November

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Dan, you don't actually apply force to lean over - it really is a falling motion. We lean when we're tired because the core muscles are fatigued and don't hold us upright any longer. But to overcome the falling motion you actually apply pressure to the ground through your front foot, thus slowing you down, exactly what we're trying to avoid.

But yes, you're right about front-foot strike being a sprinting/middle distance action. As far as I can see, efficient long distance runners actually use a flat-flooted gliding stride; barely getting their feet off the ground and landing mid-foot. Where how and/or why shoe designers reckoned we need 3.2 farthing cubits of padding on the heel I don't know. It makes no sense.

As for the knees ... well, I know a bit about this after several years of manipulation at the hands of various specialists. The knee is a wonderful pivot point and that is all. To reduce wear and tear and avoid injuries you "need" a nice straight skeletal structure, good cartilage and well-toned quads (all of 'em, not just the two that running strengthens). The power comes from the quads, the glutes and the calfs/calves. Generally the tendons will looks after themselves if you look after the skeletal structure and the muscle toning, and use glucosamine if your cartilage is dodgy. I seriously think any runner with knee problems needs to find a good podiatrist who understands running and deals with the overall skeletal structure, rather than one who just treats the symptoms. Once your spine is nice and straight and your legs are exactly the same length, a lot of the problems disappear. The main things seem to be to correct any imbalances and avoid pronation. If the knees are simply acting as pivots in an otherwise straight and strong mechanism, they will cope just fine. At least that's been my experience. I can't recommend a good podiatrist highly enough in that sense.

Next week: With My Illotibial Through Afghanistan, or: How I Learned To Love My Plantar Fasciitis.