this is buggin’ me
Let me preface this post by saying some people (probably a select few people) have perfect or near-perfect running form and never/rarely get injuries. This post does not apply to those lucky…ducks. It is also not suggesting you should change your running form. It’s purpose is simply to take issue with something that’s been on my mind lately
——————–
Over the last several weeks I’ve happened upon comments on the web which I just don’t understand, don’t agree with and which are starting to bug me. 
The phrasing is usually something along these lines…
You should not try to change your running form because it is ‘natural’ and attempts to change it will probably cause more harm than good.
Wat-choo talkin’ bout’ Willis?
So, do we get rid of every coach who works on running form or do we recognize there must be a good reason(s) why coaches work on form?
While I agree it’s entirely probable that many children run with a healthy, natural form, I think it’s also just as likely that just as many adults learn or adopt poor form. In essence, I think it’s highly likely that adults often knowingly or unknowingly change their natural running form and, because of this, often need to change it back to a more natural form.
How does an adult learn or adopt poor running form? Let’s look at a couple examples how it can happen:
1-You take a learn to run class where the coach/leader/instructor tells you that in order to run distance, you should land on your heels and roll forward so you work on that and, over time, become a heel striker.
2-You get injured and subconsciously modify your form to protect yourself from the injury or the possibility of injuring yourself again and the modification becomes part of your gait.
Case in point: I suffered a medial (inner) ankle stress fracture in my last marathon. Months later, I was experiencing some pain while running. Then, I realized I was landing on the outer side of my foot in order to avoid landing on the inner part of my right foot. The modification was almost totally subconscious and began to cause me problems. I was lucky enough to realize this since I could have easily normalized it as part of my gait and may very well have gone on to cause myself more problems.
Another example: Aaron sprained his ankle over ten years ago. His physiotherapist noted recently that this was the likely cause of his knee injuries. Why? Because the old injury had never been corrected and had caused major imbalances in his running form.
Are we to accept that our current running form is our natural form and that it should not be changed or is it possible we’ve learned or adopted bad running form which can/should be corrected?
If running form is natural then why do two-thirds of runners suffer from injuries each year? Is that natural?
Lotsa questions huh? Do you have any thoughts or answers you’d like to share?
Comment by 
Comment by 
Comment by 
Comment by 
Comment by 
Comment by 
Comment by 
Comment by mark
Monday May 09, 2005 @
In the clinic I went to a couple of weeks ago, it was mentioned that one injury can lead to other issues. And an unadressed issue can crop up as an injury elsewhere. He demonstrated how while the muscles, etc are separate, each has adjoining areas so stress on one can actually result on injuries appearing elsewhere.
Myself as of late, the center of my heals have been bothering me after a run. No aches when running but after I remove my shoes and attempt to walk barefoot I can barely put any weight on them. Even more so the next morning but it fades after a day or so. I suspect my runners may be the problem or perhaps I need some more cushioning type insoles. Or is it my form – heal strike? Any ideas?