Minimalism revisited.
June 22, 2010 6:05 AM   Subscribe

Vibram Five Fingers running "gloves": heaven running uphill, hell running down. How should I adjust my gait?

As I gradually ease into longer mileages with my new VFF KSOs, starting with ultra-short distances and progressing on, I'm finding that running down moderate or steep slopes is trying. My feet seem to slap on the pavement, and resisting the pull of gravity causes me to automatically land on my heal (though not to the extent of running with a non-minimalist shoe). I'm finding that a midfoot or forefoot strike is nearly impossible with running downhill. I've looked through barefoot/minimalist forums for answers to these questions, but have been unlucky so far.

What is the optimum gait for downhill running with Vibram Fivefingers? Is it okay (or necessary) to land somewhat on the heal, especially with steep hills? Should I lengthen my stride or shorten it? Should I zigzag down steeper hills? In what other ways should I modify my gait?
posted by Gordion Knott to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Maybe try "skimming" just over the surface of the ground with the balls of your feet a tiny bit lower than your heels? I haven't used mine much on slopes, but that helped me reduce impact on horizontal surfaces. Also, experiment with your feet landing in front of (reach your feet out), right under, and behind your body (so your column is leaning forward a bit). Trying all three of these may help you find your hamstrings to better use them as shock absorbers.

I lightly touch with the ball of my feet and transition *very* quickly to the heel, and all major shock absorption is handled up through my hamstrings into my butt, with the heel firmly planted. The initial toe/ball touch seems to prime all the proprioceptors for a smooth force transition. There might be ultimately better ways to handle things, though. I have flat feet, so my situation might not apply to yours.
posted by zeek321 at 6:20 AM on June 22, 2010


You say the answer yourself in your question - you have to have a forefoot strike when landing. You almost have to run on your tippy toes going down hill.

Slow down going down-hill until you get the right feel for the footwork of the forefoot strike.
posted by Flood at 8:20 AM on June 22, 2010


I think this results from having your body canted relatively back as you run, to control your descent down the hill. Can you try heading downhill a little faster?
posted by grobstein at 8:20 AM on June 22, 2010


What Flood said -- run very lightly, picturing yourself on tip toe. And I'd make sure you are at a pace that is comfortable for you to control. Remember to keep your legs under your body, which to me usually means my body is tilted upright or slightly forward.
posted by bearwife at 9:17 AM on June 22, 2010


I run in vibrams. It's not San Francisco out here, but there are hills.

I assume that since you seem to have a good midfoot lading going that you're knees are bent a good bit. You can maintain a mostly midfoot landing downhill just by deepening your knee bend a little and bringing you shoulders back. I can imagine that this might not work too well on a relatively steep hill, in which case others are right that you'll have to move your landing farther toward your toes.
posted by cmoj at 11:55 AM on June 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


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