For those of you who are unaware, there has been quite a stir recently regarding the role various types of sneakers play in injury prevention. Alex Hutchinson of Sweat Science wrote an excellent post on this topic last week so if you have yet to read it, click here.

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But Is It Faster? by Matt Fitzgerald: An excellent read providing an enlightening viewpoint in regards to the barefoot running craze.

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DO YOU RUN?

If you answered “yes” to the above, please proceed to the next question. If not, thanks for visiting!

Question # 2:

DO YOU PREPARE YOURSELF TO RUN?

If you answered “no” to the above, please view the following videos to help you prepare for your next run using the GRID by Trigger Point Performance Therapy.

Calves – 45 seconds each leg (Total = 1.5 min)

Quadriceps – 60 seconds each leg (Total = 2 min)

Tensor Fascia Lata – 30 seconds each hip (Total = 1 min)

Thoracic Spine Rotation – 45 seconds each side (Total = 1.5 min)

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• Transition of 2 m/s (running is more energy efficient)
• Increased Ground Reaction Forces with running
• Flight & Float phases only occur in running
• Double support & stance phases only occur in running
• Decreased stance phase and increased swing phase in running
• Overlap of swing phase (vs stance phase)
• Running requires greater eccentric contractility

In General…

• Sprinters – are more often midfoot strikers
• Endurance runners – are more often heel strikers

Running incorporates a double float phase (vs the double stance phase in walking)

• Immediately after toe off and immediately before initial contact
• At the beginning and end of the swing phase

Running Kinematics

• Stride Length – distance between initial contact to next initial contact of same foot
• Step Length – distance between initial contact to initial contact of opposite foot

Each stride consists of…

• A Support Phase
• A Recovery phase (Follow through, Forward acceleration, Foot descent)

Running Gait Cycle

• Stance Phase
  • Initial Contact
    • Heel strikers absorb increased vertical Ground Reaction Forces (close to 2.2x BW)
    • These forces should normally be absorbed by the hip, knee, and ankle complexes
• Heel-off
  • Ankle plantar flexion initiates propulsion, lengthens stance phases, and increases stride length of opposite foot
  • Supination of foot begins!
    • Transverse tarsal joint converges for rigidity
    • Due to external rotation of the tibia, gastroc contraction (attachment point), and the metatarsal break phenomenon
    • Metatarsal Break Phenomenon: Contributes due to extension of the Metatarsophalangeal joint
  • Windlass Effect due to extension of Metatarsophalangeal joint
    • Leads to tension in the Plantar Fascia
    • This also increases stability of transverse tarsal joint
  • Contraction of intrinsic muscles of the feet
  • Max Ground Reaction Forces occur when the foot pushes off the ground
    • 2.8x BW
• Toe off
  • Posterior lower leg muscles shut off and anterior musculature kick in for foot clearance
  • Hamstring group changes from knee stabilizer to hip extensor
  • Knee extensor mechanisms begin to contract concentrically to maximize knee extension (for propulsion)
• Swing Phase
  • 1^st part – knee flexes
    • Resisted by eccentric contraction of knee extensor mechanism
    • However, Rectus Femoris complex also acts to flex hip
    • Therefore knee extensors become prone to injury! (as do other muscles that cross 2 joints)
• After 1st Float Phase, opposite foot touches down
  • Hip ABDuctors contract to stabilize pelvis
• As the leg swings through, pelvis rotates putting hip into ABDuction
  • External rotation of the hip helps prepare for supination
  • This is controlled by eccentric ADDuction/ADDuctors (which are active throughout the entire swing phase)
• Anterior lower leg compartment again kicks in to dorsiflex the ankle
• Terminal swing (2^nd Double Float)
  • Hip flexion stops and posterior chain (glute/ham complex) initiates hip extension
  • Knee extension results due to rapid knee extensor mechanism contraction
• Force couple of the anterior and posterior lower leg musculature dampen the foot initial contact

Upper Extremities

• Angular momentum of the arms balance the rest of body
• Therefore, relatively low total body angular momentum

GRF

• Highest stress (GRF) occurs just at toe-off (2.8x BW)
• 2 rearfoot spikes
  • 2^nd peak is influenced by muscle activity during support
  • Midfoot strikers have a single peak
    • Decreased GRF!
    • Posterior lower leg, knee, and hip musculature act as shock absorbers – for Proximal Stability
    • They act as shocks AND springs

.

I said RANDOM, didn’t I?

.

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Recently, I had the pleasure today of attending Movement U and subjecting myself under the watchful eye of Jessi Stensland.

This was a valuable experience for myself, not only as a professional, but also as an athlete who, like everyone else, spends countless pushing my own physical limits. And while I always strive for ideal form and proper mechanics, I may not always be doing what I think I am doing. As such, it was nice to have the eyes of another professional picking apart my leaky valves…aka, my flaws. Take a look above, my right knee is in slight valgus and my tibia is externally rotated…something I have not noticed since I don’t like training in front of a mirror.

Last year I raced Ironman Canada hiding all sorts of injuries. It pays as a sports doc and strength coach to know what to do to be able to make it to the start line. I never felt pain, but deep down I knew I had the potential to blow up. This year, on the other hand, the goal is to think like a doctor, train like a coach, and perform like an athlete!

So whether or not you are an expert or intern, independent of “talking shop” with another colleague or taking notes at a national conference, every now and then I suggest everyone “working” in the industry to take part in an interactive learning session and physically fall back into the “student” role.

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Professional triathlete, Jessi Stensland recently tweeted the following:

“Injury free running is not about the right shoe it’s about the right U!”

This immediately reminded me of Ironman, Mirinda Carfrae, who last August the Ironman Calgary 70.3 triathlon. I was there spectating that race (as my wife participated) and was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Mirinda’s beautiful running form. Here’s a shot I took of her after she swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and ran 11 miles.  Notice her form with  2 miles left to go!

Posture… check!

Now for those of you who want to see her running form in real time, then here’s an excellent breakdown I stumbled upon on youtube.

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Core Performance Endurance
Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams
New York, USA
Rodale Inc, 2007
238 pages

Core Performance Endurance, co-authored by one of the pioneers of “functional training”, Mark Verstegen, is a book written primarily for the endurance demographic with an objective of improving performance and avoiding injuries. The foundation of this text lies in Verstegen’s first book, Core Performance, but expands further based on the consideration of the typical high-volume and -intensity training programs of endurance athletes.

Core Performance Endurance is divided into four parts; 1) The Core Endurance Mindset; 2) Core Endurance Movement; 3) Core Endurance Nutrition; and 4) The Core Endurance Workout.

The Core Endurance Mindset lays the foundation for this book through a brief explanation of the importance of elasticity and tissue tolerance within the body and an interactive, reader-engaging biomechanical self-assessment. Core Endurance Movement builds upon this new “mindset” through an explanation of Pillar Strength, an introduction of “power endurance” (which I essentially interpret as “efficiency”), a look into TRUE energetics, and the importance of regenerating the body. While I respect the content of this text in its entirety, the heart and soul of Core Performance Endurance lies in this section (part 2)  through its potential to stimulate thought in the “experienced” athlete and pull him or her out of his/her comfort zone and into a new, more effective training mentality.

While the majority of Verstegen and Williams’ nutritional advice can be found in their book Core Performance Essentials, part 3 of this book, Core Endurance Nutrition addresses strategies that endurance athletes can utilize in their quests for performance. Specifically, Verstegen and Williams address the high importance of carbohydrates and protein, as well as the role of specific fats and nutritional supplements in athletes, but perhaps more importantly, they address meal timing as it pertains to improved performance. Examples of specific meals and food sources are included here.

Finally, part 4 introduces The Core Endurance Workout, a regime built around power, strength, and regeneration. Unless the athlete is a coached professional or has experience in the field of contemporary strength and conditioning, it is unlikely he or she will be familiar with this approach to training. The workout contained within looks nothing like your conventional gym workout (bodybuilding OR team sport), nor does it resemble a program commonly seen in rehabilitation settings.  The exercises incorporated are detailed and geared toward improving both biomechanical efficiency AND performance. Progressions are included and transition the athlete from day one, straight through to race day.

While the world of sports performance and injury prevention continually evolve with contemporary research, Core Performance Endurance indeed provides a valuable educational resource to athletes of all levels and abilities. For the coach or sport medicine professional working with this demographic, this text also provides excellent insight into the role movement efficiency plays on various aspects of running, triathlon, and other similar sporting endeavors.

*Core Performance Endurance is available through my Amazon library

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Movement U is coming to Canada!

Attention all triathletes and runners:

What will YOU be doing on March 13th and 14th?

Professional triathlete Jessi Stensland will be making Edmonton (Spruce Grove), Alberta her one and only stop on her Winter/Spring schedule to teach her popular workshop series, Movement U.

This workshop will be held at the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre and will teach you how to train more EFFECTIVELY and EFFICIENTLY so that you can perform more OPTIMALLY!

March 13: RUNNING: Movement Efficiency + Performance

March 14: SWIM BIKE RUN: Movement Efficiency + Performance

Click here to register.

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