Don't Over Think it......Just Run!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/health/nutrition/for-beginning-runners-advice-can-be-a-hurdle.html?emc=eta1


With the NYC Marathon in the rearview mirror, I thought that the above article was timely.  It's an event that can inspire people to begin running or ramp up their mileage with the goal of competing one day themselves.  I often hear casual runners say, "I run, but I could never do 26.2 miles!"  To that I say, "If you can run 2 miles, you can run 26.2."  It's just a matter of doing it the correct way so as to avoid injury.

I agree with the main thesis of the posted article in that I don't think you should attempt to overanalyze your running mechanics.  These days, there is so much science behind movement and athletic performance.  We can take an individual, hook them up to all sorts of monitors, video tape them, and assess the individual components of their movement and subsequent performance.  That is all well and good, but the average person looking to run or work out for a healthy lifestyle does not need all of that.  What the novice individual needs is just a little self motivation.  It all starts there.

The trouble with seeking the "perfect running gait" is that we're not robots.  Each one of us has different strengths, weakness, and biomechanical properties.  How can I expects a runner who is 6'2" tall have the same exact mechanics as one who is 5'3"?  I will use the world's most famous (or infamous?) athlete as as an example.  Tiger Woods is renowned for his practice habits.  He spends hours upon hours on the driving range, trying to replicate his swing to the point where it's automatic.  He wants to take all thought out of it by burning his swing into muscle memory and making himself as robotic as possible.  Many observers would agree that Tiger has a pretty sweet looking swing, which is validated by his prolific winning record.  Now, take another successful PGA golfer with not quite as pretty a swing.  Jim Furyk is another very successful pro golfer.  He hasn't won as much as Tiger, but then again, who has?  If you put Furyk and Tiger next to each other on the range, you'd ask yourself how Furyk ever won a tournament let alone a U.S. Open.  He has a very quirky hitch in his swing that I'm sure no teaching pro would recommend.  However, it works for him.  What would happen to Furyk's game if he tried to mimic Woods' swing?  Why would he want to?  I would ask the same of runners.


A few years ago I took a course on running injuries and prevention.  It was a very interesting class, and I thought the instructor really knew what he was talking about.  He would take his subjects, put them on a treadmill, mark their bodies at certain points, and video tape them as they ran.  Then, he could watch it back in slow motion, analyzing every angle and motion that took place.  What became evident after watching several examples of runners is that everyone runs differently.  However, something bothered me about the whole approach to the analysis and subsequent intervention.  So I raised my hand and asked:

"If someone comes to you after running for 20 years without injury, why are you going to all of a sudden try to alter their running mechanics?  After all, if it was the poor mechanics that caused this injury, then why was the person able to run for the past 20 years without incident?"

Now, I realize as a physical therapist that tissue changes over the course of aging, which makes it more prone to injury.  However, if someone was running one way for 20 years, their tissue, both hard and soft, ought to adapt to the specific running pattern.  I feel what's more important than trying to overhaul somebodies running style is try to assess why this injury occurred when it did.  I would ask questions such as, "Have you recently returned to running after some time off?  Have you increased your mileage and/or speed recently?  Have you changed the surface on which you run?  Have you changed your footwear recently?  Have you begun any other exercises recently in addition to your running?"  These questions may lead me to why all of a sudden, after all these years running, you've broken down.  Then I would try to intervene, but not by making a drastic change to your style.  Such intervention would include controlling the pain and inflammation for the current injury first, followed by correcting any weakness and asymmetries discovered during examination.  This is not the same thing as trying to get you to run in a completely new and unnatural way.

As the article states, it's important to ease into running (or any other exercise routine for that matter).  Bear in mind that when undertaking a new physical activity, it generally comes with some soreness in the initial stages.  Stick with it though, it will get better.  It's important to build up your strength and stamina in a gradual, step-wise fashion.  That is how you will minimize your risk of injury, not by trying to overhaul your entire running gait.  You must train your tissues to get used to the pounding that accompanies running.

So, if you decide you want to give running a try, go for it.  Just lace up you shoes, hit the road, and let it come naturally.  I would hate to think that people shied away from trying this very gratifying means of exercise simply because they felt they needed tons of coaching and analysis.  Forget that......just run!