Is this what I think it is? (Read 438 times)

I'm a newbie to running, but I've read a little and from what I've read, one must be careful of overstriding, which can result in the heel-striking, in effect "putting on the brakes".

 

I'm currently reading this book http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/FrameBase?content=%2Fservlet%2FListingDetails%3Fshowpic=1%26stockphoto=1%26showpicurl=http://isbn.abebooks.com/mz/92/57/1579549292.jpg%26booktitle=Runner%27s+World+Complete+Book+of+Runnng%3A+Everything+You+Need+to+Know+to+Run+for+Fun%2C+Fitness%2C+and+Competition%26bookauthor=Burfoot%2C+Amby

 

and it sure seems like the runner on the cover is overstriding. Am I correct? Maybe it's just me, but it looks like really bad running form.

 

If you look at various other covers on here http://www.abebooks.com/9781579549299/Runners-World-Complete-Book-Running-1579549292/plp they look fine, but that one just looks awful.

Well, I've calmed myself down since the writing of this thread WRT heel strikes. Now that I have much more running under my feet I understand more fully the difference between genuine heel strikes and simple heel touching, not to mention the photo in the second link above can be misleading as many have correctly pointed out.

Earlier, I remember looking at these videos on types of running styles and it not making much sense, but now that I have more experience, they make perfect sense and if you look closely you'll see good examples of "heel touching", not heel striking. And the speaker even addresses it in the second video, because the comments of the first video had so many negative remarks on heel striking. There are even comments on heel striking in the second video, but I'm over it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJWPwVF30yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFxPlUKrZPQ