Comments on: Critique Me!: Posterior Views of My Form When Running Barefoot, in Newton Distance Racers, and in the Skechers GoRun

By: Jogon!

Jogon! — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hi Pete,I have been plaugued with calf pulls in my right leg for about 12 months I used to run at school many years ago and have been back running only two two and a half yearsmy first trainers were saucony jazz 13 no problems,I had a gait analisis done at a sports shop after buying asics 1150s I think,had itband issue within weeks.they told me I
was a neutral runner and recommended nike air pegasus 28s calf went within 8 weeks but didnt connect the two bought a pair of pegasus trail as was going off road and all seemed fine but still getting niggles in my right calf.
After a summer of not to bad running my problems returned and i visited a sports injury clinic,I had various tests in stance and muscle measurements but only when I got on the treadmill did he see the problems I have.
In barefoot my form was good no problems.
In nike air pegasus 28s trail serious ankle collapse more prominent in the right leg.
in a pair of adidas tempo 4s better but still not as good as barefoot and I have had my calf pull in these as well.
The guy reckoned that I was better in the addidas because they have a torsion control in the midfoot thus making them more rigid than the nikes.
I am now running barefoot on the treadmill building up time and thinking about moving into the barefoot style of shoes any thoughts or advice you may have would be greatly appreiciated.

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Campbell.

I agree, but if you are simply comparing the effects of footwear on how the foot contacts the ground then focusing in on one area is ok in my opinion. There's a difference between a global form evaluation done by a coach or therapist and an experiment designed to address a specific question.

By: hardcoredds

hardcoredds — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In the Newtons it looked like more heel on right foot than the left....

By: bfluc

bfluc — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hi Pete,

Looks like you're stabilizing your foot more rapidly when you're barefoot.

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Bob.

Very minor morning PF on an on and off basis, but really nothing that has ever kept me from running or interfered with my training.

----
Pete Larson's Web Links:
My book: Tread Lightly - http://ow.ly/bdUO0
Blog: https://runblogger.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oblinkin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Runbl...

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I seem to recall seeing a slow-motion video on Youtube of Haile Gebrselassie pronating just as much.

Just wondering--was your cadence around 180 bpm when filming?

By: James Ubriaco

James Ubriaco — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I don't really see heel striking. Looks to me like you bring your toe down just before you strike and touch down pretty much with your whole foot. You can see that more clearly when you're barefoot. Obviously, there's the torquing when shod, which looks nasty in slow motion!

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to bfluc.

I think probably less effort needed to stabilize when barefoot since less torque of the foot at contact.

By: Campbell

Campbell — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Why only look at your feet?? - they only land as a consequence of what your overall body position is. So, in my opinion as a running technique coach, this is inconclusive!!

By: Lawrence Smith

Lawrence Smith — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pete, here’s what I see:
You are landing hard, and the muscles that limit pronation are not doing their job because:

You are not getting good plantar flexion on leg extension.
This looks like it is due to what you are doing with your upper body. You aren’t extending your spine into a forward lean, and you aren’t allowing your weight to move forward until your toes flexors engage.

You are retracting and not moving your arms.
Note that your arms have no movement at the glenero-humoral joint, and thus, none at the sterno-clavicular joint. You are rotating your whole ribcage as a block, and not allowing your spine to have good, distributed spiral
movement. In free arm swing, we should see some movement at shoulders, sternum and through the 1st rib to the spine. The ribs should slide,
slinky-like.

If you could lead with your head and allow the weight of your arms to be of more use, you could begin to get better plantar flexion, which would:
1. Allow you to have a longer acceleration through extension, which would permit your leg to recover and reach the ground before your weight crashes down (what I see you are now doing), and
2. Get your toe flexors in better shape to help limit pronation.
A few Alexander Technique lessons could
help. Your problems are not running technique problems as much as they are postural problems..

By: BP

BP — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to James Savage.

"Crazy ankle movement?" Meh, I see some pronation, but nothing worrying. Some pronation is normal upon impact to absorb force...same as hip or knee flexion. There's a little bit more rearfoot eversion with the Newtons, particularly on the right, but nothing that I'd really see as all that worrying. It looks like there may be some slight variance in velocity, which makes it hard to analyze against each other, but honestly, something just looks "snappier" about his gait in the Sketchers than in the Newtons or barefoot. Just looks natural. Pete, if your students happen to measure stance time as a percentage with each shoe, would you be willing to post?

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Mark Lofquist.

Nice! Curious - what was your reason for switching form?

----
Pete Larson's Web Links:
My book: Tread Lightly - http://ow.ly/bdUO0
Blog: https://runblogger.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oblinkin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Runbl...