Landing

Introduction: Seems like nothing is more controversial, and simple to talk about, than what part of the foot to land on.

Compare: Chi is mid foot, Natural emphasis mid/forefoot, Pose is all about forefoot.

Do: If not going fast, then most should land on mid foot, or land on heel first but only to feel where the ground is but not to put much weight on your heel.

Don't: Land on forefront unless going fast. Don't land hard on heel.

Why: Landing hard on forefront can cause injuries to Achilles and calf. Landing hard on heel can cause injuries mostly in knees, hips and lower back. Barely and softly touching first with your heel tells you where the ground is before you put your weight on your mid foot.

How 1: Once your posture and lean is correct, and your stride is behind you, then think about your foot already moving backwards when it first touches the ground.

How 2: Quicken your leg turnover without increasing your pace.

Imperfect Practice: Over stride and land hard on heel, then purposefully land on forefoot, then slightly touch on heel before putting weight on your mid foot, repeat.

Feel: Consciously feel what part of your foot touches first and which part of your foot absorbs most of the ground force. Ideally, you feel a lot of the ground impact absorbed by your glutes.

Story: In the beginning our feet were not designed to land hard on our heels. As runners got injured by landing on their heels, we designed shoes with thick cushioned heels to solve the problem…it did not solve the problem. Running with the right form does a lot more to solve the problem.