Running on Ice: My High School Story

[Stephenk53]

I am currently in high school and about to graduate, any way in the past I often threw caution to the wind and ran on ice when I walked home from school. When I was in middle school it went as poorly as one would expect but for some reason I kept trying, in early high school I became extremely good at it and can sprint on ice without falling at all. I recently stopped since I usually do not walk home due to health issues.

Anyway I run on it by dragging my feet and keeping my feet relatively close together to prevent my feet from spreading thus causing me to fall. I am wondering why I need to drag my feet or I will fall and why even though I have poor balance can easily run on ice. By the way I haven't ice skated since elementary school

 

[russ_watters]

Anyway I run on it by dragging my feet and keeping my feet relatively close together to prevent my feet from spreading thus causing me to fall. I am wondering why I need to drag my feet or I will fall and why even though I have poor balance can easily run on ice. By the way I haven't ice skated since elementary school

In order to support your weight, your feet need to exert a vertical force on the ice equal to your weight. if your leg is at an angle, in order to provide a vertical force it must also provide a horizontal force. The steeper the angle (further apart your legs), the larger that horizontal force needs to be. That's a problem if the ice can't hold that horizontal force via friction.

 

[Stephenk53]

In order to support your weight, your feet need to exert a vertical force on the ice equal to your weight. if your leg is at an angle, in order to provide a vertical force it must also provide a horizontal force. The steeper the angle (further apart your legs), the larger that horizontal force needs to be. That's a problem if the ice can't hold that horizontal force via friction.

Alright, but why do I need to drag my feet rather than step and run normally

 

[Khashishi]

I don't think there's a physics reason for how you personally run on ice, because I'm not convinced that your method is definitely best. You are using short controlled movements because you perhaps can't react to large slip movements as well as short ones.

 

[russ_watters]

Alright, but why do I need to drag my feet rather than step and run normally

Probably just so the forces are smoother. If you pick up and put down a foot, that momentarily applies a larger force, which can break the static friction.

 

[jrmichler]

I regularly run on ice in the winter. There is a technique. Your foot must come down and make contact directly under your center of gravity, then you need to push with force low enough to not slip. If your foot skids when coming down, then it did not come down in the right place.

Cold ice (below zero deg F) has higher static friction coefficient than warm (temperature in the 20's) ice. Wet (melting) ice is very difficult to run on. Ice with less friction requires a shorter stride. Cold ice allows an almost normal stride for easy runs. I do not do speed work on ice.

I have, and only rarely use, ice traction gadgets for my running shoes. They work very well on warm ice, not so well on cold ice, and very poorly on bare pavement. It's been several years since I have fallen on ice, but I do rehearse how to fall without getting hurt.