Runner Rewind

As runners, we love to run. Right?!?
We don’t love to do all the requisite work that running for most of us requires.

At ChelanCamp this year, we were all reminded of this when listening to our guest speakers Alison Gillespie and Cari Matthews of Prevail Physical Therapy group.

How often do you skip strength work, stretching or foam rolling because there simply is not enough time in the day? Yet, you made sure to get in your running miles?

We are all guilty of this at times. Most of the time we don’t think much about it until an injury creeps upon us or an injury forces us to stop running. Then we frantically put in ALL the strength and stretching we can.

Rinse. Repeat.

We were inspired to learn that there are some simple exercises that take just a few minutes and can give a good baseline of where each runner is. For the beginner or the most seasoned of runners, it is good every now and then to take a minute and rewind and go back to the beginning and think about the little things that running requires and that will keep us all running longer.

Check in and see how you respond and where you may need to do some work. We want you active and running for life. Your body will thank you!

Core Work

In the video, we take you through 6 simple exercises that you as a healthy runner should be able to do. They are central to some basic motions of running like balance, hopping, hip stability and lower leg strength. The running motion is basically a series of single leg hops from one foot to the other and we are testing some of those skills.

Some are very simple, yet take a little time and awareness to make sure you are triggering the correct movement pattern. If you can’t quite hit the number of repetitions or time suggested, then this is something to work towards. Notice if the movement is easier on one side or the other and work to even each side. If you have no problems doing these exercises, just use them as a periodic check.

Test Yourself

1. Balance on each foot. Stand barefoot making sure you can hold on if necessary. Lift one foot, keeping your hips level. Balance. Try moving your leg in a running motion. Try closing your eyes. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.
   
   
2. Prone Position Glute Recruitment. Lie face down on a mat. Bring one arm back behind you reaching past your glute (butt) so you can feel the back of your leg (hamstring). Slowly activate your glute as if you were going to raise your leg. You should feel the muscle in your butt fire before your hamstring. Switch sides.  
   
   
3. Side Lying leg Raise with Mini Band. Place a mini band loop just above your knees. Lie on your side with your hips stacked vertical and pillow your head with your arm. Raise your top leg up and slightly behind you stretching the mini band. Hold. You should feel this directly in your glute. The point of this exercise is to make sure you feel it in your glute and being able to hold it for 60 seconds. You may need to work on your position so you can feel it in your glute. Some common form adjustments: roll your  hips slightly forward, keep your core engaged, try bending your bottom leg slightly. Everyone is different so find what works for you.  
   
   
4. Bird Dogs. Begin on all fours with your knees directly under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Engage core and slowly lift left arm and right leg. Bring these limbs down slowly and switch bring up your right arm and left leg. Your hips should stay level with no rocking. Make sure the movement is coming from your hip and do not extend your leg so far that that your lower back arches. Most people do this exercise too quickly and miss the point of core stabilization. Feel your core stabilizing as you slowly switch from side to side.
   
   
5. Single Leg Hops with Balance. Running is a series of hops with balance. Try to do this exercise in front of a mirror or record yourself. When you hop are you able to get off the ground? Does your knee track over your foot? Are you able to balance throughout the motion? You should be able to do about 10 hops on each side with even motion. 
   
   
6. Calf Raises. Stand barefoot and bring one leg up so you are balanced on one foot. Hold onto something (if needed) and slowly raise your heel so your foot is fully extended. A runner should be able to do 20 - 25 calf raises on each side. Make sure you are getting full extension and that you are distributing your weight evenly over your forefoot. Move up and down like an elevator rather than leaning forward. 
   

Own Your Own Training

Well? How'd you do? Did you ace them all? Were some hard and some easy? Was it hard to feel it where expected? Did you notice that you were stronger on one side or the other? Great! You now have a good starting point. Many of these exercises are also about training your brain in the correct movement patterns. Add this short routine in to work on that neuromuscular training. And go out and run!