For a lot of runners, their foot strike could make or break their potential. Research counsel that round 70 per cent of all runners are heel strikers. Whereas heel hanging is perhaps essentially the most sustainable choice for long-distance operating, in shorter races, it could actually 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 fully change her heel strike halfway by her profession to remain aggressive. “Wanting on the means I used to run, it’s loopy how a lot heel hanging slows you down,” she informed Athletics Weekly. “If I wished to compete with the quickest, I needed to change [my gait].”
Reekie stated to compete with the perfect, she wanted to handle 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 standard operating trait among the many medallists—they’re both midfoot or forefoot strikers. A cause American middle-distance star Cole Hocker was in a position to surge within the remaining 200 metres of the boys’s 1,500m Olympic remaining and win gold was not solely his positioning but additionally the facility, power 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 easy. A 2013 research analyzing 20 sub-elite distance runners from the College of León in Spain discovered that heel strikers are virtually 9 per cent extra economical than midfoot runners at varied paces. The one distinction is that heel strikers spend extra time on the bottom and fewer time airborne, which is best for conserving vitality. Whereas this will not be useful in an 800m race, heel hanging is useful for management and effectivity in ultramarathons or path races.
As Reekie implied, altering your operating gait isn’t simple—particularly should you’ve been operating for a very long time. Your physique is accustomed to its pure motion, and any sudden adjustments can typically end in 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 will depend on your operating targets. In case you are chasing data 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, incessantly expertise knee or different ache after a run, otherwise you’re in search of an additional gear briefly races, you may 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 spite of everything.