© Austin 'Ozzie' Gontang, Ph.D.
Man the running animal at even slow running speed is meant to run Ball/Heel/Ball!!!!! Heel running is based on a faulty premise and if not faulty, then it is a faulty translation by those runners who hear it and implement it...as they land on the back of the heel of the shoe...which is way behind the actual heel of the foot. Run bare foot to see what I mean.
Either start thinking for yourself about running injury free...or minimal injuries...or injury prevention...and look at the way you land on your feet...and look at the fact that almost all running shoes worn by the mass of runners have very thick heels and soles and don't let you feel where you land or how hard you land.
Please help me understand why very few people are willing to say that the majority of runners should be landing ball/heel...as the three authors below hold.
From: Applied Kinesiology by Clayne Jensen & Gordon Schultz 1977 McGraw Hill p. 290-291 Running mechanics vary from one person to another, and they vary in the same person running at different speeds.
At a slow running speed, complete foot contact is used. The foot-surface contact with each stride goes from the ball of the foot to the heel and back to the ball (restful to calf muscles). As running rate increases, the amount of foot contact becomes less, until finally at full speed only the forward part of the foot contacts the surface. The sprinter "runs on the toes." (Oz's view: Actually it is the front of the ball of the foot just behind the toes)
Strength, Power and Muscular Endurance for Runners & Hurdlers by John Jesse 1971, Athletic Press.
p. 56 As to long-distance events, most authorities are of the opinion that the mechanical details are not important if the overall running action is efficient and relaxed with emphasis being placed on eliminating all bodily movements that will expend energy unnecessarily. However, the same authorities appear to be in agreement as to certain characteristics of style that lead to an optimum performance with economy of effort: (a) shorter stride, (b) lower knee lift, (c) ball-heel-ball-toe action of the foot, (d) lower and more relaxed arm swing, (e) high kick up in the back providing it is natural, relaxed movement, (f) general overall relaxed manner.
Ten Tips on Running Form" appeared in Run Fast by Hal Higdon, © 1992 by Hal Higdon Communications, all rights reserved.
TEN TIPS ON RUNNING FORM
FRED WILT WAS A DISTANCE RUNNER on the 1948 and 1952 U.S. Olympic teams and became famous for his legendary indoor mile encounters at that time with Wisconsin's Don Gehrmann. After retiring from the FBI, Wilt coached the women's running teams at Purdue University. He edited the publication Track Technique and advised various athletes, including 1964 Olympian Buddy Edelen, who once held the world marathon record of 2:14:28. Wilt's tips on running form follow:
1. Running form is a completely individual issue. Each athlete differs from every other at least to a minute extent in height, weight, bone structure, length and size of muscles, point of muscle origin and insertion, strength, flexibility, posture and personality, in addition to numerous other features. Therefore, no two runners should ever use identical form, even though they all adhere to basic mechanical principles.
2. It is a form error of the highest magnitude to run without permitting the heel to touch and rest on the ground with each stride, without reservation, in a ball-heel grounding action. This is true at all running speeds, especially sprinting.
3. It is physically possible to land heel-first in running, but this is quite incorrect and almost never seen, since it jars the body excessively and can be done only at very slow running speeds. Landing heel-first and "toe running" (refusing to permit the heels to ground) are both incorrect.
4. Ideally, the position of the feet in running is one in which the inner borders fall approximately along a straight line. Athletes should run in a straight line, but not necessarily on such a line. When one foot is placed directly in front of the other, lateral (sideways) balance is impaired.
5. Runners in races longer than sprint distance wherein economy of energy is the paramount consideration should use a natural stride: not exaggerated, not long, not short, but of a length in keeping with maximum economy of effort for the running speed required.
6. Both understriding and overstriding are faults. Each runner has his own optimum stride length at any given speed, depending upon leg length, muscular strength and flexibility.
7. At uniform top speed with zero acceleration, if the athlete was running in a vacuum with no wind resistance, there would be no body lean at all.
8. The hands should be carried in a relaxed, cupped position at all running speeds. They should never be rigidly clenched in a fist while running, since this produces tension, which causes unnecessary fatigue.
9. The head should be aligned naturally with the trunk, and the eyes should be focused a few meters ahead while running.
10. Usually the best solution to apparent form problems is many repetitions of running short distances, such as 100 meters, at a fast, though not exhausting pace.
"Ten Tips on Running Form" appeared in Run Fast by Hal Higdon, Copyright © 1992 by Hal Higdon Communications, all rights reserved. Autographed copies of this book are available for $16.50 (includes shipping and handling) from Roadrunner Press, P.O. Box 1034, Michigan City, IN 46361-1034.
Here's a reference book for your running library that you will use for years to come. If you want to purchase a copy of one of the books which I still use as a guide to answering questions and understanding running problems, send $15 which covers the price of the book and shipping/handling.
The book is: Hidden Causes of Injury, Prevention And Correction, for Running Athletes and Joggers by John Jesse, 1977.
Make out the $15 check or money order to:
IAM or Int'l Assoc. of Marathoners
c/o Ozzie Gontang
2903 29th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
Excerpt from the Intro:
"Three of the four hidden factors (of injury) - muscular imbalance, postural faults, and foot faults - are so common among the general population that it is doubtful whether any young athlete enters the field of athletic competition without being affected to a lesser or greater degree by one or more of them.
The writer (John Jesse) believes a more detailed and complete discussion of these factors and of the methods of correcting them or preventing their further development will enable the coach, trainer, and athlete jto cope with them early in the young athlete's career. It will enable the athlete to reduce to a minimum the number of roadblocks and setbacks he(she) suffers during training and in pursuit of his(her) goals.
The information presented here should be of great value to the several million physical fitness joggers and runners in the population, because the book is aimed at providing understandable answers to all injuries that interrupt their progress toward attainment of an increased level of cardiovascular fitness, or that interfere with the psychological satisfactions obtained from engaging in such activities.
The human bodyh supports itself against gravity, segment upon segment, relying on the muscles and ligaments that cross the joints, along with postural reflexes, to maintain an erect position and proper body alignment. Hence, there has to be a total or "holistic" approach to prevention and to correction of the hidden factors mentioned above. The reader must integrate his/her thinking to a total body concept."
John Jesse was a team mate at USC with Payton Jordon who was the US Olympic head track and field coach in 1968. John wrote this book for you and me, so that we could understand through popular language, and with scientific and technical language kept to a minimum but using diagrams, illustrations or short glossaries so we the laymen could understand should we want to delve deeper.
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