2013 Part Deux

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

And here's something else interesting:

This would indicate that there’s no reason to switch from a rearfoot stride (common to roughly 80% of shoe-wearing runners) to a forefoot stride, as some have argued in the last few years. At least there’s no reason in terms of improved running economy, which is nearly synonymous with faster race times.

Having said that, I didn't change for reasons of improved running economy, but to try and prevent plantar fasciitis-like injuries. I felt a hell of a lot more efficient going up that hill in Henley though.

One of the (very few) advantages of working night-shift on a quiet night is that I can keep an eye on Fox/Sky Sports, which on Sunday showed the New York marathon live. As it happened, I took note of foot-strike, there being plenty of close camera shots of (particularly) the lead groups.

What I noticed was that nearly all of the elite women had a fore-foot stroke, or at least mid-foot; whilst the men were far more mixed, with plenty of heel-strikers mixing it with mid-foot strikers and a few (but not many) fore-foot strikers.

The other interesting thing was that the women's winner, Priscah Jeptoo, has the most appalling, uncoordinated and inefficient running style of any elite runner I've ever seen.

Just goes to show that there is no one right method. You just have to work out what works for you... as I think everyone here has been saying all along.

What a jolly bunch we are.

On on.