anyone was able to switch from running on heel to toe?

Yes, I did, and I did some barefoot running and focused on fixing it, and it got better. What I did was I would do 5 min barefoot every other day or so, and would do cool downs barefoot. I'm not saying you have to run barefoot runs every time, just do them a few times, find a place that's safe and go for it. It really helped my form.

Are you a sprinter? If not you want a mid foot strike.

I did this, but I just focused on where my foot landed and how it landed. Started focusing on it during strides, then on regular runs.

Your foot wants to land slightly ahead of you, and the middle of the foot.

Here is how I successfully change from heel to midfoot.

- You are likely reaching out in front of you with your lower leg and landing on your heel with a straight leg. This is the definition of overstriding.

- Land with your lower leg vertical by making sure the heel of your foot is not ahead of the knee when making contact with the ground

- Land on the outside of your foot (where the padded parts are) and roll in. Heel strikers/overstriders tend to land centered on their heel. At first try to land on the outside of your heel. As you approach sprinting speeds you should naturally start landing midfoot (again make initial contact with the ground with the outside padded part of your foot and roll in).

- Google "pelvic tilt running". Make sure your hips are in a neutral position to help hip extension and generating power.

- As you transition to more of a mid-foot strike you will feel your butt muscles and hamstrings being used more. Don't overdo it.

I agree, but barefoot running like made me do this without thinking too much about it, so like try this and try barefoot running and see what you think helps

Fastasduck wrote:I agree, but barefoot running like made me do this without thinking too much about it, so like try this and try barefoot running and see what you think helps

Barefoot running can certainly help get a feel for good running form, but unless you live on a golf course in san diego it is not practical for most people.

In the city I like to wear neutral shoes with moderate padding in the soles. Like most runners I run over 50% of my mileage on concrete and asphalt.

I'm a mid Distance runner. mostly 1500/mile and some 800s.

does anyone think doing calf raises in the gym with weights few times a week would help? I will start with strides and shift to workouts on my toes.

jumbomo wrote:

does anyone think doing calf raises in the gym with weights few times a week would help? I will start with strides and shift to workouts on my toes.

Generating power to run fast is generated mostly from the hips with good hip extension. Google "running hip extension".

If you think calf raises will help you to run with forefoot or mid-foot strike then you are totally confused. After your foot makes initial contact with the ground (whether it is on forefoot, mid-foot or heel) then you should allow the rest of your foot to make contact with the ground before pushing off from the forefoot/toes. It is a bad mistake for a middle distance runner to land on the forefoot and try to prevent the heel from touching the ground... all you will do is strain your calves.

Calf raises have nothing to do with it. thoughts... has it right. This is more about your stride and your hips than your calves. I agree to not overstride, focus on where your foot hits. It will probably feel like it is under you or behind oyu, but really it will land a tiny bit ahead of you.

great advise guys, I will look into the running hip extension.

Wow, great info shared by Thoughts...

I've started reading more on importance of hip extension to run more efficiently.

I switched from heel to midfoot running a couple years ago. I did it by just thinking about how I was landing each step. I focused on landing quietly, in the position I thought was right, for a couple runs a week. WARNING: it destroyed my calves. If you want to do this, calf raises would make the transition possibly smoother, so it's probably not a bad idea. Also as a side note, I later leaned that it doesn't really matter if you heel strike or land midfoot, it's more a matter of over striding. If you can manage to not over stride and heel strike, you're fine.

thoughts... wrote:

Fastasduck wrote:I agree, but barefoot running like made me do this without thinking too much about it, so like try this and try barefoot running and see what you think helps

Barefoot running can certainly help get a feel for good running form, but unless you live on a golf course in san diego it is not practical for most people.

In the city I like to wear neutral shoes with moderate padding in the soles. Like most runners I run over 50% of my mileage on concrete and asphalt.

Right right, no doubt, I live in a city too, and about half a mile away there is a nice turf field, where I know there is nothing bad, so I can just go out for 5 min to get the feel, doing all of your runs barefoot is very difficult, no doubt.

Arcadia wrote:

I switched from heel to midfoot running a couple years ago. I did it by just thinking about how I was landing each step. I focused on landing quietly, in the position I thought was right, for a couple runs a week. WARNING: it destroyed my calves. If you want to do this, calf raises would make the transition possibly smoother, so it's probably not a bad idea. Also as a side note, I later leaned that it doesn't really matter if you heel strike or land midfoot, it's more a matter of over striding. If you can manage to not over stride and heel strike, you're fine.

Arcadia, it sounds like you were using your calf muscles to land more softly. I have to strongly disagree with this strategy. You are correct, it will destroy your calves!!!

The foot is designed beautifully to absorb impact by landing on the outside padded part and then slightly rotating in. This is also a quiet foot strike.

Rudisha slow motion (800m WR holder; as an aside note that his heel touches after landing on his forefoot)

dibaba slow motion

geb slow motion

jumbomo wrote:

I land on my heel but I want to change to either flat foot or on my toes.

anyone transitioned successfully to doing this? all tips are appreciated !

I transitioned from heel striking to mid-foot. I bought some zero drop minimalist shoes and gradually phased them in. My form changed completely simply by using these shoes, but the transition took several months. I started small.. very small. Maybe a mile the first week, 1.5 miles the second, etc. Eventually did some work-outs in them. My calves were so sore. Then I stopped using them after my form had changed.

A year after this change I got a metatarsal stress fracture which was probably at least partially caused by the change.

The biggest positive I've noticed is that it's so much easier to run hilly terrain. Heel striking is easy on flat ground.. but especially downhill it feels so uncomfortable. It's much easier to lean forward downhill now and land midfoot and feel like I'm rolling pretty good.

I did it 12 years ago. It took me nine months because I didn't know how and no one else did back then. Here's what you should consider.

Barefoot running. Find a football or soccer field. Run 4x100m easy strides. Put on your shoes and try to replicate the motion. Over a few weeks, you can build up to a mile of easy barefoot strides. You are doing two things: 1. Strengthening your feet. 2. Learning new biomechanics for running.

Low Heel to Toe Drop Shoes. This will make the transition easier. 4mm drop should be about right. I found that zero drop shoes were too aggressive for me.

You're not running on your toes or the front of the ball of foot. You're landing on ball of the foot or the outside of the foot along the 5th metatarsal. You are NOT running on your toes. You land ball of foot, then the heel touches down before you lift for the next stride.

thoughts... wrote:

Arcadia, it sounds like you were using your calf muscles to land more softly. I have to strongly disagree with this strategy. You are correct, it will destroy your calves!!!

The foot is designed beautifully to absorb impact by landing on the outside padded part and then slightly rotating in. This is also a quiet foot strike.

Rudisha slow motion (800m WR holder; as an aside note that his heel touches after landing on his forefoot)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1uFifts3vs

dibaba slow motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJcdxSPFWpE

geb slow motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3s7z8DXVwo

I always find this video to be pure forefoot porn. Moses Mosop.

His heel goes down, but it only barely touches the ground. And this is in a marathon no less!

A lot of guys would tell someone they see running this way to get more on the midfoot. Because yeah, you no sprinter. Get with the program you know.

But hey, who's gonna tell Mosop he is doing it wrong. He is doing it just right. This is how the body is supposed to run. And no centurion of heel strike apologists is gonna change it!

yeah baby!

BFF wrote:His heel goes down, but it only barely touches the ground. And this is in a marathon no less!

Start the video at 42 seconds and pause at 44 seconds.

His heel 100% touches the ground. Not sure what you mean by "barely" other than his heel lifts up quickly as he begins the push off phase.

Fisky offers a good approach.

For those complaining about sore calves I can think of two possibilities

1) You are using your calves to land softly on the forefoot. Don't do this!

2) On the push off most of your power should come from hip extension using your glutes and hamstrings. Maybe you are relying too much on the lower leg (calves)