BAAC Club Coaching NotesThis is a collection of Coaching Notes from editions of the weekly digest. Some pictures and text may be subject to copyright - contact the editor to reports any issues. Most of these items have been published by our club coach Joe Nolan.
Coaching Tips - Taking Stiches in your StrideFew things are worse than getting a side stitch during a run. When running, there is increased abdominal pressure pushing up on the diaphragm. At the same time, rapid breathing causes the lungs to expand and this presses down on the diaphragm, a muscle that if “pinched” from above and below, gets less blood flow and spasms, resulting in painful side stitches. Here are three ways to prevent the problem occurring:
One strategy for stopping a stitch in its tracks:
What other remedies do you have ? Let us know ! - one response being "I was told that when you were hit with a stitch then what was important was to change your pace - and speeding up could be as successful as slowing down." Joe Nolan Tips to Prevent Running Injuries (alternative view)As usual there are alternative views out there and Dave Barnard pointed out this recent article from the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/18/knees-stretching-heel-striking-three-running-myths-debunked The author suggests that three running injury myths should be debunked: 1. "You'll wreck your knees" - runners would appear to have better knees than non-runners - there is “no evidence that running increases the risk of osteoarthritis, including participation in marathons.” 2. "Stretching is Vital" - his conclusion is "no correlation between stretching and injury prevention". 3. "Heel-striking bad, midfoot good, barefoot is best" - his conclusion is that it probably doesn't make much difference for most of us. Ten Tips to Prevent Running Injuries1. Improve and maintain your flexibility 2. Include strength training in your running program /p> 3. Stay hydrated and eat a well-balanced diet 4. Warm up and cool down before and after all runs and races 5. Gradually increase your mileage and periodize your training schedule 6. Cross-train and include rest days in your training schedule 7. Talk with a running expert or coach to analyze your training program 8. Wear the correct type of running shoes based on your foot type and running style 9. Have a formal gait analysis performed and use orthotics if recommended 10. Have your running form evaluated by a running expert And in detail... 1. Improve and maintain your flexibility
2. Include strength training in your running program
3. Stay hydrated* and eat a well balanced diet
4. Warm up and cool down before and after all runs and races
5. Gradually increase your mileage and periodize your training schedule
6. Cross-train and include rest days in your training schedule
7. Talk with a running expert or coach to analyze your training program
8. Wear the correct type of running shoes based on your foot type and running style
9. Have a formal gait analysis performed and use orthotics if recommended
10. Have your running form evaluated by a running expert
Running Better, From Head To ToeHead Tilt How you hold your head is key to overall posture, which determines how efficiently you run. Let your gaze guide you. Look ahead naturally, not down at your feet, and scan the horizon. This will straighten your neck and back, and bring them into alignment. Don't allow your chin to jut out. Shoulders Shoulders play an important role in keeping your upper body relaxed while you run, which is critical to maintaining efficient running posture. For optimum performance, your shoulders should be low and loose, not high and tight. As you tire on a run, don't let them creep up toward your ears. If they do, shake them out to release the tension. Your shoulders also need to remain level and shouldn't dip from side to side with each stride. Arms Even though running is primarily a lower-body activity, your arms aren't just along for the ride. Your hands control the tension in your upper body, while your arm swing works in conjunction with your leg stride to drive you forward. Keep your hands in an unclenched fist, with your fingers lightly touching your palms. Imagine yourself trying to carry a potato chip in each hand without crushing it. Your arms should swing mostly forward and back, not across your body, between waist and lower-chest level. Your elbows should be bent at about a 90-degree angle. When you feel your fists clenching or your forearms tensing, drop your arms to your sides and shake them out for a few seconds to release the tension. Torso The position of your torso while running is affected by the position of your head and shoulders. With your head up and looking ahead and your shoulders low and loose, your torso and back naturally straighten to allow you to run in an efficient, upright position that promotes optimal lung capacity and stride length. Many track coaches describe this ideal torso position as "running tall" and it means you need to stretch yourself up to your full height with your back comfortably straight. If you start to slouch during a run take a deep breath and feel yourself naturally straighten. As you exhale simply maintain that upright position. Hips Your hips are your centre of gravity, so they're key to good running posture. The proper position of your torso while running helps to ensure your hips will also be in the ideal position. With your torso and back comfortably upright and straight, your hips naturally fall into proper alignment--pointing you straight ahead. If you allow your torso to hunch over or lean too far forward during a run, your pelvis will tilt forward as well, which can put pressure on your lower back and throw the rest of your lower body out of alignment. When trying to gauge the position of your hips, think of your pelvis as a bowl filled with marbles, then try not to spill the marbles by tilting the bowl. Legs/Stride While sprinters need to lift their knees high to achieve maximum leg power, distance runners don't need such an exaggerated knee lift--it's simply too hard to sustain for any length of time. Instead, efficient endurance running requires just a slight knee lift, a quick leg turnover, and a short stride. Together, these will facilitate fluid forward movement instead of diverting (and wasting) energy. When running with the proper stride length, your feet should land directly underneath your body. As your foot strikes the ground, your knee should be slightly flexed so that it can bend naturally on impact. If your lower leg (below the knee) extends out in front of your body, your stride is too long. Ankles/Feet To run well, you need to push off the ground with maximum force. With each step, your foot should hit the ground lightly, landing between your heel and mid-foot, then quickly roll forward. Keep your ankle flexed as your foot rolls forward to create more force for push-off. As you roll onto your toes, try to spring off the ground. You should feel your calf muscles propelling you forward on each step. Your feet should not slap loudly as they hit the ground. Good running is springy and quiet. Good Luck & don't forget to smile... Joe Nolan THINK SOCKET TO POCKETUpper body mechanics can make or break an efficient run. For starters, imagine a line being drawn straight down the centre of your body dividing your body from right to left. This is called your midline. Swinging your arms, or as little as your hands over that midline, usually causes your upper body to follow in a twisting motion back and forth over the midline. This is energy that could be used to run quicker. Holding your arms a bit wider than your hips can help eliminate the hands and upper body torque over the midline. Another energy saving tip with your arm movement, is the range of motion in which your arms swing. Think, pocket to socket. Holding your arms at 90 degrees, bringing your thumb from eye socket to pocket in a continuous repetition. That is about the range of motion your arms should swing in movement to help decrease any extra energy expenditure. Too much arm swing creates too much lateral motion, taking you off your course. Efficient arm swing and upper body rotation will help you travel in a straight line and get from A to B faster. Joe Nolan
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