I'm love my Vibrams, but I'm STILL Heel striking. Help!

[kbrunsdisney]

I've been running in Bikila's since may.  They're my first pair of fivefingers, and I really like them.  I switched to prevent injury (I was getting a bit too chummy with my physical therapist) because I thought that running in them would help correct my gait. My cadence which used to be in the high 70s is now closer to 90s and I feel like I'm running differently, but I look at the bottom of my shoes one day and this is what I see.



The heels are completely worn down.  Plus I've seen pictures of myself from races where I am clearly heel striking.  I rationalized that it was because the pics were from the end of a race when I'm sprinting and I heel strike while sprinting.  But I cannot explain this away anymore because I went to super runners shop to have my gait checked and I could see myself heel striking in the video.  

What am I doing wrong?  I cannot feel myself doing it.  In fact I feel like I'm hitting midfoot.  Am I the only person who manages to heel strike in fivefingers?  Is it strange that my heels don't bother me? (Although my left Achilles hasn't been pleased with me lately.)

 

[taylordmd]

The oft-repeated advice is to go out barefoot--you'll know soon enough if you're heel striking! 

[barefoot_explorer]

You may need to correct your form, and posture.  watch this video for tips.......Maybe that will help you.  I'm not a big runner, but I found the proper method to be very natural.  If your doing it correctly you should get some sore feet from muscles you are not used to using.  Once you have proper form, and no heel striking.  Take it slow.  It's probably been a very long time since you have used these muscles.  Let us know if this helps you any.

Learning the Skill of Barefoot Running

[Hawkeye]

Hey Rana, Wrong board for this post and it's a double post on another board.

To the poster: Time to ditch your shoes totally and try some barefoot running to straighten out your form. Bikilas are still too much shoe and allow for heel striking. Total BF is less likely to allow heel striking.




Got it - Rana.

[UpNorth]

You are not alone.   I started running in VFFs in February - running in classics and KSOs, and when on trails or in snow, treks.   I took it slow and didn't have any real pain or problems.  Then I got my bikilas at the end of May.   I got overconfident, increased my speed and mileage, and developed some achilles tendon soreness.   I brushed it off, but I looked at my bikilas heels and while not as worn as yours, there was some wearing that should not be happening if I were running properly.  (The wear has not gotten any worse since June.)

So I cut back my mileage and started hitting the track to do some actual barefoot running to try to get my form back on track.   But I also kept running in my bikilas.   My AT remains sore so now I have decided that until I get my form in order, I will just do barefoot laps on the track or run in my classics so I get more feedback.

I am mad at and disappointed in myself for not catching the problem sooner.  The bikilas made me feel so fast, but apparently I got reckless too.  (I so did not want to be a cautionary tale.)

So while I haven't yet solved my problem, I join others in saying go back to the drawing board with some barefoot running.  Once I get my house in order again, I look forward to running in my bikilas again.  (But I'll keep the classics and BF in the mix to keep me honest.)     Good luck to you OP.

[munisano]

eek!  IMHO, I think it's a HUGE mistake for novice barefooters to start running in the more "beefy" VFFs right off the bat.  I started out in Classics, practically barefoot, then moved to KSOs and the KSOs were practically a regular shoe compared to going pure barefoot or wearing the Classics.  My wife just got a pair of Bikilas and those things are basically just zero-drop racing flats; so thick!  Wow!  It's no wonder to me that people are getting hurt starting out barefooting in these newer generation, thicker, VFFs.  Like others have advised on this forum, start out pure barefooting for short distances on smooth, flat surfaces i.e. asphalt or a track.  The key and goal of all this barefooting is to learn a more efficient form i.e. transition from years and years of heel striking to mid/fore foot striking and that doesn't happen overnight.  Starting out in "thick" VFFs like these don't promote good form because they are still thick enough that one can be sloppy with their form and get away with it for a while. 

It's sort of funny, I recommend folks who are transitioning to more low profile, more minimalist shoes (not VFFs) to gradually step down in shoe thickness, heel-toe drop and support.  With the VFFs I think the opposite is true, one needs to start out walking/running short distances pure barefoot until they pick up better form and then and only then start moving up the VFF family from Classics to the current Bikila... or at least get down the proper form by running pure barefoot (instant feedback) and then go into the VFF of your choice.

I'm surprised that VFF doesn't do more to promote/educate about "safe transition" to their product...

[chiapasfixed]

I recommend attending one of Dr. Romanovs "POSE" running seminars:
http://store.posetech.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PMC-S3
Those are in Australia, but you can search the internet, there are classes all over the world.
Or at least buy the book. Its all about learning to "fall", open the hip, and use your body's inertia.
Well worth it!

[barefoot_explorer]

Surely OP practice on a treadmill if you can in barefeet.  walk around in barefeet as well when you can.  Get the technique down in barefeet then wear the minimalist shoes you want to run when you have proper form down.  Look at the soft star run amoc those shoes have less sole on the bottom, and the thickness is the same front to back.

[toastergirl]

Pose running or Chi running -- very similar from what I know of them both.  They both use that falling foward thing and landing more midfoot and focus on picking up your feet rather than slapping them into the ground. 

I personally work on Pose running - as that's what my coach teaches. 

However, I do also have wear on the heels of my bikilas; more on one foot than the other.  I don't think that its from heel striking, else I would know it by now.  My theory is that I am dragging my feet and not picking them up and dorsiflexing enough or leaning forward enough. 

I also run in KSOs -- that was my first VFF and what I transitioned with from trad. shoes.  I do say that the KSOs offer a LOT more ground feel than the bikilas and better for learning technique.  I think that I tend to get more sloppy with bilikas - so I am going to go back to doing my longer runs in my KSOs. 

[hippierunner]

Some barefoot running would deffinately help.

[qcassidy352]

Everyone is telling the OP how to "fix" what (s)he's doing "wrong," but is there actually a *problem* here?  The only problem I see in the OP's post is that his/her achilles is a little sore, but that's actually one issue that comes up more with minimal running than shod running.

The "right" way to run is any way that comes naturally and feels good.  If the OP is not experiencing pain with his/her current form, then what's the problem?  Sure, (s)he *could* develop injuries like runner's knee from heel-striking over a prolonged period, but (s)he could develop injuries with a forefoot strike, too.

OP, if you feel good running the way you are now, I don't see any reason to change.

[jcarneytx]

You may need to correct your form, and posture.  watch this video for tips.......Maybe that will help you.  I'm not a big runner, but I found the proper method to be very natural.  If your doing it correctly you should get some sore feet from muscles you are not used to using.  Once you have proper form, and no heel striking.  Take it slow.  It's probably been a very long time since you have used these muscles.  Let us know if this helps you any.

Learning the Skill of Barefoot Running

THAT is a really good video, thanks for sharing! Definitely one of the best I've seen explaining the form and rhythm of barefoot running.

[iPhreak]

Everyone is telling the OP how to "fix" what (s)he's doing "wrong," but is there actually a *problem* here?  The only problem I see in the OP's post is that his/her achilles is a little sore, but that's actually one issue that comes up more with minimal running than shod running.

The "right" way to run is any way that comes naturally and feels good.  If the OP is not experiencing pain with his/her current form, then what's the problem?  Sure, (s)he *could* develop injuries like runner's knee from heel-striking over a prolonged period, but (s)he could develop injuries with a forefoot strike, too.

OP, if you feel good running the way you are now, I don't see any reason to change.

I am not nearly as seasoned in BF or VFF as most of the folks here, but I have to agree with QCassidy in this case.  If you are not experiencing intense knee, hip, back or other pain, this might be your natural running style. Achilles Tendon pain is a normal part of minimal running for noobies (i have had it), and I have a hard time understanding how AT pain could be from the heel strike (again I am not as seasoned as most of you guys).  I thought mine came from me being on my toes to much while attempting to get better form.

Personally, I find that I am still heel striking to some extent.  Nothing like I used to, but it is still there.  Like you my cadence is up and my posture is much better, but the heel strike is still present sometimes.  Especially when I get tired.  The other posters are right though the Bikila does allow you (and me) to get away with such a strike.  If you were running BF or in classics you would not strike but once or twice without your body figuring out a way to stop it.

Bottom line, if you are enjoying running and the Bikila allows you to run in your natural form pain free.  I say what is the problem other than the fact that you will have to buy your biks more often. 

Again, just my 2 cents

[Olarte]

Nothing beats Barefoot Running to get to the bottom (pun intended)  of it all.

I would suggest that you find the Evolution running, Chirunning and Pose  Method dvds and study these, then read  the Barefoot Running book. All excellent sources for getting your form down. Then practice this with very low distances barefoot and concentrate on each step being correct and how your whole body feels from the soles to your head....

good luck
ivan

[zarzu]

Everyone is telling the OP how to "fix" what (s)he's doing "wrong," but is there actually a *problem* here?  The only problem I see in the OP's post is that his/her achilles is a little sore, but that's actually one issue that comes up more with minimal running than shod running.

The "right" way to run is any way that comes naturally and feels good.  If the OP is not experiencing pain with his/her current form, then what's the problem?  Sure, (s)he *could* develop injuries like runner's knee from heel-striking over a prolonged period, but (s)he could develop injuries with a forefoot strike, too.

OP, if you feel good running the way you are now, I don't see any reason to change.

true, but wearing vffs doesn't seem to makes sense then, unless the op feels like replacing them every few months. looking at the wear those bikilas are pretty much done for, i mean the heel pods are gone already, how long is it gonna take till there's an actual hole? i'd rather buy something that is made for heel striking then, using vffs for heavy friction like these seem to have suffered doesn't seem optimal at all.