Heel-Striker Vs. Midfoot Strike??

Okay, folks--last night I was reading up on Chi-Running, "Pose" running or the Midfoot Strike technique. Does anyone do this here, and how is it working for you?

I saw a video clip of the technique and it looked somewhat odd. However, if it works, I am willing to give it a try!

Any thoughts?

Stear clear of the heal strike,  unless you like injury and enjoy putting on the breaks every stride. Take your shoes off, jump up in the air, and land dead on your heels. Your body will absorb zero shock and you will injur very quickly if repeated several times. Now, take your shoes off, lean forward 5%-6%, flex your knees slightly, jump in the air, and land towards the ball of your foot, or mid foot. You will notice that your body much more efficiently absorbs the shock of impact. This is why the mid-foot strike is much better. It does look funny compared to a long-lengthy stride, but is WAYYYYY more efficient and will help you to remain injury free. Your cadence will probably be higher, but that's a good thing. For a good mid-foot strike approach your cadence should be 80-100 per minute. Interestingly enough in triathlon and cycling, your cadence should be in the same range... So if you can mimic on the run, your cadence from the bike, it makes for a much easier transition... My 2 cents!

 Got a question for you then Dan -- what do you think about the Nike Free of the Vibram Five Finger shoe?
I'm with Scott that we should let our natural rhythm come out -- but that's why I wonder about the above shoes.  From what I've read it sounds like those shoes help promote our natural strides and get away from the inefficient gaits that modern running shoes have allowed us to develop.  
I ran the last two marathons in a light-weight trainer (a little more padding then running flats) and decided that was NOT a wise choice and will use a more cushioned shoe for my marathons.
Still toying with the idea of trying them for some shorter runs, read enough to know they're probably not ideal for more than 2-3 mile runs.
I've read all the stuff on Slowtwitch and just am not sure, what does your coach say about them?

Well, I don't work with a coach anymore, but he Sports Newtons, so I don't even need to ask what he thinks. Those 5 toe sock / shoes are def not a good idea for long runs, but then again there is a dude round here that runs marathons barefoot, so who knows. I think it comes down to personal preference. In my opinion, unless you convert to a more mid to fore foot strike, and have pronation probs etc... you will either be forced to use overbuilt shoes forever or probably deal with some sort of injury along the way, like we ALL have. IT Band, shin splints, plantar fasciatis, etc....I will be switching to Newtons this season. I believe in their approach and it works for me, but maybe not for everyone... I just really need to develop my calf strength and focus on a much more efficient form.

I think that everyone should just run naturally.  I believe that making huge changes to form could lead to problems. 

My thoughts are a combo of Dan and Scott.

I'm not a heel-strike runner.  Never have been.  In fact, when I run slower, I don't feel like my form is as good as when I run faster.  I think my form is pretty natural (been told as much by PTs), but I was also a sprinter when I was young.

I take right at 90-94 steps/minute (yes, I've counted) if my speed is 9-min miles or faster.  I just don't feel like I run right when I try to go slower or take fewer steps.  Bottom line: if it feels labored or odd, it probably isn't good.  If you're really concerned about the form of your running, find a good sports PT and have them give you some feedback.

Linn

Thanks for the input, guys! I'll try the different forms and see what feels best.

I think this article makes some good points:

http://usatriathlon.org/pages/7713