There are many theories about how to place your foot correctly. Very often, you can come across such a conclusion that you can only run from the front of the foot. And you can't run from the heel. I personally disagree with that. I will not say that a lot of professionals run off the heels. And today I will not talk about which part of the foot should be correctly placed. I want to say that this is not important, but it is precisely the placement of the leg under the center of gravity that is important. This is the whole point.
Where is the center of gravity
Any body on Earth that is subject to gravity has a center of gravity. The center of gravity is the point of the body through which the line of action of the resultant of the gravity forces acting on the particles of the given body passes, for any position of the body in space. For running, you can imagine that this is the center of the body relative to the ground.
The location of the center of gravity depends on the shape of the body and the distribution of mass in its individual parts. For humans, this means that the position of the center of gravity will be influenced primarily by the inclination of the body.
With the correct slight forward tilt, the center of gravity, conventionally, will be in the navel. If the runner has a backward bend or an excessive forward bend, the center of gravity shifts.
In the case of a backward bend, it shifts backward and placing the foot closer to the center of gravity becomes even more difficult. In the case of too much forward tilt, the placement of the foot will go under the center of gravity. However, in this case, the footwork will be carried out not only to push the athlete forward, but also to prevent the athlete from falling. That is, obviously, additional efforts will be expended. This type of running can be seen within a few seconds after the start of the sprinters running from the blocks. At the beginning of its movement, the angle of inclination of the body to the ground can reach 30 degrees. Running like this is beneficial from the start. When you need to accelerate the body from zero speed. However, it is ineffective in the long run.
Therefore, it is very important to understand the importance of tilting the body correctly. And know the location of the center of gravity.
Placement of the foot under the center of gravity
The point that, when running, is exactly under your belly, is the point, as close as possible to which you need to put your foot. Such positioning of the foot will allow not to bump into the leg, reduce the contact of the leg with the surface, make the positioning more elastic and reduce the shock load.
Since not everyone has the opportunity to constantly monitor their equipment from outside through video filming. And not everyone has the opportunity to have a coach nearby who will see mistakes, then there is a small test that can show how far you put your foot under the center of gravity, as they sometimes say “under yourself”.
The method consists in the fact that while running, you need to look at your legs and put them so that at the moment the foot touches the surface, you do not see your lower leg behind the knee. If you can see your lower leg, then in most cases it will mean that you are bumping into your leg. However, it may also be due to the fact that you have an excessive torso tilt. And it is he who allows you to see the lower leg, even if it is placed close to the center of gravity.
Therefore, it is important not to forget about both points. And about the correct tilt of the body and about placing the foot under the center of gravity.
It should be noted that it is practically impossible to carry out the ideal setting of the foot under the center of gravity. But this is not so necessary. The main thing is to strive for this and this will lead you to a qualitative improvement in running efficiency.
