Is it realistic to keep up a high level of training (100mpw) while making the transition to a mid-foot strike from a heel-strike? Do you slowly integrate doing more and more of your running with the footstrike you want to have, while doing the rest of it with the footstrike you're used to? And eventually you'll midfoot strike all the time?
Also, do you need to wear lighter shoes to change your footstrike?
I'm not sure I would suggest changing your footstrike while at 100 miles. However, since outdoor's is ending, now is the time to do it. Like all aspects of running, you should never add too much of a stimulus or multiple stimuli over an alotted period of time, i.e. less workouts while building mileage or anything similar to that. Everyone here will say this, but the key really is to build up gradually. Your calves and achilles will be working much more than usual, so you don't want to overload them. Personally, when i changed footstrike, i jumped too quickly in the middle of my changing period, and thus strained my achilles. I would suggest doing it similarly to building a base, and tracking miles ran with a different footstrike, using the 10% rule and 2 week hard 1 week easy rule in conjunction with how many miles you ran forefoot/midfoot or as a percentage of total weekly mileage.
As far as wearing lighter shoes, it could help, but it also isn't a mandatory type of thing. The key with minimal shoes or barefoot is that there is less of a difference in heel to toe drop, as well as less cushioning, so that your form will adapt so as to avoid injury. I personally feel that this is taking a larger risk than necessary, so when i changed i wore my regular trainers for everything except workouts. The key in wearing regular trainers is to find the feel of running differently, then slowly incorporating that into your stride in multiple phases. A good way to start would be to see how it feels to forefoot/midfoot strike. I've found a good way to do this is by standing on your toes, then jogging in place, making sure your toes touch the ground first. Once you start that, you can slowly jog forwards, again making sure you land on forefoot. Personally, once i got used to the feeling of landing lightly on my toes/midfoot, rather than trying to switch to that in the middle of a run and stomping down on the ground, the change became much easier. After changing the footstrike i similarly have been trying to bring my foot more under my center of gravity, and finally i have worked on more active hip extension while running. Hope the change goes well!
Interesting. Thanks for the post!
The above guy makes good points. I changed from heal to mid-fore foot striking in college as well and after a year of sitting out due to stress fractures came back more efficient and quicker. My mistake was in fact doing it during the middle of the season as the above has suggested not to do. I would do it gradually, on soft surfaces, and in lighter shoes (I now train in flats and still get 600mps out of them and this along with the stride change has made all the difference). Additionally, when ever I walk around a make sure I walk landing on my toes or mid foot, it used to be a thoughtful effort but now it is just the way I walk, in my mind this helped with the transition, but I don't know if it did in actuality though. Best of luck.
Yeah, I would definitely not recommend making the transition while doing high mileage. I tried to switch doing 50-60 mpw and had to give up after 2 weeks because my calves and achilles were still too sore. Doing it in the middle of consistent, high mileage training will make the transition exponentially more difficult, and there's a good chance you won't make it through. Still, it's a great thing to shoot for, forefoot striking is the way to go.
Do some reading first:
http://www.pe.pomona.edu/sports/wxc/coaches/Reynolds-form-change.pdf
and
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/06/barefoot-running-shoes-and-born-to-run.html
(yes, it's on barefoot running, but still applicable)