Toe running?

The correct name is: Running on your balls (Like the ball of your foot)

If you tell people that you run on your balls, they will know more what you're talking about. It's good to remind people that you're talking about it as frequently as you can, because it is very important information.

"So I run on my balls, and I want to know: Is that okay? Sometimes it causes a little extra soreness, you know, running on my balls. What's your opinion about being up on my balls?"

Let's have a talk wrote:

The correct name is: Running on your balls (Like the ball of your foot)

If you tell people that you run on your balls, they will know more what you're talking about. It's good to remind people that you're talking about it as frequently as you can, because it is very important information.

"So I run on my balls, and I want to know: Is that okay? Sometimes it causes a little extra soreness, you know, running on my balls. What's your opinion about being up on my balls?"

This is why I read letsrun.

It's a bad thing. You waste time because it takes time for your heel to come all the way down just to come back up again

toe-running scrub wrote:

Hi. I'm a sophomore with a strange stride/foot strike. I land on the ball of my foot and then let my heel touch, before pushing off with my toe again. I've walked on my toes for like 7 years or something, and I used to run purely on my toes before changing my strike. I've never gotten any concrete info on this-- is it bad? Do I need to heel-strike or midfoot-strike instead? Thanks in advance.

What you just describe is correct form for fast running.

You're fine, this is actually a typical, standard footstrike pattern.

Most people do not consciously realize they are doing this, but the "typical" footstrike pattern is to initially strike somewhere more towards the middle of their foot, then roll backwards briefly before toeing off. This sort of data can be collected from a force plate or a pressure sensing insole, both of which can provide center of pressure (COP) data over time.

There are some differences in COP between those classified as heelstriker and mid/forefoot strikers, but this overall pattern tends to prevail in trained runners. Though there are many crackpots on LRC who will get their panties in a twist about footstrike, as far as most scientists are concerned it's largely irrelevant as long as you are adopting the strategy that comes naturally to you through your training process.

tl;dr don't worry about footstrike pattern too much

Try heel striking. Some idiots on this site will completely oppose to that, but what they don't know is that it's less pounding and stress on your body that way

I guess I'll step up and play "some idiot". ----In order to heal strike (which, apparently more than 75% of all runners do, according to Steve Magness) your impact point of your foot hitting the ground will be slightly in front of your center of balance, just like when you are walking. When you toe or mid strike, the strike point is closer to directly under you. The difference is that the impact point of heel strikers has a slight decelerating effect at the moment of contact, each stride. Toe strikers "slap" the ground directly under them as they swing their leg through. Also, their foot is hitting the ground "pre-sprung", unlike heel strikers, who must use more calf muscle energy to get the same spring. Also, also, the time that a heel strikers foot stays on the ground during the stride is significantly longer than toe strikers. ---Most of the fastest runners in T&F are toe strikers. Some heal strikers have been just as fast, but there are not many elite T&F heel strikers. Heel strikers definitely make up most of the ranks in road racing however. ----Longer distances make even toe strikers morph to heel strikers as a race or run distance goes longer.

Professor Jumbo J, why do think that heel striking is less impact? a heel strike does not allow the calf muscle to come into play during impact. The talus, knees, hips, and back take it all with the calf not even firing on impact.

JKSparky wrote:

Longer distances make even toe strikers morph to heel strikers as a race or run distance goes longer.

Really? I've never heard of this happening. Maybe changing to mid-foot would happen, but all the way to heel?

Just do what comes naturally. Your body will adapt to what it needs to do over time. People make fun of my Tinkerbelle stride, until I pass them. Mary Cain had better results before Alberto S. started "tinkering" with her stride.

Great answer JKSparky!

Here is a link to an infographic which summarizes alot of what you're saying with references form the scientific literature:

http://www.practicallyscience.com/the-impact-of-running/

toe-running scrub wrote:

Hi. I'm a sophomore with a strange stride/foot strike. I land on the ball of my foot and then let my heel touch, before pushing off with my toe again. I've walked on my toes for like 7 years or something, and I used to run purely on my toes before changing my strike. I've never gotten any concrete info on this-- is it bad? Do I need to heel-strike or midfoot-strike instead? Thanks in advance.

If you walk with a toe-first contact, you probably have a naturally short/tight Achilles and/or calf. Or a relatively immobile ankle joint. They call this "Equinus gait" though it's not always pathalogical. It may not be POSSIBLE for you to heelstrike normally when you run.