Gait it Right

Gone to Run…in Jakarta last week. Impression of that city coming up in next post. That, by the way, is also my lame excuse for not posting last week.

The post this week, in penance, is longer than usual and a bit technical. Hope you will enjoy.

Sometime back I had referred to various injuries that runners run into! I have been inflicted by a few of them ever since I started running regularly about 8-9 years back. Shinsplints was the most common for me. The dreaded Plantar Fasciitis made infrequent and mild occurrence. Thankfully, injuries have not yet threatened my running career but I am acutely aware that it is only one step, hop or a corner turn away.

I have however tried to minimize the probability of getting injured by making changes to what I call my running principles. As with everything else in life, my motto when it comes to running remains the same - to each his own. So take my principles with a pinch of salt, and Gatorade if you please.

It all started about 30 months ago when I increased my running frequency and mileage. Initially I noticed my legs giving up sooner than my mind. In other words, I felt I had enough stamina to keep pounding the road but a niggle here and there would end up distracting me off the course. Worse, I would lose my running rhythm which most runners would agree is like being “in the zone” and so very critical to covering long distances. I was searching for answers.

While I started strengthening my calf muscles in the gym, I knew that would not be sufficient. I had not given much thought to the mechanics of running till I read the book Born to Run. The book touched upon a number of biomechanical elements that impacts a runner. What stayed with me long after I finished reading the book was the overall posture or the gait while running. This turned out to be the answer I was looking for.

Make no mistake. Changing your running gait will not come naturally and initial few months would be painful as muscles that till date had little role to play work up into action. It took me 4 months to get it right. However, ever since I made the switch I’ve not had any after-effects typically associated with long distance running.

 

So, what are my running principles?

1.       Stay perpendicular to the road

If you are plagued with lower back problems while running, try keeping your upper body - above the hips to be precise - perpendicular to the road at all times. For instance, while running uphill lean forward and while going down slope lean further back. This keeps you positioned upright relative to the road which in turn ensures that the pressure on your lower back remains on the lighter side. Bangalore roads typically have lots of elevations and drops. This technique not only keeps injuries off my back literally, but also helps mitigate another injury.

While going downhill your feet endures a lot more pressure than going uphill. During this time runners are susceptible to twisting the ankle or just hurting their knees due to excessive pressure. Try leaning back when downhill, and you will notice how the pressure eases on your foot and knees.

 

2.       Use front and mid feet

Landing on front and mid feet as against the heel has been widely publicized since Born to Run was published. I can vouch. Doing so cushions the feet – to the extent possible - while landing, and virtually takes Achilles Tendonitis out of the injury list. The biggest benefit of adopting this technique however is drastic reduction in odds of getting hit by Plantar Fasciitis. Having said that, making a switch is not easy. As you start landing on front and mid feet, calf and thigh muscles crave for more strength and flexibility. I particularly recall how stiff my thigh muscles remained for the first couple of weeks when I adopted this approach. Looking back though this was worth every single step I took then and the best investment I’ve made in my ‘running futures’.

 

3.       Maintain low CG

Caution. While you consciously try to maintain a straight posture and land front and mid feet, curb the tendency to over stride. As you make change to the running gait, you will naturally find yourself having some room to take longer strides. This is great except unless unlike me if you are really tall, doing so will end up putting pressure on your upper back and shoulders. Instead try to maintain shorter and faster strides and keep the body’s center of gravity low.  This ensures your shoulders and back don’t give up even though the legs have enough juice left in them.

In the end, running is not just about strong legs. It is about the whole body moving in a rhythm.
Keep it moving!