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Forefoot runners?
Hi all, some of you might be familiar with Tim Noakes "Lore of Running" book. Well, the author has done a study of forefoot running ("Pose Method" in particular") and the results have been published at http://www.posetech.com/library/dr-02-04-004.html.
Makes for some interesting reading, especially if you have had any knee problems and/or have thought about changing your running style.
Makes for some interesting reading, especially if you have had any knee problems and/or have thought about changing your running style.
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Comments
Barefoot running is a bit different to running in shoes though - he recognises it as a possible limitation but I'd say it more or less invalidates the findings as these people were not habituated barefoot runners.
On a related point, it's interesting to see that even Nike are attempting to come out with a shoe that mimics a barefoot feel & of course many of us on the forum are always looking out for minimalist shoes to get closer to barefoot running.
I know whenever anyone gets injured wearing flats (ie BR) a lot of people blame the shoes - but how many people get injured wearing support shoes ? Apart from anything else running just feels better in lighter, flatter more flexible shoes - once you've tried it it is impossible to go back - support shoes feel like you are running in boots don't you think?
I find this debate particularly interesting because I am most definitely a heel striker, and a neutral runner. I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was 11; by the age of 15 I had real problems just walking, and they operated on my knees. After that, I spent months in physio being taught how to walk, and then taught how to run, because my knees had twisted so much that after the op I didn't know how to walk/run naturally. So unlike most people, I am not a natural runner at all (in fact, for the past ten years the rheumatologist has told me to avoid running at all, because of the repetitive impact), and was actually taught to heel strike.
Also, I was always told to wear cushioned shoes - I used to have to put cushioned inserts into all my shoes, so obviously I've gone for very cushioned running shoes.
However, given that I was told running was bad for me, and when I first started running 18 months ago it was in absolute desperation because I couldn't walk for 15 mins without support/stopping, but I have had virtually no knee or hip problems since running conistently, I am very willing to contradict the "specialist"'s advice if it makes sense to me to do so. I cannot at present see how flats would be better for me than cushioned shoes...?
I agree that racing flats are the most comfortable shoes for training. Forefoot running clearly doesn't remove all possibility of injury, but it does seem to reduce the risks greatly.
[to be honest i think my running is probably a mixture of what Noakes describes as midfoot AND pose]
i sense that the foot's natural springiness is being used - as well as the knee. I sense my arch has a chance to work effectively now (even though i'm very flat footed) -
In POSE, it maybe that the relative pressure is greater on the ankle than the knee - i think everyone agrees that
but perhaps the *absolute* forces are much less on both ankle and knee
ie much lower forces involved in forefoot/POSE running
this would accord with how it *feels* to me ie quite "floaty" compared to my old style of running
" heel-toe running was characterized by greater magnitudes and loading rates of the vertical impact force"
i can understand your not wanting to change something that has been learned and found to be effective for you
the trouble is that the medics often don't seem to know or care about alternative approaches to problems
whereas competitive sports will take up an idea early on - anything to get an edge - in the case of POSE being taken up by elite athletes
on the other hand - it will only be taught as standard practice by medics 20 or more years later
understandably i think, where there is an existing injury or problem, they will stick with tried and tested methods until proven otherwise
but i don't think the lack of medics explcitly supporting these ideas, means that they are wrong
from what i have read, there is alot they do NOT know about how the muscles and joints work in running, and they can't measure accurately the forces without excessively in trusive and painful insertions of guages right inside peoples legs!
personally i am experimenting with this style as a solution to a an ankle ligament injury that won't seem to heel
consultant is pointing me down conventional route of orthotics etc
i suppose i have the luxury of experimenting because my injury is not as long term nor anywhere near as complex as yours