Training Tip #13 - Running To Avoid Injury

(The following information was compiled from an article by TNT National Advisory Coach, Jack Daniels)

There is no doubt that one of the biggest enemies of runners is injury; primarily injury brought on by the act of running itself. When you realize that each time your foot hits the ground while running, you are hitting the ground with a force that is about 2-1/2 times your body weight.  This means that if you weigh 150 pounds, you hit the ground with about 375 pounds of force.  Not quite the same as jumping down a flight of stairs, but certainly it approaches that type of stress on your feet, ankles, knees and hips, not to mention all the tendons and muscles surrounding those critical areas.

Consider Your Stride Rate:

It is recommended that you try to run with a stride rate that is around 180 steps per minute.  Try counting your strides the next time you run.  It is easiest to count only one foot, and multiply by two.  You will likely find that your stride rate is slower than 180.  Running at a stride rate of 180 steps per minute will force you to take small steps with a quick turnover.  Small steps, with a faster leg turnover, causes you to elimiminate vertical movement, or bouncing, from your stride.  With a slow leg turnover rate, you spend more time bouncing in the air.  As a result you are elevating your body mass to greater degree.  The higher you elevate your body mass, the harder you hit the ground opon landing.  It’s the impact associated with hitting the ground that results in injuries.

Minimize Impact:

So, how do you minimize landing shock when running?   Try to pretend you are rolling over the ground rather than bounding from foot to foot over the ground.  Try to avoid placing each foot out in front of yourself, which often acts as a breaking action, increasing the impact force as you go from one foot to the other.  Try to have your feet land closer back, toward your center of gravity, so your body is floating (or rolling) over your feet.

Consider Your Footstike:

Consider your foot-strike - Where you strike the ground (relative to your center of gravity) is one issue and another is how do your feet strike the ground, or how should they strike the ground? 

Foot strike tends to vary, not only among individuals, but also based on the event for which you are training.  It is most common for runners who are racing in short events (as are sprinters and even some middle-distance runners), to hit the ground on the balls of their feet, almost like they are running on their toes.  On the other hand, many longer-distance runners, which certainly includes those who are running a marathon, tend to strike the ground with a heel-first landing, or in some cases, a mid-foot landing.

A big advantage of mid- or rear-foot landing is that it reduces the stress placed on the calf muscles and shifts the landing stress more to the larger thigh muscles.  It is not uncommon for beginner runners to develop calf pain, and fore-foot landings add to that possibility.  If using a heel-first landing, try to imagine you are rolling over your feet as your body moves forward following each landing.  You start with your heel strike and then your body weight rolls forward over that foot (typically along the outer side of the foot) to the ball of the foot and the eventual to departure from the ground for another stride.  This, rolling over each foot action, gives you that feeling of rolling over the ground and minimizes the landing shock, as referred to earlier.

Over the years of testing many runners of all ability levels, it has become apparent that some people are more comfortable using one type of foot strike while other runners are more comfortable with a different foot-strike technique.  However, as a beginner, runners should experiment with different foot-strike techniques, and use the one that is most comfortable, least fatiguing and allows for a good, light quick turnover rate of about 180 steps per minute.  In particular, if experiencing calf or shin discomfort, try to concentrate on a mid- or rear-foot landing technique for a few weeks and see if that solves your problem.  Very often, just focusing on taking 180 steps each minute will result in mid- or rear-foot landing and you won’t have to think about how you are striking the ground.

One final thought about foot strike and that is to try to avoid turning your toes outward as you land.  Have someone watch you from the front, as you run toward them, and have them look to see if your feet are striking the ground with the toes pointing straight forward, rather than to the side.  A turned-out foot landing often leads to shin pain along the inside of the lower leg.

Go for 180 steps a minute and learn to roll over the ground with as little effort as possible and running should be much more enjoyable and leave you more injury free.