Alberto Salazar Training Tips

27/02/2014 Bretta Riches Forefoot Running Tips 34

When it comes to running performance, biomechanics is at the forefoot-front. The best Alberto Salazar training tip for long distance runners is to adopt the running gait of a sprinter, which includes landing with a forefoot strike, not a heel strike –This is not a new philosophy as most of the best marathon runners are forefoot runners.
Alberto Salazar Training Tips

Alberto Salazar Training Tips

Alberto Salazar coaches athletic super-stars Mo Farah (2 time Olympic gold medalist) and Galen Rupp (1 time Olympic silver medalist), to name a few.

Salazar recently gave a vital tip on running training for beginners:

  • “if you learn to run like a sprinter, you will be a great distance runner”

Salazar was referring to the foot strike pattern of a sprinter which is a forefoot strike. Most recreational runners however, heel strike, but elite distance runners, including the ones coached by Salazar are mostly forefoot strikers.

Most sprinters land on their forefoot, not their heels.  However, Salazar, a 3 time New York City Marathon winner and a 1 time Boston Marathon winner, was a heel strike-shuffler who cut his running career short due to a cocktail of chronic injuries.

I and others wonder if Salazar’s running career would have be much longer had he been a forefoot striker. The high impact nature of heel strike running certainly has been known to interrupt training.

When did Salazar come to realize that forefoot is best?

Salazar noticed the most Ethiopian distance runners such as Kenenisa Bekela and Tirunesh Dibaba, who by the way, are the best in the world, ran on their forefoot, not their heels.

Unlike many non-African elite distance runners, the smooth, effortless stride of many Ethiopian distance runners is attributed to a forefoot running style. Why do Ethiopian distance runners run like this? Because of running barefoot. All Ethiopian children run barefoot, for obvious reasons and barefoot running is the solution to better biomechanical efficiency for both walking and running.

Essentially, Salazar wanted his athletes to run like the Ethiopian runners, with a forefoot strike, not a heel strike. Salazar also incorporates barefoot running drills as part of his athletes training regiment since barefoot running enhances forefoot strike mechanics.

Forefoot Running is Safer

Salazar mentioned that forefoot running minimizes braking and peak impact forces because the foot lands closer to the body (center of mass).

  • Braking and impact is higher in heel strike running and contributes to common running injuries such as runners knee and shin splints.

Forefoot running also reduces ground contact time. The less time the foot spends on the ground, the better the chances of avoiding injury.

  • “After foot strike, the foot needs to pop up quickly off the ground, up to the butt, the legs cannot trail behind” Salazar explained.

Moreover, Salazar places less emphasis on a high knee drive and instead, recommends lifting the foot up off the ground under, or behind the body to allow forward momentum when running.

The Take Home Message

Thanks to Salazar’s insight on forefoot running as well as the work by Dr. Lieberman, more research is putting the spotlight on forefoot running because the exchange of momentum with the body and ground is lower than in heel strike running.

Nevertheless, coaches like Salazar, who recognize that humans were meant to run forefoot, has important implications for understanding the mechanics of forefoot running and its role in injury prevention.

More on the Benefits of Forefoot Running:

Relieves Knee Joint Stress

Eliminates Shin Splints

Works with Gravity, Not Against It

Best Shoes for Forefoot Running

References

Bobbert, MF., Schamhardt, HC., Nigg. BM. (1991). Calculation of vertical ground reaction force estimates during running from positional data. J Biomech 24, 1095-105.

Cavanagh, PR and Lafortune, MA. (1980). Ground reaction forces in distance running. J Biomech 13, 397-406.

Laughton, C., Davis, IM., and Hamill, J. (2014). Effect of Strike Pattern and Orthotic Intervention on Tibial Shock During Running.  J Appl Biomech 19 (2).

Lieberman et al. (2010). Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners. Nature 463, 531-535

Pohl, MB., Hamill, J and Davis, IS. (2000). Biomechanical and anatomic factors associated with a history of plantar fasciitis in female runners. Clin J Sport Med 9, 372-6.

McClay, I and Williams, D. Lower extremity mechanics in a converted forefoot strike pattern in runners. (1998). North American Congress on Biomechanics.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Run Forefoot Facebook Page, it's a terrific place to ask questions about forefoot running, barefoot running and injury. I'm always happy to help!

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  10. Кто ты есть на самом деле? В чем твое предназначение?
    В каком направлении лежит твой путь и как тебе по
    нему идти?
    Дизайн Человека расскажет об
    этом!

    – Даёт конкретные рекомендации по принятию решений – Снижает тревожность при выборе
    – Снимает давление социальных стереотипов – Даёт
    конкретные рекомендации по принятию решений
    – Позволяет жить в согласии со своей природой – Укрепляет доверие к себе – Даёт
    конкретные рекомендации по
    принятию решений – Помогает понять свои
    природные таланты и способности
    – Даёт опору на природные механизмы

    Узнать свое предназначение и таланты.
    Эта методика предлагает человеку глубоко познать себя
    — дизайн человека делит все личности на
    типы.

  11. Кто ты есть на самом деле? В чем твое предназначение?
    В каком направлении лежит твой путь и как
    тебе по нему идти?
    Дизайн Человека расскажет об этом!

    – Позволяет выстроить эффективную стратегию жизни и карьеры
    – Приносит чувство согласия с собой – Позволяет выстроить эффективную стратегию жизни
    и карьеры – Помогает понять свои природные таланты и способности –
    Снимает давление социальных стереотипов – Даёт ощущение
    уникальности – Даёт ощущение уникальности
    – Уменьшает внутренние конфликты
    – Укрепляет доверие к себе

    Типы (Дизайн Человека). Манифестор, Проектор,
    Генератор, Рефлектор (Дизайн Человека) · Профиль (Human Design).
    Дизайн Человека – Профиль.

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