Are You a Heel Striker?
So am I.
In fact, up to 94% of recreational runners are heel strikers, and up to 70% of elite runners are heel strikers too. It is completely normal to be a heel striker - most people are.
So why does heel striking get such a bad rap?
The Real Issue
Heel striking is often associated with over-striding, and this is where the real problem lies. I should note that over-striding can happen with with forefoot and midfoot strike as well. Over-striding simply means a runner’s stride is too big which causes the lead foot to contact the ground way out in front of the body.
Imagine reaching forward with the lead leg or “pawing” the ground with the lead foot while the body is lagging behind, sitting back or slightly leaning backward.
When the foot makes contact with the ground way ahead of the body, it creates braking forces as your body comes from behind and this can be really hard on the knee joints.
Forget about Footstrike
The focus should not be on how the foot strikes the ground, but on where the contact happens. Runners should aim to land just slightly ahead of their body (not reaching or pawing forward) so that as weight transfers onto the lead foot it is underneath the body.
Only when the foot is positioned under the body can we use the force we’re putting into the ground to push ourselves forward, to take the next step.
Speed Determines Footstrike
It would be remiss of me to leave out the significant factor of speed in footstrike. There is one situation when 100% of runners will become forefoot strikers: when we sprint.
Ground Contact Time
Walking 0.62 seconds
Jogging 0.26 seconds
Running 0.20 seconds
Sprinting 0.14 seconds
*source see below.
When we run faster, the amount of time we spend in contact with the ground with every step gets shorter and shorter. While sprinting there is simply not enough time spent on the ground to land on the heel, roll into the midfoot and then toe-off. The body is naturally forced into a different position that allows us to carry more speed. Even heel strikers will become forefoot strikers if they are running fast enough.
The video below demonstrates me starting with a walk and gradually increasing my speed until I am running as fast as I can. You will notice that my footstrike changes, and at the fast speed, my heel no longer contacts the ground at all.
Nicole Sifuentes is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.
Source: https://speedendurance.com/2011/01/06/plyometrics-ground-contact-time-and-sprinting-part-1/
AM J Sports Med. 1986 Nov-Dec; 14(6): 501-10.