It was like this in FFXI too. And it was still irritating in that game as well.

And if you try it in RL running backwards at full speed doesn't really work.
This isn't RL. Slinging fireballs and raining down meteors tends not to work in RL either.

Sometimes bothersome "realistic" mechanics ought to be let go of for the sake of a more *fun* video gaming experience and I've always felt like this is one of them.