“That is, once the runners were tired, their form got sloppier, theoretically raising their risk for a tibial stress fracture.”
– Runner’s World

Running while fatigued increases stress fracture risk.

I’ve discussed several times (here, here and here) the idea that if we train too hard, we’re courting injury. An article in Runner’s World gives more evidence to support this idea. The article cites recent research from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. As the test subjects ran, researchers monitored several movement patterns that were indicative of tibial stress fractures.  As the subjects ran and became more fatigued, these movement patterns became exacerbated.

To me, the messages are first pay attention to your running form.  Running is a skill.  That’s why I don’t wear headphones anymore when running. Pay attention to how you run!  Second, finish your run when you still feel good.  Don’t kill yourself (except during a race) when you’re training.  Don’t be afraid to quit early or skip a day if you’re very fatigued.

“Liking to run, it seems, may have helped to make humans what they are.”
-NY Times Phys Ed

Running & evolution

Running for enjoyment is sort of a strange thing.  Non-runners will agree with me.  From an evolutionary perspective, doing something that uses up energy and exposes us to injury really doesn’t make sense.  Yet many of us love it.  Why?  It’s this question that’s discussed in a recent New York Times Phys Ed section.  Recent research in the Journal of Experimental Biology examines the matter.  Turns out humans and dogs show increased circulating endocannabinoids post run.  Walking however does not induce the same reaction.  Nor, in this experiment did running have the same effect on ferrets.  Seems that dogs and humans may have a deeply wired reward system that’s tied to running.

The question is then asked why don’t more of us run?  Dr. David A. Raichlen, a professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, who led the study answered, “That’s the million dollar question.  It appears from our study that we have the evolutionary drive” to exercise. But modern man has learned to ignore it.

I absolutely believe we were meant to run.  And running with a dog?  There’s nothing like it in life.