I have two previously torn meniscuses and a torn patellar tendon. I don’t run a ton (my workout program does agility training for cardio), but I can just decide to go run a sub 30m 5k with no problems.
It definitely wasn’t always this way. I used to have to tap after 10 minutes due to the knee pain. Until one day I thought, “Maybe I’m doing something wrong,” so I did some research.
Turns out I was doing something everything wrong. I was running with the same form I used for walking, which is a heel to toe movement, and taking similar strides. This is actually the opposite of what you’re supposed to do.
The first mistake I was making is the long steps. When running, your goal should be to never let your feet extend more than an inch or so further forward than your hips. Walking is more of a controlled fall, but with running you’re propelling yourself forward.
The second mistake I was making is fully straightening my knees. Your knees should always be bent a little bit. And the third was landing on my heel.
When running, you want your ankles and knees to act like a spring. The ball of your foot should hit the ground first with your foot pointed somewhat down. then you absorb the initial impact by dropping your heel and bending your knees a bit. Think of it like crumple zones in a car. You don’t want all of the impact transferred instantly, which is what happens if you land with a straight leg.
Then you push forward with the foot that’s down, and repeat for the other leg. The faster you go, the more you’ll need to lean forward to keep hitting the ground with the ball of your foot.
It does take a bit of getting used to in order for it to be muscle memory, but it should help if your issue is incorrect form.
Weeeeeel. Sort of.
Yes it’s true that modern shoes (especially ultra cushioned shoes) change running mechanics.
Benno Nigg is a world authority on this issue and he will open his talks with the question “is this a problem?”. And the answer is not necessarily.
It’s true that modern footwear reduces the reliance on supporting musculature of the foot and ankle. If you have a philosophical attachment to using everything then this is not good. But if you have poor mechanics or structural weakness, then cushioned shoes represent a chance to participate in sport that might not otherwise be available.
Prior to the introduction of cushioned shoes very few people could participate in running as an endurance sport because of pain and injury. And they were all running in the equivalent of a minimal shoe because there was no alternative. The introduction of the waffle trainer and subsequent shoes powered the first running boom of the 1970s.
For people who switch to a minimal shoe, those with good mechanics may love them, and those with poor mechanics will not, and may injure thselves if they pursue them. They are not a panacea for runners by any means.