Forefoot Running and Calf Pain

It’s not unusual for runners who are making the change from a heel striking running style to more of a forefoot or midfoot striking style to feel a strong link between the new forefoot/midfoot running style and calf pain. While this is widely accepted as “normal” and “par for the course” in early stages of running with this new technique, it really shouldn’t be if approached properly!

Why do I now get running calf pain?

In the case of those who are moving to more of a forefoot or midfoot strike, calf pain and tightness in the first few weeks of using this new running style is due to the changes in the loading demands on the calf complex and muscle groups of the lower leg.

Previously when heel-striking, much of the impact and loads were taken by the skeletal system, through the joints. Now however, with a forefoot or midfoot strike the muscles and tendons are positioned to better absorb the load, in turn offloading the joints.

This is theoretically better – as long as the muscles and tendons (calf muscles and achilles tendons in particular) are ready for the task! However, if there is a lack of strength, mobility and stability around the ankle, the muscles of the lower leg will tighten up and/or suffer an overuse injury such as a calf tear or achilles tendinopathy.

As well as strength, technique plays a massive role. If you are too far onto your forefoot (foot pointing down on contact), the calf will experience unnecessary loading. This is usually the case when overstriding and “reaching out” to forefoot strike.

To compound the situation, if you then keep foot pointing down (plantarflexed at the ankle) while the foot is in contact – as many new to forefoot/midfoot running do – the whole calf complex will be excessively loaded throughout the stance phase.

• I use the visualization of landing on the rear aspect of the ball of my foot rather than on my toes to help me get a comfortable midfoot strike.
• Another good cue is to see how close you can get your heel to touching down simultaneously with the forefoot – without actually loading the heel. This will feel like you hit the ground first with your forefoot, then almost immediately lightly kiss the ground with your heel.

The other element of technique to think about is where the foot lands rather than simply how. The muscles of the lower leg act as a shock absorber, when over-striding the shock which needs to be absorbed increased significantly. The increased braking forces associated with an athlete over-striding (landing the foot too far ahead of the knee and center of mass) become excessive loads for the calf and achilles complex to deal with upon contact. If the calves are weak, or prone to injury. This could prove too much.

 

How can I avoid running calf pain?

There are a number of things you can do to manage calf pain during this transition period for your running technique and to avoid excess calf loading:

Calf and Soleus Stretches

Self Massage

Lower Leg Strengthening

Running Technique Work

One simple running technique cue for you to consider:

• Focus on bringing the foot down to the ground under a slightly bent knee rather than feeling that you are reaching out forwards with the foot.

Follow A Progressive Program

Make sure you don’t do too much too soon, your calves won’t thank you for it! Forefoot running and calf pain can be a less of a issue when follow a progressive program designed to help you through the transitional phases of changing your running technique, such as our Six Week Running Technique Program.

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6 Comments

• 
  Brian Martin November 23, 2011 at 10:44 am

  G’day James, great post. What are your thoughts on using a bit of barefoot jogging or wearing minimalist shoes such as a Nike Free 3.0 to practice getting the foot strike right? I reckon it’s hard to practice the different cues you mention with anything other than a pretty flexible and flattish shoe. Cheers Brian.

  Reply
  • 
    James Dunne November 23, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    Hi Brian, thanks for the comment. I often encourage runners who are trying to perfect their midfoot or forefoot foot strike to try some barefoot running or running in minimalist footwear.

    Particularly with barefoot running, I recommend that they use this as a “training tool” to use for running technique work between the warm-up and their main run.

    Not for them to just disgard their shoes one day and continue with their normal running program!

    Minimalist shoes like the Nike Free 3.0 definitely make it easier to achieve the cues in the article above, as they remove the effective heel-raise created by cushioned, supportive, more structured running shoes.

    However, I always suggest that if the athlete is used to a cushioned, supportive, more structured running shoe, then to make the transition down to a minimalist running shoe gradually. As reducing the heel to toe gradient will load the calf complex through a greater range, which some people may find causes tightness initially.

    Examples of such progressions towards minimalism could be:

    Nike Structure Triax >> Nike Free Run >> Nike Free 3.0

    Asics 2160 >> Asics DS >> Asics Hyperspeed

    Cheers,

    James

    Reply
• 
  lance1971 November 24, 2011 at 11:40 am

  When I started wearing minimalist shoes I would go about 1 mile at a time to ease into it. My calves would burn like crazy. It took about a week of running before I got the hang of it. After doing a little research I found that I needed to let my heel land with the balls of my feet.Just as you mentioned above. Now I am running a much longer distance. I am now tweaking my speed. It is actually pretty fun running this way. I wear Huaraches from http://www.invisibleshoe.com.
  Come to thing of it I wear those as often as I can in everyday life.
  Happy running.

  Reply
• 
  Daniel wheelwright December 4, 2011 at 7:35 pm

  You get calf pain, because it’s incorrect biomechanically to run like that! We are designed to run on heel strike

  Reply
  • 
    James Dunne December 5, 2011 at 12:06 am

    Hi Daniel, thanks for the comment.

    As a Physio yourself, you’ll know that research to date has been too limited to answer for certain the debate around midfoot/forefoot vs heel striking, in terms of which method is biomechnaically correct or otherwise, creating a great deal of often heated dialogue between experts the health and fitness industry.

    However, there’s little/no argument between experts in the fact that over-striding and landing significantly ahead of your CoM is a bad thing and leads to excessive loading, irrespective of whether you heel strike or land on the forefoot/midfoot.

    It’s for these combined reasons that we as coaches at Kinetic Revolution don’t force heel striking runners onto their midfoot or forefoot in a bid to improve efficiency… We enable runners to improve their posture and swing leg firing pattern to bring the foot down closer to under the CoM, often maintaining heel strike as they do so, but a much lighter heel strike as isn’t as far ahead of the CoM. Some runners will have the strength and ankle mobility to do this in a midfoot position, in which case, if they want to change to a midfoot strike, we guide them through the very gradual process.

    So to respond to your statement above, the scientific community is yet to agree on what is the biomechanically correct and incorrect way to run in respect of heel strike vs midfoot/forefoot. However, in any case, even if we could all agree on the biomechanically correct pattern, surely the goal is to find what’s correct for the individual given their personal physical limitations (strength/stability/weight/injury history/etc), goals and other factors… whether that turns out to be a heel-strike under CoM or midfoot/forefoot.

    Always keen to discuss further

    Regards,

    James

    Reply
  • 
    Tony December 7, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    Dan…that is utter nonsense!

    Look at all the top runners in the world and hardly any of them will heel strike and for good reason. Efficiency does not come with heel striking which has a braking effect and unnecessary load through the kinetic chain. The reason ‘most’ ordinary people heel strike is simply over the years, and I mean generations here, we have developed poor form and that has been exaggerated by excessively cushioned shoes that we are all sold by shoe companies.

    Natures way is forefoot or midfoot….check out a small child running barefoot and I guarantee he/she will not be heel striking. That will come later when they run less and get introduced to these ridiculously priced shoes we’re sold. Also look at all sprinters….none will heel strike as it’s simply not natural to do so at speed. I would go as far to say that a sprinter at full speed could NOT heel strike even if they wanted too!

    Reply