Originally Posted by
VegasJen
Thanks. Aside from the run, I feel I did pretty well.
Ya, I never had any training to run, but I did a lot of running when I was in the Marine Corps. Back then, my best time was a 6:20 mile. But that was 30 years ago too. About six months ago I ran about an 8:20/mile pace in a 5k. I'd like to be under 8 minute/mile, but I'm pretty happy with that. I've been trying to figure out why I'm so much slower now despite only being a couple pounds heavier today and what I keep coming back to is my feet. I have no spring in my feet like I did when I was young. I watch young people run now and I see how their feet land, absorb energy and then re-release it on the stride. I just don't have that in me. My feet hit like Playdough.
What I see a lot of new runners do is high feet, high step, leaping with high arms against the chest or wildly flailing. Sort of like repeatedly re-enacting the overly animated stride the model did for the picture in the fitness advertisement.
The fastest runners conserve energy. Arms bent, wrists about belly-button, waist level with feet traveling a scant inch or 2 off the ground.
What fundamentally changed my stride was switching to zero-drop shoes. The absence of padding in the heel drives a more forward ball of foot type stride. My plantar-fasciitis disappeared. My foot actually grew a full size, my toes spread out & I can now use them almost like fingers. But also importantly the stride became much less impactful. All the helper/stabilizer muscles & other soft tissues/ligaments began strengthen as they were incorporated into the stride.
Those kids with the spring in their step; They're doing it wrong.
Anywho, I'm now inspired to get outside to give it a give it a go. I haven't had a good run in a while now.
Cheers,
base2