re: Knee Pain After Running

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As a fellow heel striker I had to make a daily effort to reduce stride as the longer strides make me extend the leg and put all the weight on heel first. This is not how your knee was meant to operate for extended periods (if any time at all).

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Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is to go to a nice grass field and practice running barefoot.

I'm not trying to say you need to ditch your shoes, blah blah blah, but this is how humans are supposed to run.

You'll notice a few things immediately.

1.) It is almost impossible to heel strike. If you try, you'll get quick feedback that it was a bad choice.

2.) Your stride will shorten a bit vs. your runs in shoes on the road

3.) You'll likely feel the need to use your hamstrings more. (So many people just run with their hip flexors and never really use their posterior chain like they should).

Use these sessions to help improve form on your traditional, shoes runs.

FWIW, you can get a ton of benefit from doing this a few times a week. I use a soccer field and do 60yd repeats barefoot.

I consider this form practice and foot strengthening work.