Hard Foot-Strike

[RedT]

Apparently, I run like an Elephant. I'm fast, but I have a heavy forward foot-strike.

Before my marathon training I was only running 3-5 miles per day and the occasional 10k, and the only injury I have sustained is a Morton's Neuroma (which I have under control with orthodic inserts), but accordingly to people with much more knowledge than I, running long distances like a T-Rex is eventually going to cause an injury.

Even when I consciously midfoot strike, I am still hitting the ground hard. So I am looking for advice, ideas, tricks, mantras, anything to help me not strike so hard.

What works for you?

 

[dswithers]

What strength exercises do you do? Running is good exercise for your legs, but the range of motion is very limited so some deep (ATG) squats might help your leg strength and help you tread more softly.

You might be moving up and down too much as you stride. The goal is to keep your hips/upper body at the same height above the ground as much as possible and only move your legs "under" your torso. Try looking at a distant object as you run and try to keep it from moving up and down in your field of view.

Do you remember the old "Kung Fu" TV series; in the opening sequence they showed the requirement to leave the monastery: you had to hold a large heavy scalding iron pot between your forarms and walk the length of a long narrow hallway on tissue paper without leaving a trace of your passing on the tissue paper. Of course the pot had a dragon etched in the side so when you complete your walk you had a dragon image branded on your forearms! Anyways, I digress, you need to think like Kwai Chang Caine and leave no impression as you float across the planet...

 

[RedT]

Ds,

Too funny (Kung Fu) I'll have to try that.

I do do both upper and lower body strength training: weighted squats & lunges, calf raises, leg presses, and some jump rope (just started with the rope).

I also stretch and use a foam roller on my calves and quads too keep everything nice and loose.

I've tried smaller steps with a faster cadence, I just can't seem to land without a giant THWACK!

 

[g8r80]

What strength exercises do you do? Running is good exercise for your legs, but the range of motion is very limited so some deep (ATG) squats might help your leg strength and help you tread more softly.

You might be moving up and down too much as you stride. The goal is to keep your hips/upper body at the same height above the ground as much as possible and only move your legs "under" your torso. Try looking at a distant object as you run and try to keep it from moving up and down in your field of view.

Do you remember the old "Kung Fu" TV series; in the opening sequence they showed the requirement to leave the monastery: you had to hold a large heavy scalding iron pot between your forarms and walk the length of a long narrow hallway on tissue paper without leaving a trace of your passing on the tissue paper. Of course the pot had a dragon etched in the side so when you complete your walk you had a dragon image branded on your forearms! Anyways, I digress, you need to think like Kwai Chang Caine and leave no impression as you float across the planet...

If memory serves correctly, one had to lift up the boiling pot and one had to walk on rice paper without breaking it, but not both! Not even the blind master could do that!

As for running, I am also looking for tips here because I am a hard striker as well.

 

[dswithers]

If memory serves correctly, one had to lift up the boiling pot and one had to walk on rice paper without breaking it, but not both! Not even the blind master could do that!

As for running, I am also looking for tips here because I am a hard striker as well.

OK, so it ws rice paper not tissue paper, but doing both simultaneously was a better story...you know what they say: the mind is the second thing to go, wait 'til you are my age!