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running injuries are not
inevitable, as so many people believe them to be. The idea that
running causes injury is a myth that I want to put to sleep – forever.
Runner’s knee, shin splints, IT band syndrome, plantar faciitus – all the
dreaded sideliners that put so many runners off their stride are, in most
cases, preventable. Just as in every day living, accidents can happen, and
injuries can happen as well. But just as a good, cautious driver has fewer
accidents, someone who is using good
running technique, will have fewer injuries. When you are aware of your
own body’s limits, listen to your body, and watch for signs that something is
not in line, you will have fewer injuries and potentially none at all.
When I tell people that I'm a running
instructor, I inevitably hear the story of a once-upon-a-time runner who “had”
to stop because they were getting older and getting injured. What people call
Runner’s Knee is the number one reason why most people quit their once-loved
sport. Shin splints are another frequent culprit. Sometimes it just got “too
painful.” Perhaps even more often I hear about how people have a secret desire
to run, but are afraid of the potential for injury. I have lots of 40-60
year-olds who think it’s too late to start
running. It’s a common question, “Aren’t I too old to start
running? Isn’t it too dangerous for someone my age?”. My answer in most
cases is, “No, you’re not too old and
running is NOT dangerous, if you run correctly. ChiRunning teaches you
how. “
OK, there are golf lessons, there are tennis lessons, there are lessons to make
more money and lessons to have better sex…Well guess what, taking lessons to do
something well is not only the best way to get good at something, it’s also the
best way to learn to do something SAFELY and enjoy it more.
The same is true for running.
Whether you’re just a regular jogger, getting out there to get some exercise,
or a youngster who likes to burn off some steam, or one of us older folks who
runs to keep fit and enjoy life, running
is more enjoyable, and safer if you know what you’re doing. And
yes, even old dogs can learn new tricks. I can’t tell you how many
letters I get from people telling me that making one or two
simple changes has had a profound effect on their
running. Now, one or two simple changes in your
running form won’t prevent injury for a lifetime for most people, but
regular, committed practice to ChiRunning can.
Top Ten running Tips to
Prevent Injury
1. Listen to your body and pay attention to pain
2. When in pain, make a change in your
running form
3. Improve and perfect your posture
4. Keep your center of gravity in front of your foot strike
5. Upgrade your running program
gradually
6. Land on your mid-foot, not on the heel or ball of your foot
7. Start off every run slowly to warm up
8. Shorten your stride, especially at the beginning of your runs
9. Don’t wear old running shoes
10. Deep slow stretches after your run, not short bouncy ones
Lets fill these out a bit.
1. “Listen to your body,” means just that – LISTEN. I call it Body Sensing. Most
people don’t listen to their bodies because most of the ad campaigns of drug
companies are telling you NOT to. “Don’t pay attention to a gassy, horrible
stomach from eating too much, just drink our disgusting pink stuff.” “Headache?
Why not pop our pill (rather than get away from your computer and get some
fresh air and put us out of business).” “Stabbing knee pain during your
marathon?? Take these pills and go see your surgeon on Monday.” ChiRunning is
at the opposite end of this spectrum. Get to know every nuance of your body.
Pay attention to every detail. Learn the different voices of pain, just as a
mother can tell whether her child’s cry is of hunger, anger or sleepiness. If
the pain you feel is other than productive discomfort, go to step number 2.
2. If you’re in pain when running
then learn what you’re doing wrong and make a correction. That’s right. If
you’re in pain you can almost always do something about it. If your hips are
aching, you most likely need to level your pelvis and engage your core muscles.
If you’re knee hurts, it could be several things, but find out and make a
change. You might be over striding or landing in front of you center of gravity
or pronating. All these things can be adjusted and you can alleviate the pain
and prevent long term injury.
3. OK, good posture is everything in T’ai Chi and in all movement as far as I
can tell. When your posture is aligned, all movement has a better chance
of being correct. Good alignment is the foundation for efficient movement and
promotes a healthy spine. Your chi moves up and down your spine. If you’re
crooked, the flow of energy is inhibited and your movement will not be fluid.
If you’re long, strong and tall (even if you’re short) your movement can flow
out of that straight pipe. Your posture effects your breathing, your movement,
your digestion. Perfecting your posture is fundamental to a being pain-free and
injury-free runner.
Lesson 1 in the DVD
4. In ChiRunning you lean slightly from your ankles so that your center of
gravity is always in front of your foot strike. If your foot hits the ground in
front of your center of gravity, you’re putting on the brakes and really
pounding every joint from your ankles on up. Plantar faciitus, shin splints,
knee pain, hip pain, and lower back pain can originate from the pounding that
occurs when your foot strikes in front of your center of gravity. Let your feet
swing out the back while your upright posture leans slightly forward over your
heals, and let gravity, not your legs pull you forward.
5. Life may be short, but there is always time to accomplish what’s most
important. When you’re learning something new, upgrading your
running schedule or adding speed or distance, it is always wise to
follow the principle of Gradual Progress. If you try to do to much too soon,
you’re writing a recipe for injury!! If your longest run is five miles, don’t
try to run a marathon in three months…eight months is more like it. When you’re
learning ChiRunning, don’t expect to perfect it in the first month. Pushing and
forcing your way to a goal is a great way to get hurt. Set reasonable goals and
take your time. Savor your experience and enjoy the process. You’ll run for the
rest of your life if you take your time now.
6. Land on your mid-foot, not on the heel or ball of your foot. Every time your
foot meets the ground, you should be in a one-legged posture stance with your
whole foot in contact with the ground, supporting your posture line. This will
allow your structure to support your body weight with each foot strike. If you
land heel first, you’re in for a world of hurt because of all the impact it
creates to your legs. You could end up with bad knees, plantar faciitus or sore
quads. If you land or run on the balls of your feet you’re considered a toe
runner. This will put an incredible strain on your lower legs because they are
having to support your entire body weight with each foot strike. They are not
designed to carry this amount of workload…especially during any long distance
running. A mid-foot strike allows the lower leg to rest during all
phases of your stride and you’ll never have shin splints again…period.
7. Start every run slowly and work on the details of your
running form during the first miles. Then let speed work it’s way into
your runs as you warm-up, loosen, and relax your body. Take your time getting
started. Like a book, let your run unfold and let your body speak to you before
you ask it to go fast. When starting a run, listen to where you are
tight. Check in to see if your pelvis is level and your core is engaged fully.
Keep your stride short and crisp and get your heart going without stressing out
the joints, muscles and ligaments. Many injuries happen when someone goes out
of the gate too fast, so let gravity take you for a ride by increasing your
lean slightly. Then gracefully let your stride increase along with your speed.
You won’t get injured this way, and you’ll be amazed at what happens…I’ll let
you find out for yourself.
8. Most people start out running
with too long of a stride. I commonly see people
running slowly with a stride length that I use only with my fastest
gear. Lots of things can go wrong with a long, lumbering stride. You’ll tend to
reach forward with your legs which creates a heavy heel strike. You’ll waste
energy by spending too much time with contact with the ground and aggravate
your lower legs with shin splints and plantar faciitus. You’ll also end up with
very sore quads at the end of every run. Shorten your stride when going slowly.
9. Old running shoes are
worse than running barefoot.
I’m not a barefoot runner, but respect those who do run barefoot because
barefoot running forces you
to have great running form.
Shoes work for me, however, but not old ones. The mid-sole gets compacted, the
shoe loses flexibility and an injury is often the result. Find a good flexible
shoe (see page 185 for more details in the
ChiRunning book) and get a new pair about every 500 miles.
Shoes are very important, so invest your time and money wisely in finding out
what is best for you.
10. I don’t believe in stretching before runs, but I highly suggest the
loosening exercises before you run and stretching afterwards. However the post
run stretching needs to have some quality to then. Think yoga. Short, bouncy
stretches are not only ineffective, they can cause injury. A good stretch
should be held for a minimum of 30 seconds. You can move and adjust within that
stretch by doing slight adjustments, but stretching is the perfect time to
practice your Body Sensing skills. Don’t push your stretch too far, but take
your time and relax into a deep place of flexibility. Listen to what your
muscles are telling you after your run. If you’re calves are tight, you may be
using them too much on the run. If your shoulders are now moving more easily,
the your run did the job of loosening you up.
These are just a few of things you can do to help put to sleep the myth that
running causes injury. For everything you need to know about how to run
injury-free for the rest of your life, get your copy of the
ChiRunning book and DVD.
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