Running - Not as Simple as it Seems

Simple. Pure. Natural. And I'm not talking about bottled water. Running is so elementary - you just put one foot in front of the other - that those not indoctrinated into the cult of forward motion occasionally belittle its difficulty. Its simplicity is part its glory. Since our first steps, that mile run in gym class or just trying to catch the bus, running is universal amongst bipeds. Most anyone can do it, and you don't have to learn any rules first, you just step out the door and go.

Nonetheless, the more I run the more I am amazed at the sport's true complexity and its intricacies. This past month I have dealt with some hip and thigh pain. I saw numerous physical therapists, an orthopedic surgeon, an athletic trainer and talked with anyone who would listen about my discomfort. In the end, the only diagnosis I got was that I've been running incorrectly and have some severe muscle imbalances, likely leftovers from improper strength training.

If running is so easy, so straightforward, how the heck have I been doing it incorrectly? Well, there are hundreds of muscles and tendons and ligaments and other junk in the way that must all work together, fire at the right time and generally appease the running gods who dictate injury and health. I'm no doctor and it when people start talking about anatomy I sometimes get lost; nonetheless, with so many body parts it's easy to see how something might go wrong.

On Sunday I went to a talk sponsored by the Indiana Running Company that explored the topic of injuries and correct running form. A local chiropractor and physical therapist discussed why they have great "job security" thanks to all the runners with horrible form plugging in mile after pounding mile, step after incorrect step.

Their main message was that over the course of thousands (or millions after a few months of marathon training) of incorrect steps, the body can break down due to even the most minor of imperfections. Here are a few of their points of emphasis that I've been trying to incorporate into my running. In only a few days I have already noticed a positive change.

*Use your hip flexors and lower abs for power. The muscles of the lower leg (calves, feet, etc.) are meant to absorb force, not to propel you forward. This means that you should focus on pushing your thigh upward, almost a marching motion, instead of pulling back on the ground with your lower leg, ankle and foot. Engaging your lower abs is difficult if you are not used to it and requires practice. Think about drawing your belly button in towards your spine, bringing your hips forward and not letting your butt stick out.

*How you spend the other 20+ non-running hours of your day will affect your running. If you train your body to be in a slouched position, you'll be slouched when running. That means you can't get as much air in your lungs as possible. Poor posture also means you are not moving as efficiently as possible, both contributing to injury and slowing you down.

*Better to do less distance correctly than more incorrectly. Do four miles with your lower abs contracted and getting good knee lift instead of six miles shuffling along and your body will thank you later. If the lack of mileage drives you nuts, cross train until your core is stronger and your form good enough to run correctly as far as you desire. Runners tend to be obsessive compulsive and want to hit their mileage no matter what. If you fall into that category, think about how ugly a big fat goose egg in the running log looks when you are injured and can't run at all.

*Think about your form while running. Pick one aspect of your form and focus on it for at least 5 or 10 minutes every run, be it keeping your shoulders back and arms swinging straight, striking the ground with your midfoot (instead of your heel or forefoot), or drawing the lower abs in and lifting up those knees.

While it is always nice to loose yourself in run and not think about anything, this weekend's talk was a good reminder to me that sometimes you have to work that brain muscle too. Running is actually an extremely complicated process, anatomically, mentally, strategically. The more details you can learn, the more about proper mechanics you can integrate into your exercise, the better off you will be. If Tiger Woods can change his form and still be the best golfer in the world, each of us can take a chance and break out of our comfort zone to try something better. It is not easy, muscle memory takes time and effort. Your muscles have to study to do well on runs just like you have to study to do well on a test. Consciously think about it for each step for at least a small part of each run, especially at the end when form is most likely to break down. Running may be natural, but injury-free running requires a some supernatural effort!

Stride on friends.

Hello Lead Pack fans!

This is my first post on TheLeadPack.com, so I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Jessica and I am a run-aholic. Born, raised and still living in Indiana I am a Hoosier through and through. I was raised by a pack of wild Boilermakers and am a proud graduate of West Lafayette H.S. Luckily, though, I managed to escape to Bloomington in 2002 and ran at IU for 5 years before taking a job once my eligibility ran out this summer with the IU School of Journalism; it helps pay for my running addiction. I run for Brooks Team Indiana Elite and am coached by Ben Bartley, who runs the Indiana Running Company here in town. While at IU I did my undergraduate degree in Political Science and Spanish with a minor in Business and squeezed in a master's degree in Journalism on IU's dime since I had redshirt eligibility left. Basically, I like to write and am excited about someone asking me to write, so I apologize ahead of time for my lengthy posts!

I started running mainly to get in shape for soccer and to tag along with my best friend's parents who were avid road racers. This summer I broke my soccer juggling PR (150 in a row) and have an eye witness to verify, so all of you who read that article about Galen Rupp and Salazar, I did that first! Ha ha, anyway... I started playing soccer in 1st grade and played all through high school. I only ran cross country my last three years while I did both fall sports. I would run in the morning before school and go to soccer practice after school. On weekends my dad put many miles on his car driving me from early meets to soccer games all across the state. I mention this only because I disagree with the current theory that kids have to specialize in one sport to be truly successful. Playing soccer was fabulous cross training and injury prevention that gave me a lethal kick at the end of those 4k's and also kept me mentally fresh. When I was being recruited my senior year of high school one college coach told me in September of that year that I would not place as highly in the state meet or at national high school races because I played soccer. I went on to win the state meet that year and qualify for Footlocker Nationals, so not only does that show the value of mixing things up but also the power of attitude in sport (don't tell me I can't do something if you don't actually want me to do it!).

Early on I was convinced I was an 800m runner, even refusing to run the lengthy 1200m race in junior high track. I couldn't have been more wrong as I am actually a 10k-marathon type person. Every once in awhile I pull out some bursts of speed, a 72 at the end of a 10k or one 31-second 200m at the end of a long track workout last year stands out in my mind, but normally I have to be very warmed up to get my legs moving. I've been doing drills with some sprinters lately and I look like a sloth compared to them, but I'm getting better!

I ran my first marathon last October in Columbus, Ohio and qualified for the Olympic Trials - Marathon this April in Boston. That was really exciting as I had only done one 20-mile long run beforehand and my mileage only went above 70 per week twice, so I know with a more focused build up I will eventually be able to run a really fast marathon. Even with the extreme booty-lock I had the last 5k of the race it was a fantastic experience and I am completely hooked on the event. I am running the 10k at the Stanford Invite on April 5th in hopes of also qualifying for the Olympic Trials - Track & Field on June 27th in Eugene, Oregon. Because of that my training is really more 10k focused, although I've been doing longer long runs (16-20 miles) and have bumped my weekly mileage up to 70-80 miles per week whereas last year at this time I was averaging 55-60. I think this will greatly help me later in the season, but I sometimes struggle with not being able to do workouts quite as fast as last year because of the increased mileage. Luckily I have some great friends and running partners around here to keep me motivated and positive. I do a Tuesday evening track workout and Sunday long run each week with Dani Prince (formerly of Indiana State) and Jane Daniels (formerly of Charlotte) and they are fantastic training partners and friends.

If anyone has any questions feel free to let me know; I'm more than happy to answer. I'll be posting my some of my training, race results and random thoughts on running on here and am grateful to Derick for inviting me to be a contributor. Stride on friends!
~Jessica Gall