Primitive Running 2 - Coach Rick is Massive

As I mentioned in Part 1, this is not a comprehensive review of running biomechanics. If that is what you're looking for here are a few resources, which I may or may not have looked at myself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoUoyBCB1Kg

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Check_your_form__Running_with_correct_biomechanics.htm

http://www.bobbymcgee.com/products.html

http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm

Running: Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology in Practice (Hardcover)~ Frans Bosch (Author), Ronald Klomp (Author)

So this begs the question, "is there a difference between what I call "primitive running" and just plain old good running technique?" Hmmmm... I think this will be the topic of a later post.

What I want to concentrate on now is outlining my specific goals for transforming my running and talk about the problems I expect to encounter or have already encountered during my transformation.

If you watched the Dave Scott video listed above you'll see that the last two items listed under "Biomechanics Head to Toe" were 1) AVOID HEEL STRIKE and 2) FOOT LANDS ALIGNED WITH CHEST. These two items are my personal focus for this blog either until I'm done writing or until I have an experience that forces me to realize there is something more worthwhile to talk about. I want to change myself from an over striding heel striker to a properly striding forefoot striker. Here is the difference, slightly exaggerated for effect:



I'm the guy on the left. I want to become the guy on the right. If you take a look at the resources listed above the guy on the right is supposedly the better runner. With a forefoot strike less impact force is transferred to the knee joint and less forward momentum is lost during the deceleration phase of the running motion. So I need to stop landing on my heel and start landing on my forefoot with every running step that I take.

My problem is that I am massive. As of yesterday I was 6 ft tall, 208 lbs. If you subscribe to the logic of the Body Mass Index (BMI) I'm overweight and nearly obese (my BMI is 28.2... see http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ to calculate yours). In the world of distance runners and triathletes I'm a super heavyweight. Some call us Clydesdales. This mass is a problem because it makes landing on my forefoot an extreme challenge for my calf muscles, my arches and for the forefoot itself. In my attempts to run in this style I've experienced significant pain in my left forefoot and healthy doses of fatigue and soreness in my calf muscles, both during and after the run.

So I should just go back to my old way of running, right? At one point in my life it got me to a 31 minute 8k and I've never had any serious injuries. Many people with heel strikes do get injured, but I never did... so why bother to change? Well, curiosity I guess. At this point I'm convinced that running with a forefoot strike planting under my center of mass will make me a faster, more efficient runner if I work at it. And that is the key... WORK.

I expect this to take time. For the pain in my feet and calves to subside I will have to make them stronger. And it will help if I lose some weight. If I shoot for 10% body fat I would weigh in at about 185 lbs. Still pretty heavy for a distance athlete, but better. And with stronger calves and arches it should get me where I want to be.

And how long will this take? I'm guessing about a year. Yes, I'm looking at a full year of diminished running times and growing pains in hopes that the long-term payoff will be worth it. And so far I have seen some progress.

I started toying with the idea of changing my running form in July of 2009 after attending a USA Triathlon coaching clinic at which Olympic running coach Bobby McGee presented technique tips similar to those I've mentioned in this blog. Since then I've been experimenting with things like stride rate (number of times your foot hits the ground in a certain amount of time), position of foot strike relative to my body's center of mass, pelvic tilt and forward torso lean. Here is a simple outline of my experiences to date:

July through September 2009 - focused more on stride rate, torso lean and location of foot strike than on forcing a forefoot landing. It was easier to do short, high speed intervals at higher speeds, but maintaining posture and pace for longer periods was difficult. Lower back and hamstrings felt strained, but not injured.

September through November 2009 - began forcing a forefoot strike. Could only run for about 15 minutes before my forefoot, arches and calves screamed for mercy. Lots of delayed onset muscle soreness in the calves. It was at the beginning of this phase that I started to realize my weight might be seriously inhibiting me.

November 2009 through December 2009 - still forcing a forefoot strike. I can now run about 45 minutes with a forefoot strike before pain in my feet and calves becomes significant. Definitely making progress. Body weight is still above 200 lbs but arches, calves and hamstrings feel much stronger.

So to recap, I began my transformation in July of 2009. Running was generally difficult under the new style, but is getting much easier. I expect it to a year for this to feel natural. My specific near term goals are to strengthen my calves and arches by forcing a forefoot strike and spending plenty of time in the weight room, and to lose weight to reduce the demand on my muscular and skeletal system. I'll measure progress by comparing my running results from this coming season to my existing PRs, as well as a more subjective analysis of how things feel when I'm running.

My next several posts will consist of summaries of my running workouts with random thoughts added in. Expect further discussions of biomechanics, barefoot running, mental aspects of running, and more!

Transforming myself into a primitive runner

Hey. How's it going? Thanks for checking out my blog. I bet you hope this will be interesting. Me too. Here goes...

This post is the first installment of the still developing story of how I'm transforming myself into a primitive runner. I know what you're thinking... "what is primitive running? Why should I continue reading? Who is this blogger? Why does his grammar suck?". I'll answer in reverse order: I don't write much other than technical reports; I am Rick Vendlinski, triathlon coach; you are curious about endurance sports; it is running using the technique we were naturally built to use.

The next thing you might be thinking... "why is Rick writing about this topic"? We'll I just finished reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and I have to say I'm inspired. If you haven't read it here is a synopsis (no spoilers): Man learns about tribe of native Mexican super runners, confirms their existence, provides background on their impact on modern ultra-running and provides review of running biomechanics across various cultures. In addition to an interesting non-fiction adventure story, the book presents an argument that humans were, well, born to run, but that most modern runners do not run as efficiently as our hunter-gatherer predecessors.

This is not a new idea. Born to Run is not the first book to make this argument. And certainly I am not an innovator in the field running biomechanics. However, I do believe I can offer some perspective to the debate (more on my unique perspective later).

To clarify, the topic being debated has two opposing sides which extol the following two viewpoints:

1) Humans were designed to be great runners and naturally have perfect running form. The use of modern footwear inhibits this perfect form and creates slower, more frequently injured runners.

2) Every human has their own unique running style that feels comfortable to them and straying from that individual running style can lead to injury and poor running efficiency. Modern footwear enhances the running experience and improves race times.

The scope of science and speculation surrounding this topic is huge, and I don't want to present a comprehensive review. What I do want to do is:

1) Tell you which side of the debate I believe in now.
2) Briefly and occasionally explain why I believe it.
3) Explain specifically how I am trying to transform my running.
4) Tell you if it is working.
5) Tell you which side of the debate I believe when my experiment is over.
6) Explain how my experience is relevant to whom I'll call "Regular Jo" (Jo is short for Joseph or Joann, whichever you prefer).

Regular Jo is a person who has little to no experience with competitive running, is not super-fit, and has no desire to dominate the world of endurance sports. Prior to about 2001 I was Regular Jo. In most ways I am still Regular Jo, though I have accumulated some race experience in the past few years. I like to coach Regular Jos because I can relate to them. I've faced the challenges they face. I hope this experiment will provide some insight that will make endurance running more accessible to them.

I'll get down to business in my next post. Regular Jos standby.