Quote Originally Posted by GLC1968 View Post
I'm not the voice of experience here (obviously), but I'm built like Urlea (weird!!! I'm 5'4" with a 27" inseam, too!) and also naturally have a pretty short stride. I'm also working with the concepts of Chi Running as I get back into this and they basically say that a shorter stride is ok. If you stride out in front of you, that just means more heel strike, further in front, causing not only more impact, but also actually slowing your forward momentum forcing your legs to work even harder. I try to strike mid-foot (for my foot injury problem) and thanks to Chi Running, I'm also trying to strike closer to below my body and not out in front.
That is right--most people overstride and this is part of what causes injuries b/c of the braking and excess impact that results. If you run in bare feet, you will quickly learn not to reach out in front of you with your stride--if you land heel-first while barefoot, ouch! If you land forefoot/midfoot first, under your center of gravity, there is less impact and the natural "spring" of your calf muscles contributes to propulsion in addition to absorbing some of the shock. As for my running, I have done a grand total of two runs in the past week--3-milers with more walking breaks than usual. That's what I get for not running as much lately...snowshoeing and swimming don't quite keep me in running shape I guess.