running

Just Over A Week ‘Til Race Day

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The marathon is close and I’m feeling it. What does that phrase mean? I’m worn out! A summer of hard training, long runs, fast runs, a brutal trail race and the big 20 mile run Saturday-before-last means the organism that is me is feeling shagged out. My sleep patterns have been off a little lately, I’ve been a bit grumpy, and I’ve had two runs that were tougher and slower than they should’ve been. In other words I’m not in optimal condition.

As they sometimes ask on ESPN, “Is it time to panic?”

I went to a former client and good friend of mine to get his take on my condition. (This guy is a multiple-Ironman competitor and veteran of numerous Olympic distance triathlons, marathons and various very demanding and ugly adventure races.) I told him about all this. His words were, “Congratulations, you’re two weeks out from a marathon. You’ve been training hard. Feeling beat up and tired is completely normal.”

Wonderful! I’m normal! Psychologically, it’s very comforting to have someone who’s gone through this process tell me that all is probably very well. Seems like it’s a good time to discuss exactly what’s going on here and why I might be feeling a bit run over and rundown.

Whether we’re looking at strength training or endurance training, a process known as the General Adaptive (or Adaptation) Syndrome is at work. Rather than try to explain this myself, (I am tired after all) I’ll borrow from Cedric Unholz, a Vancouver-based collegiate strength coach and manual therapist. The following comes from his document, Resistance Training Theory and Adaptation Fundamentals. (Never mind that this is directed at resistance training.  As I said earlier, endurance training processes are essentially the same.)

The Stress-Response Model

The fundamental model underpinning all training and adaptation processes is derived from the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’ initially outlined by Hans Selye in 1936, and later refined by the same author in 1956. In most training literature this concept is commonly referred to as the ‘supercompensation cycle’.

These models very clearly highlight that training is ultimately about applying appropriate stress to take advantage of the body’s subsequent adaptive responses. Any stimulus/stressor or recovery method, regardless whether acute or chronic in nature, will cause a response that will correspond to the principles of this concept and shape the response curvature. Similarly, a lack or over-application of stimulus will also be accompanied by a corresponding response profile.

In essence, this stress-response model (Figure 2) consists of four phases:

1. ‘Alarm reaction’ following a disruption in homeostasis (e.g. a training stimulus).

2. ‘Resistance’ where the body responds to the stimulus by recovering, repairing itself, and instigating a return towards the initial baseline.

3. ‘Supercompensation’ where the body adapts to the initial stimulus by rebounding above the previous baseline, in order to better cope with the initial disruptive stimulus should it present itself again.

4. ‘Exhaustion’, which could also be termed ‘Detraining’, sees a drop to the initial level of homeostasis (or below) if there is an inappropriate application of following stimulus; whether too much, too soon, or not enough.

Figure 2. The Stress-Response Model based on Hans Selye’s ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’

So in my case, my recent poor runs suggest that I’ve had a little too much stimulation and I was somewhat deep in the alarm phase of this model–somewhere in the A/B range of the curve. The strategy now is to get well into the C part of the curve for the race.

Recovery strategy

The key word here is REST. I need to back off of the running, lifting, cycling, etc. in order to allow for supercompensation. That means lying around a good bit, sleeping in a bit, looking for any opportunity to sit. I’ve also been overeating a bit. I haven’t been too terribly gluttonous but I’ve definitely been taking in more good quality calories.  I’ve also been drinking a bit of delicious tart cherry juice from I got at the local farmer’s market.

Beyond rest and eating, I’ll modify my running plan for the final week before the race. I will likely do a long run on Saturday or Sunday of 6-8 miles and I’ll run it slow and easy. Next week I’ll probably do some speed work early in the week but I’ll cut down the reps. Then the mid-week three mile run at marathon pace sounds about right.

I’ve already cut back my weight workouts and I might do one upper-body focused workout next week but even just working the upper body can tax the whole system, so less is more in this regard.

Finally, if any of this is of interest to you, then definitely have a look at this Running Times article titled How Long Does It Take To Benefit From A Hard Workout? The information here should prove very valuable to anyone trying to strategize their race training.

***UPDATE***

Today I did a 3 mile tempo run and I felt good. I hit my pace without too much discomfort. All seems well.  I believe I’m right where I need to be.

 

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Ski Haus Continental Divide Trail Race Outcome

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I ran the big Continental Divide Trail Race on Saturday and I didn’t come in last. It was on the rough side of brutal (my feet feel like they spent the weekend in Guantanamo Bay) but I’m fairly content with my performance. That said, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

The good

It’s been less than a year since I’ve returned to serious running. I finished in the top half of the participants and middle of the pack for men. (Results weren’t broken down by age group.) This is nothing spectacular but it makes me happy. I simply couldn’t have run this race at all a year ago.

I ran for almost three hours which is well into marathon-time territory. I’ve never done that. That’s good. I bet I can do it again.

Also, the race included a very long downhill stretch near the end (about 3000 ft.!) and my legs held up. Downhill running is typically very strenuous on the muscles. I’m not saying it was easy but I held up and I haven’t been unduly sore since the race. I think I hit it right with my strength program.

My only pain issues were in my metatarsal heads (the part of my toes that attach to my feet; more on that in a moment.) No Achilles pain. No heel pain. No back pain. No knee pain. No hip pain. Don’t call me “bulletproof,” but maybe… “bullet-resistant.” I’ve worked years to overcome chronic pain and I’m on the winning side.

The bad

By far the biggest negative to this race was some severe metatarsal pain, particularly on my left foot and to some degree on my right. (Specifically, we’re talking about metatarsal head pain. The met heads are the part of your toes that meet the feet. Think of the knuckles of your feet.) Holy s__t those things hurt!! And they hurt for quite a while. They’re still sore as I type this. By the end of the race I thought those bones must’ve popped through the soles of my feet. I’ve got to find a solution to this issue before the marathon.

Without going way too much into it, I’ve been reading Anatomy and Biomechanics of the First Ray to get a better feel for what’s supposed to happen and what can happen in the toe neighborhood. Further, I’ve been reading and learning more about Morton’s Toe, including the possible implications and what to do about them. This is a situation in which the 2nd toe is longer than the big toe. Wow… There’s potentially a lot to this issue. For now, I’m experimenting with a Morton’s Toe shim. I’ll probably write more about this issue in the near future. (If you’re experiencing foot pain and your 2nd toe is longer than your big toe, you may well want to look into this Morton’s Toe business. In addition to the links above, the Barefoot Runners Society has a whole discussion board devoted to the matter.)

I should’ve fueled better. I consumed two Honey Stinger gels and one package of Honey Stinger chews. Based on my weight, I should’ve had about two more gels or another package of chews. The race featured a lot of repeated ascents, some of them were quite steep. Then we had a long downhill run to the finish. I was more tired near the end than I expected, though I didn’t bonk. Not that I expected to feel fresh as a daisy, but I have no doubt that more fuel in the tank would have ameliorated some of my weariness. Lesson learned.

The near future

I’m taking it somewhat easy this week. I’m probably only running twice–easy runs with my dog–and possibly a little mountain biking this weekend. Then next week it’s back to work. I’m going to use the FIRST marathon plan. I really like the three-day per week plan. I’ve ordered Run Faster, Run Less which is written by the team that formulated the quality-over-quantity scheme. Assuming my tender toes are up for it, I’m looking forward to a track workout next Tuesday, a tempo run then a long run next weekend.

I’ve got the Park-to-Park 10 Miler on Labor Day.  This is a fun, scenic race and it’s local so the logistics are easy.  Then in a month is my Moby Dick.  I’m planning on running the Denver Rock’n’Roll Marathon.  I’ve wanted to run a marathon for years.  My injuries have gotten in the way.  Now I’m winning the battle and I’m ecstatic to be within striking distance of the event.

Finally, as part of the marathon preparation, I’m going to start doing group runs with the Boulder Running Co. located in the Denver Tech Center.  They do group runs on Saturday mornings. Group runs should do a couple of things for me.  First, I’ll be pushed to run harder.  That’s good. Also, suffering through long runs with other similarly suffering individuals should help the miles go by a little easier.

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My Running & Strength Program

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I’ve got a trail race coming up this weekend in Steamboat Springs. It’s the Ski Haus Continental Divide Trail Race. It’s 15 miles with 4800 ft. of elevation. This is the longest race I’ve ever run and it’s by far the longest race I’ve run in over two years–and I’m hugely excited about the prospect. It’s going to be reasonably brutal but beautiful and fun.

I feel like I’m fairly well prepared. I’ve used a modified version of the FIRST half-marathon program. It’s a three-day per week program that uses speed work on the track, tempo or moderately fast runs, and long slow runs. I’ve also been strength training twice per week. The main feature of my workouts have been various types of jumping. A notable Finnish study has shown that explosive jumping-type movements improve running economy in a way that simply running will not.  (I’ve written previously about strength work for runners, here and here.)

(Jumping work like this is sometimes called plyometrics. The definition may vary depending who’s doing the defining. Some insist that plyos must be a rather high magnitude type of activity such as depth jumps off of a high box. Simply jumping or bounding from the ground doesn’t necessarily count as true plyometrics. In any event, the stuff I’m doing for this workout plan involves jumping. You can decide whether or not to call this jumping a plyometric workout.)

I based my plan loosely on this one from the Running Times. I added work each week for three weeks. Plans of this type vary in nature. The Finnish study involved a 9-week plan. The Running Times plan was a 6-week plan.

Plyo workouts are very intense and there’s a lot of loading on the muscles and connective tissue. For this reason it’s very easy to quickly overload things and become overtrained or injured. Further, my run plan involves both track workouts and hill workouts. Those type of workouts are in some ways similar to plyometric workouts and they can be quite taxing. For these reasons and because I know that more work doesn’t always equal better work, I opted for a 5-week plan. I didn’t want to grind myself up too much. Going forward, I may try a longer plyo plan.

Jumping exercises:

  • Week 1:
    • 2 leg jumps up from the ground 2 x 10 reps for both workouts.
    • I simply focused on jumping as high as I could into the air and then landed as softly as possible with as little noise as possible.
    • The soft-as-possible landing approach was used on all jumping exercises.
  • Week 2:
    • 2-leg box jumps x 6 reps
    • Workout 1 is 3 sets
    • Workout 2 is 2 sets
    • First week was onto and off of a 1-ft. high box.
    • Following weeks were onto and off of a 2-ft. high box.
  • Week 3:
    • 2-leg box jumps x 6 reps
    • 1-leg hops onto and off of a small box x 10 reps each leg
    • Workout 1 is 3 sets
    • Workout 2 is 2 sets
  • Week 4:
    • 2-leg box jumps x 6 reps
    • 1-leg hops across a basketball court
    • 2-leg long jump across a basketball court
    • Workout 1 is 4 sets
    • Workout 2 is 2 sets
  • Week 5: Taper week–this week!

I’m backing off my workload this week in order to allow all my previous hard work to take hold. I wasn’t sure at the start of this plan whether or not I’d do any plyos this week. Doing more work this week definitely won’t improve my race performance by much if any. Doing too much work this week can definitely have a negative impact on my race.

Barbell clean & press: Lifting weight overhead is known as a press. Before the bench press became popular in the 70s, the press was the original weight exercise that indicated your manhood.  To get the weight overhead, one must bring the weight from the ground to the shoulders or clean the weight.  The ability to do these things is tremendously useful, fun and generally wonderful. My goal is to clean and press my body weight (200 lbs.). This exercise may have no effect at all on my running. That’s fine with me.

  • Workout one is 3×5 reps. Most recently I used 100 lbs.
  • Workout two is heavier at 3×3 reps.
  • Taper week is only one workout.

Pistol squat: The pistol is an interesting exercise. It’s essentially a squat on one leg. They’re nearly impossible when you first try them, especially if you have long limbs like me. I’m doing them because running is a one-legged activity. Also, I’ve been doing a lot to get my glutes to work correctly. If your knee caves in on this exercise then the glute isn’t doing its job. I keep the knee aligned with the outside of my foot when I do these. This exercise works everything from the foot to the glutes and spine. I figure getting strong on one leg is a good idea.

  • Typically I did 3×3 reps. Other days I did double or singles.
  • I varied the exercise. I started by doing a short-range squat onto a high box, then working down to lower boxes then no box at all.
  • Right now I can do three good pistols on my right and two on my left. I’m fairly excited about my progress. I’ll add weight at some point.

Pull-ups/Chin-ups: What can you say? Pull-ups and chin-ups are very challenging. Done properly they are a tremendous upper body exercise. Hands, arms, shoulders, back and abs all get work here.

  • Workout one is about 4-5×5-6 reps
  • Workout two is 2-3×5-6 sets.
  • I superset most of these sets with the following exercise, the glute/ham raise.

Glute/ham raise (GHR): This one is a tough one to describe. This article describes it well. This is an essential assistance exercise used by Olympic lifters and powerlifters. Very strong people often do them, so why shouldn’t I? We don’t have a genuine GHR machine at my gym, so I’ve done a modified version. Similar to the article, I’ve hooked my feet under a pull-up machine. These are very very tough! So, I’ve used bands wrapped around the machine and myself to give me further assistance in doing the exercise.

You might wonder if a hamstring curl could provide the same benefits. Probably not. The GHR calls on the glutes, hamstrings and abs to contract together. This is similar to how we actually move when we run, jump or lift. In contrast, the hamstring curl isolates the hamstrings. This rarely if ever happens in typical human movement. Further, I’ve found hamstring curls promote overextension of the lumbar spine which is rarely a good thing.

  • Workout one is 3 x 8-12 reps
  • Workout two is 2 x 8-12 reps
  • I typically supersetted this with pull-ups.
  • I used different thicknesses of bands to provide either more or less assistance.

Kroc row: The “what?” The Kroc row is a slang term for a version of the one-arm dumbbell row. Read the linked article to get a full description. I’m doing this to 1) get a stronger upper back to help with my pressing and 2) build my grip for deadlifting which I will resume in the Fall.

  • Workout one is 3×12-15 reps depending on the weight
  • Workout two is 2×12-15 again depending on weight.
  • I superset this one with the ab rollout

Ab wheel rollout: You’ve seen the ab wheel on an infomercial. Doesn’t mean it’s not a very useful tool. This is a very good exercise to engage the external obliques and thus keep the pelvis in neutral. Keeping a neutral pelvis is very important in avoiding back pain. I know because I spent a lot of time not keeping my pelvis in neutral. Mike Boyle’s article dissects the ab wheel rollout very thoroughly.

  • Workout one is 3×5-6 reps
  • Workout two is 2×5-6 reps
  • I superset this with the Kroc row.

 


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Training Update: I’m Running Well.

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My training–particularly my running–is improving very nicely.  I’m getting faster and I’m able to run without pain far more than I’ve been able to in roughly a decade.  I think several factors are at work here:

1)  I’m using my glutes: I’ve mentioned recently (here and here) that I’ve learned a tremendous amount of how to use my glutes to both stabilize my knees and propel me forward.  This has been a huge bit of progress for me.

2)  I’m aware of my arches:  I recently stood on a device called a pedobarograph.  Quite interesting.  It showed me pressure was distributed through my feet as I stood on it.  Turns out my arches were a bit collapsed.  It wasn’t anything terrible but something worth working on.

I’m an advocate of minimal shoe running so I didn’t want to turn to an orthotic insert.  I did a bit of research and found a tremendously helpful article about the three different arches of the feet–not just the one arch most of us think of.  The article described where each arch is on the feet and how to move and perceive the arches.  Unfortunately, the article and the site it came from seem to have vanished from the universe. I plan to do a video demonstrating where these arches are and how to move them.  The video in the next paragraph should be helpful as well.

3)  I’m toeing off:  Along with using my arches, I’m also focusing on using my big toe to help propel me forward.   It’s the last thing I feel on the ground as I drive forward.  I’ve realized that in past years I haven’t been doing a very good job of this. This is a complex thing.  Here’s a video from the Gait Guys that touches on the muscles and the actions that are responsible for good toe and arch mechanics.  (BTW, the Gait Guys put out a lot of detailed info on all things pertaining to gait.  They can also be found at Youtube.  If you’re having problems with your feet, knees, hips, etc. you may find their information very helpful.)

The video is a bit technical but the long and the short of it informs me that the exercise known as the calf raise or heel raise should benefit me.  Specifically the heel raise should help condition the muscles that maintain the arches in my feet (the flexor hallucis brevis, the abductor hallucis, and the tibialis posterior) I’m doing a lot of these daily in the 15-20 rep range.  I’m also jumping rope.

4)  I’m lighter and stronger: I’m under 200 lbs. for the first time in about 10 years.  Less of me always makes running easier.  It’s also a big help in mountainbiking.  Not only am I lighter but my numbers in the gym are pretty decent being that I’m running and biking a lot.  I power cleaned 175 lbs. recently.  My squat is around 225 lbs. for 2 reps (I’d really like to get that number up….  some day).  My deadlift is about 335 lbs. for 2-3 reps.  My pistol squats are improving in terms of range of motion, reps, and technique.  Stronger + lighter = better.

5)  The FIRST plan is working:  I “first” used a Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) run plan for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler several years ago.  It was the best race I’ve ever run so I figured I’d use the FIRST half-marathon and marathon plan for my two upcoming races.I like these plans because they have me running only three days per week.  I’m doing a speed workout on the track, middle distance “tempo” run, and a long run.  I’m doing other things on other days of the week, typically lifting and/or cycling or just resting.  Three runs per week is quite a bit less running than is advocated by other plans.  For an explanation of the plan, have a look at Training Science.com.

6)  Beet juice(?):  I’ve mentioned the benefits of beet juice.  Now, I never attribute one outcome to only one factor, but every time I drink beet juice before a run I feel really good.  I go (for me) fast and I’m able to cover (for me) long distances while feeling quite decent.Perhaps this is a nonsensical placebo effect, it’s all in my head and purely psychological.  Guess what: Who cares?  If I think it makes me a better runner then it’s probably making me a better runner.  Hooray for me and my brain.  We shall choose to be happy.

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Running News

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“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.

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I Know How to Walk and Run: Part II

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In the previous post I discussed my difficulty in solving my running-related pain issues.  Analyzing and changing one’s running technique is a challenging thing, but I’m going to attempt it.  I’m mainly going to discuss running here but these concepts apply to walking as well.  (Don’t think that poor walking mechanics don’t matter.  We spend a lot of time walking.  If we’re doing it wrong then we’re really hammering the body into a mangled mess.)

Really important thing #1: Let the foot drop right below you.  Don’t reach out with your heel.

It’s vital to get the foot strike correct when running.  I now realize that for years I was reaching forward with my leg, putting my heel out in front of me, and hitting the ground with my heel. This is bad.  It promotes overuse of the hamstring muscles and de-emphasizes the glutes.

I then spent the past year to year-and-a-half trying a forefoot strike.  I thought this was an effective correction of my heel strike but I was still doing several things wrong.  First, I was still reaching out ahead of me.  As a result I was still using my hamstrings too much and I wasn’t using my glutes enough.  And though I was hitting with my forefoot and avoiding a heel strike, I wasn’t allowing my heel to settle to the ground.

Now I’m doing things a lot better.  First, I drop my foot directly below me.  In fact, it feels like my foot is dropping behind me.  Let me emphasize the word “drop.”  I passively let the leg unfold underneath me and let gravity pull my foot to the ground.  I don’t actively try to do much of anything with my foot.  I often pay attention to how things feel down there but I don’t try to pull my foot off the ground or push off in any particular way.  Steve Magness discusses this process in is superb post How to run with proper biomechanics.  I’ve bolded the key points:

Once the knee has cycled through, the lower leg should drop to the ground so that it hits close to under your center of gravity. When foot contact is made, it should be made where the lower leg is 90 degrees to the ground. This puts it in optimal position for force production. The leg does not extend outwards like is seen in most joggers and there is no reaching for the ground. Reaching out with the lower leg results in over striding and creates a braking action. Another common mistake is people extending the lower leg out slightly and then pulling it back in a paw like action before ground contact. They are trying to get quick with the foot and create a negative acceleration. This is incorrect and does not lead to shorter ground contact times or better positioning for force production. Instead the paw back motion simply engages the hamstrings and other muscles to a greater degree than necessary, thus wasting energy. The leg should simply unfold and drop underneath the runner.

I know I’m running well when it actually feels like the foot is dropping behind me.  (It’s not actually behind me, it’s just dropping quite a bit further back than it used to.)  I now focus on hip extension when I run, or using my glutes to drive my leg back.  With this proper foot placement I can feel my glutes turn on and propel me forward.  It helps to have a slight forward lean through this process.

Really important thing #2: Lengthen through the hip

This concept of what I call “lengthening through the hip” has had a massive impact on my walking and running technique and thus my pain issues as well.  Denver-area physical therapist Rick Olderman helped me solve a strange little bodily riddle I’d had for years, and this hip lengthening process was right at the core of it.

For a long time I noticed that standing on my right leg was a lot different from standing on my left.  When I would stand on my right leg I always sort of tipped or shifted to the right.  It didn’t feel right.  My balance would shift in a sort of exaggerated way.  This was happening every step.  Standing incorrectly on my right leg when walking and running also meant I would land badly on my left leg.  Lengthening up and pressing my weight through my hip into my foot solved this issue.

This concept is a little tough to effectively describe in words but here goes:  As my foot hits the ground below me, I think of lifting my trunk away from hip.  In my mind the hip and the rib cage of the stance leg are separating–moving away from each other, and I’m sort of getting taller in the process.  I don’t think of bounding or hopping though.  I’m trying to make my leg longer below me and behind me as I move forward. A slight lean forward from the ankles helps me do this all correctly.

This movement is sort of a subtle kind of thing to grasp.  Describing this process is sort of like describing chocolate to someone who’s never tasted it.  It’s not like simply flexing your elbow or bending your knee.  It’ll probably take a bit of practice to get a feel for this.  The goal should be to take this strange-feeling novel movement and turn it into a habit. The video below should help explain this.

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I Know How to Walk & Run: Part I

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However, just like throwing a baseball or shooting a basketball, running is a skill that must be learned.
– Steve Magness, running coach

For almost 10 years now I’ve confronted various chronic aches and pains.  I love to run but often my running efforts have been derailed by some extremely frustrating issues.  My most recent battle has been with Achilles pain/heel pain/plantar fascitis/somesuch in my left foot.  I’ve been dealing with these issues for about two years–and it’s driven me insane.

Of course the idea of quitting is nonsense.  Humans should be able to run.  I want to run and so I’ve searched for a solution.  I can very happily report that it seems I have indeed found the key and I’ve spent the past eight weeks or so running almost daily.  Seems up until recently I was walking and running incorrectly.  Now I know what I’m doing!

Thanks to Rick Olderman

First I must thank Denver-area physical therapist Rick Olderman for helping me with this process. He’s by far the best physical therapist I’ve ever worked with–and I’ve worked with quite a few.  Rick truly understands movement, not just muscles and joints. He’s helped me see and feel what I’ve been doing wrong and how to change my ways.  If you’re battling with chronic pain and you’re in the Denver area, I highly recommend a visit to Rick.

Tough concepts to discuss

The idea of learning (or re-learning) how to walk and run is sort of a strange thing to consider. Most of us are able to use our legs to ambulate across the earth at various speeds.  We typically don’t need to spend much time thinking about how to do this stuff, we just do it.  But how well do we run or walk?  In my case, I developed poor movement habits–but I didn’t know it.  I never actually lost the ability to walk/run, I just lost the ability to do these things efficiently and properly.  We know that habits are very hard to break, especially if we can’t identify them.

Identifying and dissecting poor walking/running habits is pretty tough.  We’re talking about fairly complex processes that we do without thinking.  It’s like blinking or breathing.  Analyzing this stuff is challenging and then teaching someone a new method of walking or running is even tougher.  As a strength coach and personal trainer, I can say that we rarely consider how to teach someone proper gait mechanics.  At the Science of Running, big-time running coach Steve Magness discusses this issue in his excellent blog post titled How to run with proper biomechanics (This post is absolutely essential reading for any runner or running coach.):

“Distance runners and coaches seem to hate the topic of running form. Most subscribe to the idea that a runner will naturally find his best stride and that stride should not be changed. However, just like throwing a baseball or shooting a basketball, running is a skill that must be learned. The problem with learning how to run is that there are so many wrong ideas out there. This is partly due to the complexity of the process and partly due to a lack of understanding of biomechanics. It’s my belief that the wide range of “correct” ways to run has led to this apathetic attitude towards running form changes by most athletes and coaches.”

Over the next several posts I’m going to discuss my understanding of gait mechanics and how you can analyze and improve your gait.

 

 

 

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A Questionable Case for Running Shoes

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The New York Times Health section discusses a study from the University of Colorado in Boulder comparing the metabolic costs of running in shoes vs running barefoot.  The results suggest that shod running is more energy efficient than unshod running.  These results deserve a few questions.  First some background on the study. 

Subjects of the study were 12 barefoot runners–runners who knew how to run barefoot in contrast to novice barefooters.  “It was important to find people who are used to running barefoot,” says Rodger Kram, a professor of integrative physiology, who oversaw the study.

These runners were then asked to run several times in a yoga sock on a treadmill or while wearing the 150 gram Nike Mayfly, a lightweight running shoe.  Then the researchers taped 150 grams’ worth of thin lead strips to the top of runners’ sock feet. By adding an equal amount of weight to the bare foot, they could learn whether barefoot running or shod running was more efficient.  The study reports these findings:

1. For every 100g (3.5oz) (the average weight of a deck of playing cards) added per foot, energy cost increases by approximately 1% whether running barefoot or shod.

2. Running barefoot and in lightweight shoes do not significantly differ in energy cost.

3. When controlling for shoe/foot mass, running in lightweight shoes requires ~3-4% less energy than running barefoot.

So it seems that wearing a shoe is a good idea if you want to conserve energy as you run.  This would be important obviously during a race.  Here are some questions and observations:

1. The positive result of wearing a shoe was seen in 8 of the 12 runners.  That means 1/3 of the subjects saw no advantage from running in shoes.  Extrapolated out to a large population that means a significant number of barefoot runners are at no disadvantage running in bare feet.  I wonder if any of them are more efficient in bare feet?

2. The study was done on a treadmill.  Treadmill running is quite different from real running.  What if the study was done on a road or trail?

3. The study looked at the Nike Mayfly.  What about other shoes?  It’s a light shoe.  Would even lighter shoes be better efficiency?

4. A commentator on the Times article made the following observation: “Flaw: the only way for the comparison to be valid is if the weight distribution of added weights were precisely the same as the weight distribution of the shoes themselves. Anyone who has ever studied the effects of mass distribution on movement would know that.”

So did the way the weight was added to the (mostly) bare feet affect the runners’ efficiency?  What if the weight was distributed differently?

5. The study enlisted experienced barefoot runners as subjects.  Alex Hutchinson of Sweat Science and Runner’s World discusses that issue:

Finally, all the runners were midfoot or forefoot strikers, both barefoot and in shoes. This condition was imposed to prevent confounding effects from comparing rearfoot to forefoot striking efficiency.

These conditions raise an important caveat. One of the proposed advantages of barefoot-minimalist running is that it automatically helps to correct overstriding — an extremely common problem among inexperienced runners. The fact that all these runners were already forefoot strikes suggests that none of them were likely overstriding, which would make them less likely to benefit from barefoot running. It’s possible that a truly ‘random’ group of runners might have been less efficient in the shod condition, because more of them would have been dramatically overstriding.

It’s good that someone has done this study.  The debate isn’t over and it’s always good to have another view.  There’s plenty more studying to be done.

One thing that I keep coming back to is the fact that the fastest runners in the world wear shoes–at least when racing.  So from the performance standpoint there seems to be some benefit to putting something on your feet.  Further, if you’re happy with you performance and enjoyment of running then you should probably stay with what you’re doing whether it’s shod or unshod.

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Running News

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The New York Times Phys-Ed section discusses a recent Harvard study on running form.  The study examined injury rates among heel strikers vs forefoot strikers.  The subjects were 52 runners on the Harvard cross-country team.  Researchers looked at four years worth of data on injured runners.  The pertinent finding is this:

“About two-thirds of the group wound up hurt seriously enough each year to miss two or more training days. But the heel strikers were much more prone to injury, with a twofold greater risk than the forefoot strikers. (Emphasis is mine.)”

Be careful though.  This finding doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone should immediately change their running form.  The article quotes says:

“Does this mean that those of us who habitually heel-strike, as I do, should change our form? “If you’re not getting hurt,” Dr. Daniel Lieberman says, “then absolutely not. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

But, says researcher Adam I. Daoud, who was himself an oft-injured heel-striker during his cross-country racing days, “if you have experienced injury after injury and you’re a heel-striker, it might be worth considering a change.”

For further discussion and analysis on these findings, have a look at Runblogger’s post (and how these findings are being misused in advertising) and the post at Sweat Science.  Both of these guys do a great job of telling us what the data does and does not show.

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Know When to End Your Run (or Ride or Workout, etc.)

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“Runners who continue running when they are exhausted unknowingly change their running form, which could be related to an increased risk for injury.”

Runners get injured.  I’m a runner and I’ve been injured–a lot. If you’re a runner then you either have been, are or are going to be injured. According to one source, 60-65% of all runners are injured during an average year (by definition, an ‘injury’ is a physical problem severe enough to force a reduction in training).

If you’ve encountered a running injury then you probably know that it’s rarely a simple solution to fix what ails you.  From shoe changes to barefoot running to stretching to foam rolling to foot strengthening exercises, to physical therapy to acupuncture to chiropractic to massage and on and on… This is a huge hassle and it would be wonderful to avoid this kind of aggravation!  So with some particle of optimism, I present an article from Science Daily that may help us avoid injury: When to End a Run to Avoid Injury: Runners Change Form When Running Exhausted.

The article discusses a study from Indiana University published in the Journal of Biomechanics in November 2010.  Researchers observed that subjects demonstrated biomechanical changes as they fatigued during a run.  Runners tended to display excessive motion at the hips, knees and ankles.

The study had subjects run on treadmills until they either reached 85 percent of the subject’s heart rate maximum or a score of 17 (out of 20) on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE). By the end of their runs, all of the runners reported an RPE of at least 15 — studies have shown that RPEs between 13-15 indicate fatigue.  Here’s what you need to pay attention to.  The article states, “Runners’ RPEs could provide some answers, with RPEs of 15-17 indicating runners’ have reached a point where their mechanics have likely begun to change in an undesirable way.”

The RPE scale is shown below.


What does this mean to you the runner?  Don’t run to the point of exhaustion.  Stop when you’re feeling good and strong, not when you feel beaten to hunched-over death.

I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that we might take this advice for any type of exercise: lifting weights, cycling, martial arts–whatever.  This isn’t to say we should avoid tough workouts but most of our workouts should be comfortably challenging, not torture.  (I’ve mentioned this concept in previous posts; look here and here.)   

Facial expressions can be very useful in gauging our exertion levels.  When I’m working with clients I watch their faces.  When a grimace starts to show we stop the set.  The “scary face” is a transmission from one human to the other humans that something isn’t going all that well.  (Next time you’re in the gym, have a look around and see how many people have a look on their face like they’re being stabbed.  Don’t be that person.) It means we’re butting up against certain physiological limitations.  If we spend enough time doing this we’ll likely end up in some type of pain.  Heed your body’s warnings and you can stop injuries before they start.

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