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10-29-2009, 04:51 PM
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#1
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Workin' It
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wherever I go, there I am...
Posts: 7,841
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Runners, balls of feet or heels?
Hey runners! I've been reading a lot lately about stride and have seen conflicting recommendations. Some say strike on the balls of your feet, some say heels. I tried the balls of my feet on my run last night and noticed that my heart rate stayed higher consistently during the run. My knees feel okay, and my calves actually feel better than normal the day after a long run.
I know I wasn't hitting with the balls of my feet the entire time, but I'm pretty sure I did it for at least 2/3 of the run.
So, what do you guys do and why?
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10-29-2009, 04:55 PM
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#2
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Moderating Mama
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Woodland, CA
Posts: 11,712
S/C/G: 295/200/175
Height: 5' 8"
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When I was in knee PT, they had me run and watched. I had been running striking on balls of my feet, and they told me to go to striking on the heel. For me, it reduces knee pain associated with running, so I try to run that way consistently.
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10-29-2009, 05:06 PM
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#3
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Tellin' it like it is!
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Denver Co
Posts: 1,657
S/C/G: RESTART:153.5/147/135
Height: 5'4"
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the running shoes we all buy into cause us to heel strike, and that is therefore what feels natural and seems correct... HOWEVER, if you remove your shoes and run barefoot, you really DO want to strike with the ball of your foot, and then roll out to heel. If you watch videos of great marathoners running, they *usually* do not heel strike, but not always.
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10-29-2009, 07:26 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 98
S/C/G: 240/234/150
Height: 5'7"
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I'm not a runner but a friend of mine is a marathon runner and she told me that it was important to strike on the heel because it helps you to NOT bounce when you're running which is important for distance running and running form in general.
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10-29-2009, 09:12 PM
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#5
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Crazy runner
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,063
S/C/G: 213/131/maintaining
Height: 5'4.5"
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Is it weird that I don't know what I do?? lol... I say go with whatever makes you feel the best. Or whichever is natural!
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10-30-2009, 11:41 AM
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#6
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Workin' It
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wherever I go, there I am...
Posts: 7,841
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It feels natural to hit with my heel, because I walk the same way. My dad used to try to get me to walk where I hit on the balls of my feet first when I was a child because I walked really loud and mom worked third shift. Never stuck - I still walk really loudly on the heels.
It did feel kind of good on the balls of my feet Wednesday night, but I notice my knees are a little twingy today. I'm going to experiment some over the next week and see what happens.
Thanks!
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10-30-2009, 11:44 AM
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#7
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No description available.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bat Country
Posts: 6,915
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I strike with my heels unless I am sprinting. When I sprint, I am on my toes and fly like a gazelle!!! ....okay, a slow gazelle, but I feel gazelle like!
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11-01-2009, 03:13 PM
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#8
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Workin' It
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wherever I go, there I am...
Posts: 7,841
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Midwife - I tried on the balls of the feet again today and it did make me feel much faster than I was actually going! I like the gazelle image.
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