Hi TrackRunner & Victory11,
Correct/efficient movement is very important. It usually does not receive much consideration. I would say that the majority of runners out there do not think about the act of movement - they just go out & run. However, when we master the basics of movement we can then move more efficiently under greater stress i.e. towards the end of a race when fatigue starts to set in. It is at this stage of a race that a runner can either loose time or gain time on fellow competitors. On the other hand it is during fatigue stages of our training that inefficient movement can contribute to repetitive adverse forces directed to a part of the body which may then lead to injury.
A good runner is a runner that is able to run relaxed at a fast speed whilst under fatigue. On the other hand again... a good runner is a runner that is able to offset (delay) the state of fatigue for as long as possible. To do this, we must run efficiently... that meaning - energy we put in must be utilised to moving forward & not wasted in alternative directions i.e. sideways (Steve Cram's lower limb in post # 10). Cram was plagued by injury over the final few years of his career... from memory it was the Calf/Achilles region (which doesn't surprise me when looking at the photo in post 10).
At your ages, the focus on efficient movement is very important for the development & education of those neural pathways which help govern an efficient gait via enhanced balance, proprioception, range of motion, strength & speed. As Jimmy4990 alluded to in the previous post... drills & plyometrics are a very effective way of developing the neural pathways & strength required to either overcome a gait related issue; an injury prone area or just become more efficient as a runner (particularly under fatiguing conditions).
In a nutshell; running related drills & plyometrics are exaggerated running movements done either fast or slow, to train a specific muscle group or joint region. It is a fast way of developing better technique & gait. Having said this, you must start slowly (gradually) if you have not engaged in this type of training before as it does put greater stress on certain parts of the body that the act of running alone will not do to the same extent.
The following are some points from coach
Terrence Mahon. Terrence is the coach of
Ryan Hall.
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In this section we will go over the drills for “balance and proprioception.” Basically, we need to learn how to walk correctly before we can run efficiently. The drills that go into this category are ones that focus on slow twitch muscle fibers and are typically done as walking or standing drills. The goals of these exercises are to recruit the postural muscles to hold us in good form when we walk or run. We are looking for positions of movement whether it is forward, backward or sideways that challenges us to hold the head high, keep the shoulders down and back and focus on keeping the hips in line with the knees and ankles at push off. Creating good balance while standing or in slow motion is a great precursor for balance when moving fast.
For starters: Drills...
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Try these balance drills and see how good you are at maintain good posture while moving:
A Walk – a walk with exaggerated knee height
B Walk – same as the “A walk” but finishes off with a kick out of the lower leg once the knee hits maximal height
Backwards Walk – just as it sounds, walk backwards landing on the toe and rocking back to the hell with each step. Keep your head up!
Lateral Walk – walking sideways in a straight line, first walk to the right, then back to the left. Keep your eyes looking at the horizon not at your feet.
Marching in Place – using high knees like the walks, but landing back in the same position. Try to hold the position at the top for 2-3seconds before dropping the leg back down and alternating to the next one.
Standing On One Leg Balance – hold a strong upright position as you lift one leg off the ground and hold for 30 seconds. For increased balance and proprioception challenges do these barefoot and then try closing one eye, the other eye or both and see if you can maintain the same balance as with your eyes open and/ or shoes on.
Reason why:
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The reason these balance drills are important is that you have only .01 of a second to activate the muscles and find balance when your foot hits the ground. Waking up these muscles with drills while in a low impact stance is a great way to improve coordination, decrease chances of injury and improve overall running performance by getting the body in the right position to use the right muscles for the job. We typically start with 1-2 sets of 15-20m in distance for all of these exercises when starting someone new on the program. Mastery must be attained with these basic drills before moving on to more ballistic leg movements such as sprinting or plyometrics.
Logic:
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Overall we are looking for a better “feel” as to where the body is in space and how each limb is moving in relation to one another. The greater the kinesthetic awareness becomes, the easier it is to feel good posture when moving at faster speeds. Start slow and be prepared to be humbled. These drills are simple, but not so easy to perfect. Our nervous systems are geniuses at learning how to move around tightness and weak spots in the body to get us from A to B. However, once we slow down and see how we are getting there, the gig is up and the reality comes to light. Take your time and try these drills for no more than 5-10 minutes per day at first to build better balance.
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i have tried making a conscious effort when running to not crossover, but that doesn't seem to help the slightest.
Victory11, on Jun 6 2010, 06:36 PM, said:
