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News and Notes
Shoe Drive going well! Karen from projecthavehope.org came by for the first pick-up last month. We had over 50 pairs of shoes for them to take to Uganda this summer. Let's keep it up! The bin is located just outside the front door at 1678 Beacon Street, so you can come by anytime, whether we're open or not!
Athlete Sponsorship: Sumner Fletcher of Uxbridge, MA recieved a BRC athlete sponsorship this past month. Her goal is to qualify for the marathon Olympic Trials for 2012. Congratulations Sumner and good luck! For those interested in a sponsorship there are just three spots remaining, please click here for more info. | |
 Foot Force
Runners often are described by coaches as either 'pushers' or 'pullers', these terms were first used in this context by none other than the famous New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard. Let's first look at what these descriptions mean:
Pusher: A 'pusher' has a stride that looks more powerful and laborious than a 'puller'. The primary force into the ground is achieved through the quadriceps as the leg powerfully straightens when the foot passes behind the body.
Puller: A 'puller' moves with more ease and glides more freely through the air than a 'pusher'. Here the force into the ground is achieved by a balance of leg extension (as with the pusher) and hip-extension. Hip extension is the backwards movement of your thigh, so your glutes and hamstrings are the major hip extension muscles.
The preference is of course the 'puller'. By initiating the downward force into the ground before ground-contact, during the 'paw back' motion of the stride, more power can be generated, which then causes a stretch-reflex that then adds to the power of the push.
Much of this has been discussed in previous Smart Runnings, and in other running venues, so if a bit lost do refer to these articles:
http://www.bostonrunningcenter.com/sr/may08/webversion.html#ballisticaction
or search 'paw back running'.
Now, to know which you are, and how to help become a 'puller' if needed, first pay attention to your foot-strike. Do you land heel first, flat on your foot, or on your forefoot first. Pushers often land heel first due to their strong push backwards, which then causes the leg to whip forwards late in the stride. Next, try to notice which direction force is being applied into the ground at the exact moment your foot (or part of your foot) first touches ground. You can feel this difference by doing the following.
Feeling Foot Force Direction: While sitting in a chair drive your foot straight down into the ground, then drive it into the ground 6 inches in front of you, then into the ground 6 inches behind. Feel the difference in the angle of force through the soles of your feet, and the change in vibrations throughout the foot and ankle.
Now take this heightened sensitivity to running. If you feel the force is similar to that of when you drove the foot down and forward, then more paw-back is needed. Try to engage the hamstrings and glutes just before contact so that you can now feel the backwards force through the foot at the first moment of ground contact.
Getting used to this change can of course take time and it is easy to over-adjust. If achieving a backwards foot-force is unnatural be patient and work in only small amounts of time or distance, e.g. 30-60 seconds per mile. As you become more comfortable with the adjustment increase the time and try your best to relax with this adjustment.
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| The Importance of Strong Hip Abductors
Many health professionals who work with runners regularly are convinced many of the injuries suffered are derived from weak hip abductors, i.e. the muscles that lift your leg out to your side. The thinking is that running, which focuses on primarily muscles that work in the sagittal plane (pull behind and push forward), causes an imbalance and deconditioning of the hip abductors, which then causes instability in the pelvis and a pulling in of the knee. With the knee now drawing inward during the absorbtion phase of the gait common injuries start to surface, such as:
- patellofemoral syndrome and general pain around the knee
- patellar tendonitis
- IT band syndrome
Then, with this increased inward movement the foot often weakens under the added force and now over-pronates (rolls inward). Now we have the following start to occur:
- achilles tendonitis
- plantar fasciitis
- shin splints
With there being no negative side-effect of strengthening your hip abductors, there's no reason not to get started - if not to help a reoccuring injury then to at least help to prevent one!
Here are a few exercises to add to your cross-training routine:
Hip Abductors Manual: Lye on your back, bring knees to chest, wrap arms around legs and clasp hands together. Strongly push your legs against your arms but do not let your hands break apart. Push and resist for 10-30 seconds and rest. Separate legs 4-6 inches while keeping arms against legs (hands will separate). Push against and resist 10-30 sec and rest. Separate legs 2-4 inches more and repeat.
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My Blindfolded Marathon
On April 20, 2009, I ran the Boston Marathon. Blindfolded. My motivation for taking on this challenge was deeply personal. Our son Sawyer, who is almost 5 years old, was born without vision. From the very beginning of Sawyer's life, we recognized the importance of setting high expectations for him, and instilling in him a belief that he can accomplish anything he desires. As we teach Sawyer about the world, we focus on what he can do rather than on his limitations, and we celebrate every one of his accomplishments. I took on the challenge of running 26.2 miles blindfolded in hopes that I could be an example to Sawyer of setting seemingly unattainable goals and reaching them. I also hoped to celebrate and promote the belief that is most important to us as we raise Sawyer -- people who are blind and visually impaired can achieve whatever they aspire to.
I ran as a member of the charity team for Perkins School for the Blind, where Sawyer attends preschool. My run enabled me to raise over $32,000 which will certainly benefit the wonderful teachers and students of Perkins.
Race Day
The day of the marathon was perfect running weather - it was in the high 40s/low 50s and cloudy. Because my first guide, Angie, was not officially registered in the race, we started in the back of the pack, behind the 27,000+ official runners. In other words, we had a huge crowd ahead of us.
We crossed the starting line 15-20 minutes after the gun went off. As we expected, the first few miles were really tight, and navigating through the crowd was pretty tough. I stayed close to Angie and didn't really use the tether between us, but rather held on to her right elbow. When she had to move me to the sharp left or right, I held on tight and we'd run as one, with her shifting weight guiding my direction. This practice was exhausting. Each time, it disrupted my running rhythm and changed my breathing. Running with the tether was much easier, as it allowed me to maintain my normal gait and fall into a pace.
We both assumed that the crowds would thin out after about three miles, allowing us to use the tether the majority of the time. Our assumption was wrong. Throughout the first 13 miles, we continued to weave through the crowds, alternating between the tether and Angie's elbow as my guide. Just when I would get settled, I would be knocked out of my rhythm in order to avoid collision. It was mentally and physically exhausting for both of us. Although I was running at a slower-than-normal pace, I still hoped I was leaving myself enough energy to finish the full 26.2 miles.
The water stations required a lot of coordination on the part of my guides. Early on, Angie figured out that it was best to grab the drink at the very beginning of the station, hand it off to me, and quickly get us back to the middle of the road to avoid other runners stopping for drinks. For the next ¼ mile, I had to be careful not to slip on water cups discarded on the road. Handing me the drink wasn't as easy as you'd think - one time, I unknowingly tried to grab a drink out of another runner's hand! While the water stations .... full story | |
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