Forums >Running 101>What else do you recommend for staying injury free?
Biomimeticist
Given fact that I teach military clients, if you're a trail runner, then you need to better understand the surface you're running on and the landing mechanics necessary to navigate the environment safely.
First off, is that you naturally pronate when you run. Athletes naturally adapted to unstable surface environments run pigeon toed. Understanding why is the science you need to learn.
Because most trails are concave surfaces, running pronated increases the stress loads to the lower leg and shin splints in landing, running pigeon toed has biomechanic advantages. It also puts the knee in a more neutral position to reduce its stress loads, especially when running down hill.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8784703
Experts said the world is flat
Experts said that man would never fly
Experts said we'd never go to the moon
Name me one of those "experts"...
History never remembers the name of experts; just the innovators who had the guts to challenge and prove the "experts" wrong
Latent Runner
Interesting stuff about pigeon toed trail running; prior to 2009 most of my running has been on hard uniform surfaces, however, after suffering my second broken leg (2nd one was a bad one requiring an Open Reduction) my surgeon told me I'd walk with a limp for the rest of my life and that my running days were effectively over. In 2009, after a six year layoff due to the broken leg, I discovered if I ran on dirt I could run without getting injured, and since then I've logged several thousand miles on various trails.
Kinda-sorta supporting your comments above, when I look at pictures of me running in 2009 I had a distinct toe-out running style which, to my eye at least, looked ungainly. Last year, and to an even greater degree this year, all of the various race photos of me show me with a toe-foreward or even a slight toe-in foot position. I wonder if the trail running has caused me to gradually relearn how to run.
Fat old man PRs:
Interesting stuff about pigeon toed trail running; prior to 2009 most of my running has been on hard uniform surfaces, however, after suffering my second broken leg (2nd one was a bad one requiring an Open Reduction) my surgeon told me I'd walk with a limp for the rest of my life and that my running days were effectively over. In 2009, after a six year layoff due to the broken leg, I discovered if I ran on dirt I could run without getting injured, and since then I've logged several thousand miles on various trails. Kinda-sorta supporting your comments above, when I look at pictures of me running in 2009 I had a distinct toe-out running style which, to my eye at least, looked ungainly. Last year, and to an even greater degree this year, all of the various race photos of me show me with a toe-foreward or even a slight toe-in foot position. I wonder if the trail running has caused me to gradually relearn how to run.
seems like it is obvious that for most of us running on asphalt a lot is not good. I wonder what is the secrete for some people like dean karnazes who run thousands of miles both on road and on trails without getting injured!?
Or you found the surface which best suites your running style...
To me its a blending of both worlds. The power necessary to be good at level sprints can be very easily created in steep incline and decline hill environments.
There's a reason T Rex used the same technique...
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v415/n6871/images/415494a-f1.0.jpg
#artbydmcbride
Runners run
I've always heard that, but for me at least it hasn't proven to be true. When I was younger, like mid-40s and younger, I was always able to out sprint my competition when heading into the finish line. Now I get trounced regularly.
One of the guys on my company running team, a 50-year old "youngster", can literally leave me in a cloud of dust when we kick the speed up near the end of a long run, however, he has no hope of staying with me when climbing a hill in the midst of a long run, the longer and steeper the better.
The speed of the T Rex is subject to debate. Current research suggests that T Rex was not as fast as hollywood would like us to believe.
Learn to listen to your body and be wary of the advice you get from people on the internet.
Yeah, no kidding - what works for me might not work for you.
I didn't say they were identical. There is a significant overlap in skills, however the two environments each have their own distinct biomechanic processes to master.
With hills, the resistance is the same as running flat. That's where the power advantage you have comes in for steeper incline running. What you lack are the refined balance skills necessary to be good at it on level surfaces. Those can be learned.
The T-Rex running mechanic extrapolations are based upon human parallel leg swing and human inverted pendulum mechanics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re7RCrHdVCQ
No different than for Mungo Park with human record proving the fraud perpetuated, the fossil record of how they run were completely different.
I'll study and believe fossil prints long before I believe what the experts tell me is true.
the high heels did the trick!
Wait.... a what what?
Ready, go.
Don't do anything......just sit in the couch...and drink a lot.
MajorMalfunction has a pretty good idea of what to do to stay injury free. I would like to add my .02 worth, definately drink alot and incorporate some weed into your training too. I'm experimenting with smoking a bowl and drinking a glass of wine before running, a WHOLE glass, not just half a glass, sometimes 3-4 beers too and everything has been great so far. No problems, knees feel fine, back, everything feels great.
Classic response from TrollFromNantucket; a waste of server storage space and a waste of time for everyone else on this board..