I know what you’re probably thinking. “Aren’t people supposed to run sober?” The problem is, when a lot of people run, whether it’s at the gym or outside, they look as if they’ve been drinking. I’m only joking. A little. I think.
Before I get to addressing what I just said above, let’s look at driving. Not anyone, at any time, can simply get in a car and drive it. You have to have a license. To get that license, you have to pass a road test. To pass that road test, you have to practice your driving skills- turns, parking, reversing, etc. Even when you do all of that and finally get your license, you still have to renew it every few years. “On the road,” you have to adhere to certain rules and regulations. Everyone’s driving “mechanics” may be different, but successful drivers fall into the same catergory- “generally profocient at driving.” Every car isn’t a ferrari. Some cars look like they’ve been purchased at a toy store. Some are old and appear to have been through many repairs. But, every functioning car, regardless or how it looks, needs an engine, regular oil changes, gas, brakes and tires.
Basically, driving isn’t just driving. Same goes for running. You shouldn’t be running only to lose weight. You should be running because you enjoy it– not because you know someone who changed their body by running. There are plenty of ways to change your body, which is a whole other post in itself. Running is a sub-culture. It is not only a means to an end. You most definitely can make great aesthetic progress while running, but there’s a risk vs reward aspect involved in that entire idea. Overall structural integrity is what’s often sacrificed by running. If someone already has faulty joint mechanics, flexibility and/or mobility issues, several movement impairments, soft tissue restrictions and horrible posture, they’d be better off banging their heads against a wall than attempting to run as a means of general fitness.
I can’t tell you how many times I hear people stomping and pounding on the pavement and tredmills while they’re running. It’s as if they’re trying to break the surface below them with a sledge hammer. Worst of all, these people aren’t even the heaviest. That, for example, is knee dominant running. YOU HAVE NO HIPS! Those problems need to be addressed before starting any program, let alone running- something that requires a ton of impact and repetitions per mile. With that said, there are runners who have built a great running threshold. They’re great runners (because they like running), but they’re either always getting hurt, or they’re not improving in speed and endurance. These people, too, can share some of the same issues as those who’ve never ran. My advice? Simple!
STOP RUNNING.
I know what you crackheads, I mean, runners are thinking. “Stop running? No phuckin way! Over my dead body.” Ok, well keep running that way. Soon enough, you’ll be as good as dead, and I’ll come and stand over you and read everything I’m about to tell you anyways.
Now, noone runs with perfection. I’ve already kicked ideals in the head.
I understand everyone is different, much like every car is different. But, there are certain areas every runner should be addressing in order to be able to do what they like to do. These areas are the engines, gase, oil, brakes and tires of a runner’s body.
Surprisingly, I’m not on the whole “running is the dumbest form of activity out there” bandwagon. If you’re doing it for the right reasons, and if it works for you, that’s what matters. I know the whole comparison between marathoner bodies and sprinter bodies. Who cares? Maybe sprinters look the way they do because they lift their asses off. Maybe marathoners or everyday running enthusiasts should lift their asses off too. Middle distance runners can even carry more bulk, so it isn’t that running is bad, but too much running is bad and borderline pointless. You don’t have to “just focus on running” to complete a marathon. You most definitely “won’t get bulky” while running as much as a hyenia. If you’re running a marathon so you can eat your ass off, then in all seriousness, that’s an issue that needs to be addressed, like, last week. Dr. Phil? Truth is, if you get stronger and stop running so much, you’ll run better. There are many ways to progress your running ability by doing other forms of conditioning and strength work.
On to the first three of 6 exercises for running sober…..
Strength in the upper body helps provides balance and reduces rotation forces through the body during the whole gait cycle.
1. Push-Up (and push-up isometric holds)
Push-ups are a great exercise to strengthen your chest, shoulders and triceps (the mirror muscles). More importantly, push-ups are a great upper-body and core training tool for pelvic stability. They enhance communication between the two halves of the body because in order to perform them correctly, you must maintain sturdiness throughout the whole body. The scapula also moves freely with good push-ups. Shoulder stress is kept to a minimum, and good push-ups help create good thoracic mobility, which is essential for runners who especially tend to lean forward.
2. Horizontal Row
Horizontal rowing strengthens the lats, traps and rhomboids (the muscles you can’t see by directly looking in the mirror). Proper postural alignment is extremely important in the upper body, especially for runners. Many runners, while fatigued, tend to start rounding their shoulders forward. This creates unnecessay energy demands from the rest of the body. On top of that, rounded shoulders can create difficulty in breathing, and overall running technique is sacrificed down the rest of the body. Healthy shoulders are heavily influenced by strong scapular retractors and depressors.
3. Rotator Cuff Work
Many runners have weak external rotators of the shoulder. Even if they are “strong” in their upper body, weak external rotators can still prevent proper throacic extension or scapular retraction while running. Weak external rotators can also cause “wild arms” while running. This can be a result of many things, and while push-ups and rows will help strengthen a runner’s upper body, direct rotator cuff work will minimize any muscle imbalances and create symmetry between the anterior (front) and posterior (back) of the shoulder.
Stay tuned for Part 2 with the Lower Body…..
Training, Living, Growing 