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Mar 2014
2:30pm, 3 Mar 2014
21,179 posts
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cabletow
I still say that foot strike is not important - it is foot position - Land where you like on the foot - Just dont have the foot too far ahead of the body and have the knee bent a touch at impact
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Mar 2014
2:30pm, 3 Mar 2014
21,180 posts
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cabletow
Hi all
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Mar 2014
2:53pm, 3 Mar 2014
791 posts
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FenlandRunner
Hi CT, totally agree. That's the key in my eyes 
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Mar 2014
6:44pm, 3 Mar 2014
19,322 posts
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eL Bee!
cabletow LIVES
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Mar 2014
7:59pm, 3 Mar 2014
869 posts
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Canute
Hi CT. It is good to hear from you again
I agree that avoiding reaching out too far in front at foot strike is one of the general rules that applies under virtually all circumstances.
The question of the part of the foot that makes first contact does matter, but it depends on speed and other circumstances. Under many circumstances it is best to let non-conscious mechanisms control this.
If Gruber’s findings prove to be robust, there might be a definite advantage for fuel efficiency in heel strike during an ultra. But few runners land on the forefoot during ultras anyway.
The question that really interests me at the moment is how much foot-strike might affect the accumulation of diffuse muscle damage during a marathon. The evidence that diffuse muscle damage might be one of the major reasons why recreational marathon runners slow down in the second half of a marathon suggests that training to minimise diffuse damage is important. In part, this is achieved by gradual build-up of long-run length, but maybe foot strike is also worth thinking about.
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Mar 2014
8:07pm, 3 Mar 2014
792 posts
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FenlandRunner
Canute, can you expand upon the phrase 'the accumulation of diffuse muscle damage'?
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Mar 2014
8:19pm, 3 Mar 2014
21,181 posts
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cabletow
Muscles don't tear if they are relaxed.. Discuss
Tears happen when a muscle contracts then is stretched... Anticipating landing, controlling landing, anticipating foot strike all will increase the likelihood of that happening so focusing on something else is a good idea.
The key to efficiencies is, as always, reduce leverage, or obey the laws of biomechanics.
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Mar 2014
9:00pm, 3 Mar 2014
871 posts
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Canute
FR
The eccentric contraction of leg muscles following foot strike causes inevitable microscopic tearing of fibres. This generates the inflammation that promotes strengthening during a training program. However, by the end of each training session or race, leg muscle power is reduced as a consequence of microscopic damage to muscle fibres.
For many recreational runners , the loss of leg muscle power during a marathon is substantial. The increase in muscle enzymes in the blood stream (released when fibres are damaged) and the associated decrease in power are quite strongly predictive of how much a runner slows down in the second half of a marathon.
As I commented above, reducing the degree of damage (by gradual build-up of long run length during training, is a very important aspect of marathon preparation. It is possible might be that foot-strike also matters, though this is more controversial. Forefoot strike is associated with shorter time on stance and greater ground reaction forces averaged over stance, so might be expected to produce more damage. On the other hand, heel strike produced a sharp spike in ground reaction force. It I not clear which is the more damaging. For the time being I am inclined to think the best option for a marathoner is midfoot, but this is not based on direct evidence.
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Mar 2014
4:15pm, 12 Mar 2014
145 posts
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d87heaven
How does one land on the middle of the foot?
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Mar 2014
5:21pm, 12 Mar 2014
884 posts
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Canute
Mid foot landing means landing with both forefoot and heel on the ground.
If the foot is allowed to drop to the ground a short distance in front of the centre of mass, with the knee a little flexed and the ankle near neutral or perhaps slightly dorsiflexed, you will probably land mid-foot – but it is usually best not to think too much about the details.
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