do you run with your toes?

Question

sprints -
do you run with your toes??
can anyone give me a good site for running tips or has pictures of a person running the correct way?

Answer 1

yes and much more, see below
Acceleration Phase
Eyes focused on the track to keep low to allow the build up of speed
Forward lean of the whole body with a straight line through the head, spine and extended rear leg
Face and neck muscles relaxed (no tension)
Shoulders held back and relaxed, square in the lane at all times
Arms move with a smooth forward backward action - not across the body - drive back with elbows - hands move from approx. shoulder height to hips
Elbows maintained at 90 degrees
Hands Relaxed - fingers loosely curled - thumb uppermost
Legs - fully extended rear leg pushing off the track with the toes - drive the leg forward with a high knee action with the knee pointing forward and with the heel striking under the backside (not the back of the backside as the knee is low and pointing down to the ground) - extend lower leg forward of knee (rear leg drive will propel the foot forward of the knee) with toes turned up - bring foot down in a claw action with a toe strike on the track vertically below the knee - pull the ground under you into a full rear leg extension - (elbow drive assisting the whole action)
On the toes at all times - feet pointing forward straight down the lane
Elbow drive commences just before rear leg drive
Fast leg action, good stride length allowing continual acceleration
Appearance of being smooth and relaxed but driving hard with elbows and legs
The drive is maintained for approx. 20-30 metres and then the whole body slowly comes into a high tall action

Stride Phase
Smooth transitions from acceleration phase to stride phase
Eyes focused at the end of the lane - tunnel vision
Head in line with the spine - held high and square
Face relaxed - jelly jaw - no tension - mouth relaxed
Chin down, not out
Shoulders held down (long neck), back (not hunched), relaxed and square in the lane at all times
Smooth forward backward action of the arms- not across the body - drive back with elbows - brush vest with elbows - hands move from shoulder height to hips for men and from bust height to hips for the ladies
Elbows held at 90 degrees at all times (angle between upper arm and lower arm)
Hands relaxed - fingers loosely curled - thumb uppermost
Hips tucked under - slight forward rotation of the hip with forward leg drive to help extend the stride
Legs - fully extended rear leg pushing off the track with the toes - drive the leg forward with a high knee action with the knee pointing forward and with the heel striking under the backside (not the back of the backside as the knee is low and pointing down to the ground) - extend lower leg forward of knee (rear leg drive will propel the foot forward of the knee) with toes turned up - bring foot down in a claw action with a toe strike on the track vertically below the knee - pull the ground under you into a full rear leg extension - (elbow drive assisting the whole action)
On the toes with the feet pointing forward straight down the lane
No signs of straining or tension in the face, neck and shoulders
Appearance of being Tall , Relaxed and Smooth with maximum Drive

Lift Phase
As the Stride Phase but with emphasis on:
High knee action (prancing)
Leg action fast and light as if running across water
Fast arms - more urgency
Hands slightly higher at the front

Answer 2

I agree. Running with a heel strike is called "running with your foot on the brake." Your body weight gets jammed into the heel and is transmitted up the leg to the knee, hip, and spine. Where if you run on your forefoot and keep your stride a bit shortened, you will transition over the plant point and your momentum will be carried foreward rather than jammed into your heel, knee, hip, and spine.

PS I don't run this way just for sprints. I can hold the form up to ten miles.

Answer 3

I can't give you pics, but i can help wit some facts and tips. As a freshman, futIre track star, i can tell u the answer to ur question. Technically, u do use ur toes n try not to use ur heels. The impact using ur heels culd mess up ur knees in the future. So try running on ur tips (toes) for maximum running.

Answer 4

Sprinter are toe runners, and they should be. This allows less contact with the track. Why do you thin the spikes on only on the front of the shoe?

There are some great sites out there for sprinters but the best advice is to ask your coach what magazines he gets for sprinters. As a former coach I got inundated with magazine offers for each area of the track. Vaulter, Throwers, Distance, Jumper, there is a mag for every area of track.
Best of luck and keep your head low.

Answer 5

Yes, I run with my toes because it helps your foot movement. A good site is www.coolrunning.com

Answer 6

I use my toes to sprint. Because it wastes time when you put your heels on the track and then roll on your toes. But running long distance, it doesn't really matter because you're not trying to run as fast as you can. You're trying to pace yourself.

Answer 7

Dont run on your ft, run on the balls of your ft, while your striding your foot might desire to are available parallel with your physique and your foot might desire to grace the music, once you run on your ft your no longer basically putting your self up for harm (shin splints) yet your going to attain a plateau in which you wont be waiting to get any swifter. believe me i've got been there.

Answer 8

Run on your toes if you're sprinting. Run on your midfoot if you're running.

Here's a great video for proper run form:
http://www2.trainingbible.com/ryan.vid.htm