Runners: What part of your foot should you land on?

Host: Dr. Matt Minard

Episode Summary

Meet our host, Dr. Matt Minard, a Physical Therapist who enjoys both the physical and mental benefits of running but is also passionate about helping others run safely.

In this episode, Dr. Minard describes the mechanics of Foot Strike Pattern when running. He explains how this pattern plays out in relation to the three phases of running and directly determines the overall efficiency of running.

Top Takeaways

• "If you are landing on something other than your heel, you're inefficient"
  
  - [Dr. Matt Minard]


• "Land on your heel but load through the midfoot"
  
  - [Dr. Matt Minard]


• "Having a longer stride is not a bad thing, that's what we ideally should see as we go faster"
  
  - [Dr. Matt Minard]


• "Land with your heel but don't continue to transfer your weight through your heel in front of you"
  
  - [Dr. Matt Minard]


• "What you leave the ground with, will dictate what you land with"
  
  - [Dr. Matt Minard]

Episode Highlights

• [00:58] The topic of today's discussion is Foot Strike Pattern.


• [02:34] Three main points regarding foot strike.


• [03:32] Three phases of running.


• [05:10] What are the essential traits of efficient running?


• [06:33] Paying on the principal vs the interest.


• [10:24] Land vs Load


• [17:00] What to think about when running.


• [19:51] A practical session approach; patience and then push.


• [20:41] A summary of the phases of running.