The Barefoot Running Book - Jason Robillard [23]
Concept—Lift Feet
Beyond relaxation another skill that is nearly universal is lifting your feet. Most shod runners will use a heel strike where the heel hits the ground first in front of the body’s center of gravity (over-striding.)
This causes two problems. First, it acts as a slight braking action that interferes with your forward progress and wastes a tremendous amount of energy with every step. Second, it causes undue stress on your entire body because of the force of the strike.
This force is thought to be a major contributor to the many pains traditional shod runners experience. The solution is to allow your feet to softly touch the ground under your center of gravity. The easiest way to achieve this is to focus on lifting your foot off the ground instead of driving it into the ground. I like to imagine I’m running on hot coals. The imagery helps me focus on keeping my feet from burning by lifting naturally.
Runners can accomplish this lifting motion in various ways using different muscle groups. I believe the exact method is inconsequential. The important point is that you are lifting which automatically results in a softer step. If we focus on lifting, we forget about the other foot that is touching the ground which automatically causes the foot to land with less force.
The focus on lifting the feet will also help prevent another common problem among new barefoot runners: “pushing off.” Many runners mistakenly believe their forward motion is created by using the foot on the ground as an anchor point and pushing off against that anchor to generate forward motion.
This “pushing off” technique causes undue stress on the body, especially the legs and feet. It also causes runners to land with much more force than they would if they focused on lifting their feet. In future sections, I will discuss the safer, more efficient method of using the foot-lift to propel you forward.
Concept—Foot-Kiss
In addition to the foot-lift, there is the foot-kiss, traditionally known as the foot “strike,” which implies that it is a violent collision between your foot and the ground. It is actually the exact opposite. Your foot should gently touch the ground with as little force as possible as if your foot is gently “kissing” the ground.
Many barefoot runners will debate the exact method you should use as your foot touches the ground. Should you land on the ball of your foot, on your forefoot, or the heel first? After observing many barefoot runners, I have concluded that it does not really matter which part of your foot touches the ground first.
There are two important points. First, your foot must gently kiss (or touch) the ground, like a gentle peck on the cheek. Second, no matter which part touches first, the rest of your foot must follow by quickly touching. The desired result is that your entire foot will be momentarily be in contact with the ground.
In the next session, the walk in place drill, you will begin to develop a feel for the part of your foot that is most comfortable touching first. If you need a place to begin, I suggest starting with a midfoot kiss which appears to be the most common technique. If you find something to be more comfortable, use it—since the key to developing good form is listening to your body.
Activity—Walk in Place Drill
Once comfortable with lifting foot and foot-kiss concepts, it is time to combine them into the walk in place drill. The purpose of this drill is twofold. First, it will help strengthen your anatomy in preparation for running. Second, it will teach you the very basic elements of proper form. The movements you perform in this drill will translate directly to actual walking and running.
Start by relaxing using the deep breathing exercise if necessary. Next, stand on a hard smooth surface. Your posture should be upright