How to Be a Better Runner Without Running

July 27, 2011 - PRLog -- You may say you do bits and pieces of these three things, but do you really spend the proper amount of time on each of them?  So instead of always trying to increase your mileage or improve your pace, do this:

1. Foam roll – soft tissue work   
2. Stretch properly – dynamic stretches and static
3. Strength train – legs, core and upper body

The number one thing I would recommend to all runners and athletes alike is to do soft tissue work.  Foam rolling is the easiest and least costly method of doing soft tissue work.  A foam roller works out the knots and trigger points in the fascia of the muscles.  By the way, fascia is the protective covering of all muscles that binds them together.  If your fascia is tight, so are you.

Foam rolling increases blood flow to the massaged areas, increases flexibility and soothes sore muscles.  By working on your soft tissue, your muscles and joints will move in their normal patterns without restrictions.  Things like arch pain, IT band pain, runner's knee and back pain will be significantly reduced or relieved by taking proper care of your muscles.  So think of it this way: tight fascia leads to restricted muscle length which leads to restricted movement patterns which can lead to over compensation and extra strain on the joints of the body causing inflammation and then pain.  

Basically a foam roller is like having your own personal massage therapist on hand at all times.  Other techniques can be employed such as using a hand held trigger point tool or getting regular deep tissue massages.  You can roll everyday as much as you want.  If it hurts, that means you need it more.

Stretching is the second main piece of the puzzle to reduce running injuries.  There are some important strategies here too.  One of them is never stretch cold muscles.  How many times have you watched someone who is about to run start stretching?  They grab their foot and do a quad stretch, then they straighten their legs and do a hamstring stretch, and so forth and so on.  By doing this, you can actually increase your risk of injury.  Reason being, if your muscles are tight and have knots in the fascia, you are tightening the knots and not getting the length needed for a proper stretch.  

I advise warming up with a foam roller first before stretching or at least a 5 minute warm up with some light cardio.  You should increase core temperature and get some blood flow into the muscles allowing them to become more pliable before any stretching.  

I also suggest doing some active or dynamic stretching prior to a run.  Once you have completed your run do static stretching.  I would also recommend foam rolling after a run as well.  When you do stretch, it’s not just your calves, quads and hamstrings.  You use your whole body to run, so stretch your whole body.  For a complete pre-run warm up and post-run stretch routine, see my free eBook listed below.

Strength training is the third piece of the puzzle.  Don’t panic, you do not have to go to the gym and lift weights for countless hours per week.  I simply want you to do some basic movements that will increase your running economy.  By increasing your running economy you will require less effort and energy to run the current pace and distance you are doing.  You will actually run smoother and faster and have more gas in the tank for your long distance days.

Bodyweight is a great place to start.  Foundation movements like squats, lunges, leg curls (on your foam roller), body rows, planking and push ups are great exercises to begin with.  Again you do not have to do this for a long period of time.  You are probably a runner and want to run, so carve out 10 minutes and add these strength training moves to the beginning of your run on short to moderate runs.   If you download my free ebook there is a great dynamic warm up routine that may be all the strength training you need at this point or simply try this simple circuit (do exercises continuously) and then immediately go for your run:

1.   Body weight squats x 20
2.   Push ups x 20
3.   Lunges x 10 per leg
4.   Plank for 30 seconds
5.   Repeat #1-4 two more times and go run…

So in conclusion, I recommend foam rolling and stretching before and after your runs and finding a place for strength training twice a week.  If you have everyday aches and pains, 90% of the time it is due to tight fascia and imbalanced muscles.  It takes time to work on it.  You won’t fix your aches and pains in one rolling session, but doing it daily will definitely help.  Strength training will help keep your body balanced and strong enough to tackle hills with confidence and sprint to the finish line in a race.

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If you want more info on this topic check out this FREE eBook: http://www.free-ebooks.net/ebook/How-to-Reduce-Everyday-P... by
Todd M. Cambio, CSCS, owner of Precision Fitness, LLC. Todd is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who uses interval strength training techniques to maximize his athlete's potential.