For a lot of runners, their foot strike could make or break their potential. Research recommend that round 70 per cent of all runners are heel strikers. Whereas heel hanging may be essentially the most sustainable choice for long-distance operating, in shorter races, it could really feel like pedalling whereas holding the brake with each step.
In an interview with Athletics Weekly, British middle-distance runner and world championship medallist Jemma Reekie stated she needed to utterly change her heel strike halfway by means of her profession to remain aggressive. “Wanting on the approach I used to run, it’s loopy how a lot heel hanging slows you down,” she advised Athletics Weekly. “If I wished to compete with the quickest, I needed to change [my gait].”
Reekie stated to compete with one of the best, she wanted to deal with the one factor slowing her down in comparison with her opponents. In case you watch any of the center or distance finals from the Paris Olympics, you’ll discover a typical operating trait among the many medallists—they’re both midfoot or forefoot strikers. A motive American middle-distance star Cole Hocker was capable of surge within the remaining 200 metres of the lads’s 1,500m Olympic remaining and win gold was not solely his positioning but in addition the ability, energy and effectivity of his forefoot stride. Touchdown on the forefoot reduces floor contact time (which is crucial in middle-distance races, with the fixed adjustments of tempo), permitting for a extra forceful and highly effective push-off.
Many runners consider shifting to a midfoot or forefoot strike will unlock extra pace, however science suggests the reply isn’t that straightforward. A 2013 research analyzing 20 sub-elite distance runners from the College of León in Spain discovered that heel strikers are nearly 9 per cent extra economical than midfoot runners at numerous paces. The one distinction is that heel strikers spend extra time on the bottom and fewer time airborne, which is healthier for conserving power. Whereas this is probably not useful in an 800m race, heel hanging is helpful for management and effectivity in ultramarathons or path races.
As Reekie implied, altering your operating gait isn’t straightforward—particularly in the event you’ve been operating for a very long time. Your physique is accustomed to its pure motion, and any sudden adjustments can usually lead to discomfort or harm. For brand spanking new runners, it’s simpler to modify or develop a brand new gait as you improve your distance.
So, do you have to change your footstrike? It is determined by your operating targets. In case you are chasing information or in search of an additional edge, seek the advice of a run-focused physio or coach about making the change. In case you’re injury-prone, continuously expertise knee or different ache after a run, otherwise you’re in search of an additional gear in brief races, you would possibly contemplate switching to a mid- or forefoot stride. Nevertheless, if effectivity and operating longer distances are your targets, heel hanging won’t be the enemy in any case.