relaxed and upright posture, running lower to the ground with less “bounce,” and running with a shorter and quicker stride.
I definitely understand the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude. I’m just not sure if some of the aches/pains I experience are things that just come with the territory or if they are things I can fix!
Thanks for the tips on the Galloway program and form, that’s interesting and I think the shorter/quicker stride is a good idea.
I’ve been working on my gait and stride length for awhile. I pronate and wear Brooks Addiction to correct. I sometimes can find just the right niche and all is great, then I trip on a pebble or a crack or a flat surface and I lose it. Earlier this week my outer right knee was flaring and my friend’s physical therapist said it’s because I’m not using my glutes and hips correctly, so now i have exercises to do to improve that. I just figured I was running on the wrong part of the road. But not sure. I think you need to find was works best for you, something you can focus on without stressing on and that won’t cause you pain in the future. If you figure it out, let me know. 🙂
Damn… not using glutes/hips correctly? Wow… see, there are so many things that we may do “naturally”, but they aren’t exactly proper.
interesting thoughts. i’m usually too busy thinking about how hot it is or how tired some part of my body is during a run. i try to actively think about my form (overall), but of course that doesn’t always work out. i don’t think either side is wrong really, i think everyone should find what works best for them and helps them enjoy running even more. hopefully my stride is ok enough 🙂
You’re fast… sounds like your stride is great! 😉
I’m not sure how I would even begin to “correct” my form. I have put 30 or so miles on my Karhu’s and I really like them. Their fulcrum technology is supposed to use your natural stride in addition to the fulcrum to propel you forward a bit. Not sure I have noticed much of a difference. I can say my legs hurt for the first week or so of wearing them, but now I am fine.
I remember an article in Runner’s World from a few months back about the FiveFingers. A little too odd-ball for me, I think.
My buddy recently purchased a pair of Newton’s and he swears by them. Would love to try them out–although, now that I think about it, they probably aren’t the type of shoes to wear every now and then. I mean, you are changing your form to wear them. All or nothing I guess.
What about Nike Free’s? I think they are supposed to simulate running barefoot.
That’s interesting to note that your legs hurt some after starting to use the Karhu’s… I think that’s the case with a lot of these newer shoe styles. I have a friend who got a pair of Newton’s recently and he seems to like them, but they kind of go with the gait that he already had, mainstream running shoes were more of a hinderance for him.
Yeah, I think the barefoot trend is a little too oddball for me too, but it’s still interesting and I like to know EVERYTHING about my hobbies/interests… sometimes that’s a tough one, I’m never satisfied!