Post
Is it weird that running at a faster pace goes easier on my knees?
I’m running with barefoot shoes, always landing on the front half of the foot. I have a feeling that running at a faster pace changes my posture a bit, makes my calves work more and my knees less.
@thibaultamartin ground contact time decreases with increase of pace. This can also partially explain why you feel less pain!
@thibaultamartin If I recall correctly, "proper" technique was to move your legs quite a bit faster than people usually do. The pace at which you're running is then determined by the size of your steps, not how fast your feet hit the ground.
It kinda makes sense to me too. I feel like I bounce up and down more when I take fewer-but-larger steps, whereas you want that kinetic energy to push you *forward*, rather than move you vertically, straining your knees.
@thibaultamartin imho it has very little to do with the type of shoe you run in or the ground. Recreational runners (the group I am part of) usually have terrible technique and we suffer a lot at slow paces. We also suffer a lot in fast paces but in a different way, as we tend not to be able to sustain the effort for a long time.
Of course biomechanics is an extremely complex topic and everyone is different. In my case, I know that the first 20 minutes of a run are going to feel horrible.
@alexsaezm @thibaultamartin Indeed, people often have worse technique at slower paces.
Most often, I see that they aren't hitting the ground below (or slightly behind) the center of mass, but rather slightly ahead. That way, the leg first has to "apply brakes" as you land and your center of mass catches up, only to accelerate you again, as you step off.
When running faster, this happens less, because, well, the body is trying to go faster, and body is subconsciously trying to streamline.
@thibaultamartin you might be getting more of the natural rebound effect from the ankle, knee, hip flexors combination/system? My understanding is that that's the point of barefoot and forefoot running, "look at how kids run" and all that :)
@thibaultamartin you might be getting more of the natural rebound effect from the ankle, knee, hip flexors? My understanding is that that's the point of barefoot and forefoot running, "look at how kids run" and all that :)
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