Thanks to Barefoot Josh, I have found a way to increase speed. I will quote his technique following my input. I tried it and it works. I have decreased my 10k time to 43 minutes and my 5K to 22 minutes without any extra effort. I used to feel like I was spinning my wheels with a quick cadence. I think its like keeping the car in first gear, the engine revs high but you can't get any quicker.
Here is his Blog http://www.barefootjosh.com/?p=868
Here is Barefoot Josh Sutcliffe's Quote:
"I think I figured out something with my stride at a faster pace. Normally fast = fast cadence. But once I start getting below a 7 minute pace, my feet are spinning like crazy. I needed to find a way to make the wheel bigger without landing in front of myself. That gets thuddy. So I tried letting my foot stay on the ground for a split second longer. I didn’t push off, just let it trail behind me a bit. I was able to slow my cadence down to a 190ish cadence at a sub-7 pace. My hips felt more engaged, and my effort felt more even. Obviously, I was able to go faster, too.
So I’m about to posit an idea that detracts from basic barefoot dogma: at some point, lifting the feet as quickly as possible is inefficient. There is a quick enough. To run at a 6:30 and faster pace (for me with my legs… as opposed to someone else’s. Or someone else with my legs), I need to stride behind me, not in front of me."
Any input from other members will be appreciated. I believe this is for experienced barefoot runners who have developed the proper foot strength
Here is his Blog http://www.barefootjosh.com/?p=868
Here is Barefoot Josh Sutcliffe's Quote:
"I think I figured out something with my stride at a faster pace. Normally fast = fast cadence. But once I start getting below a 7 minute pace, my feet are spinning like crazy. I needed to find a way to make the wheel bigger without landing in front of myself. That gets thuddy. So I tried letting my foot stay on the ground for a split second longer. I didn’t push off, just let it trail behind me a bit. I was able to slow my cadence down to a 190ish cadence at a sub-7 pace. My hips felt more engaged, and my effort felt more even. Obviously, I was able to go faster, too.
So I’m about to posit an idea that detracts from basic barefoot dogma: at some point, lifting the feet as quickly as possible is inefficient. There is a quick enough. To run at a 6:30 and faster pace (for me with my legs… as opposed to someone else’s. Or someone else with my legs), I need to stride behind me, not in front of me."
Any input from other members will be appreciated. I believe this is for experienced barefoot runners who have developed the proper foot strength