General Fitness & Nutrition: problem with heel-to-toe motion

A cross-country runner told me to run as quietly as possible. I've been running since then fairly frequently. Since moving to Colorado, I've been trying to run 4x per week.

My point is, every now and then I can't run quietly and my left leg smacks the ground. It drives me crazy and I physically cannot lift my toes to get that smooth roll from heel to toe - on every other step. If I try, my calf - maybe behind my bone - hurts. I cannot tell whether it's a muscle or ligament. It's usually not painful enough for me to stop running....but I run straight home when it bothers me.

Usually this only happens for a day or two and disappears - maybe twice in the last 6 months. Not sure why because I don't really change any of my habits. Last week it kept getting worse, tried to run 4 days, so I took about 5 days off and now I'm just fine.

Does anyone recognize this?

Do not try and adjust your gait when you run, just use your natural form. Using one's natural form is 1.) most economical and 2.) feels best (most of the time anyway).

As you continue to train, your form will improve naturally. Training on hills is particularly useful to help here. Another idea is to do fast paced strides after you finish your runs. 

I'm not sure I'd agree with not trying to alter your gait at all when you run. I would agree with trying to use your natural form. The problem though is that most people do not run naturally and almost anyone including elite athletes can benefit from working on their form. A heel-to-toe gait for example is not natural at all.

I would agree with way2fast that a mid-foot or fore-foot footfall would probably be better. But if you do start with transitioning your stride you have to be careful because your body is not used to that stride and you could end up with shin splints or worse stress fractures.

Here's a link with some tips for good form:  http://www.pccoach.com/newsletters/Dec03/gall_form.htm

Heal toe is all wrong. It means you are over striding. Your heal hits in front. Your leg pushes up into your hip as your hip has to drive up and over your leg. Then you repeat on the other side. Something will have to give and it appears it is your lower leg. Your foot needs to come down under your center of gravity. If you’ve ever played a sport where your coach has told you to stand on the balls of your feet this is where you want your feet to touch. Pretend you’re playing basketball and go to steal the ball as it’s passed to your side. Take a couple of side steps to reach it and then run forward with the “ball” a few steps. Then run like you run in those few steps.

You should not run on your toes/balls of your feet..Nor should you do heel-toe. Check out http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007_03_01_archive.html Joe Friel's blog. (Scroll down to the 2nd article)

Don't get me wrong. Running on the balls of your feet isn't like some drag race in high heels. Just think of it this way. You rest on your heels and someone who is ready for action is "on the ball" or "on their toes". Yes, it is the same form as sprinting, but sprinting is just running at higher level of effort. Take auto racing for example, they drive around faster mostly because they are using more powerful engines and fuel not because they have redesigned the motion of the wheel.