Run On Your Toes vs. Running On Your Heels

So the verdict is out. Ask yourself this: What is your running form? Are you the casual weekender that gets in a good 8k on the weekends, or are you the competitive racer trying to gain speed? Either or, running on your toes will keep you injury free.

As a triathlete you are always wanting to go faster, and one way to achieve this is by converting your running form from a heel to toe form to really getting up on your toes. What I mean by this, is that you always want to be striking the ground with forefoot of your foot. This is especially true if you are a racer trying to gain speed. Its easy to think about. Take, for a example, a sprint runner: from the moment he/she leaves those starting blocks, they are on the balls of their feet. Take spiked shoes: you never see sprinter's spikes with spikes on the arch or heel of the shoe. They are always on the forefront of the shoe.

Now lets break the form down. As the runner lengthens their stride, he/she will reach with the forefoot of their foot, striking the ground with the outer edge of their foot, rolling the foot ever so slightly to the ball of their foot. From this motion, the runner will gain propulsion from pushing off the ball of the foot. The heel has little to no impact to the ground, as the arch and heel just absorb the force from striking the ground.

Now I understand this form isn't for everyone, but it is a way to increase speed and have faster times as mentioned. For long distance runners, emphasis on landing on the forefoot is crucial and having that less impact will save you in the last miles. This form will cause less injury to your achilles, knees, heels, and reduce the effects of plantar fasciitis. So try to convert today!