Are you READY TO RUN?

Ready to Run was released in October 2014, and is designed to help runners recover from injury. This book is written by the same author who wrote "How to Become a Supple Leopard," physical therapist and co-founder of San Francisco Crossfit, Kelly Starrett.

"Ready to Run in organized into 3 main sections: the introduction, the 12 standards, and mobilizations. 

Below are the 12 standards which are assessed in order to be "Ready to Run".

1) Neutral Feet

2) Flat Shoes

3) A Supple Spine

4) An Efficient Squatting Technique

5) Hip Flexion

6) Hip Extension

7) Ankle Range of Motion
8) Warming up and Cooling Down

9) Compression

10) No Hotspots

11) Hydration

12) Jumping and Landing

Starrett goes thoroughly details each of the standards by explaining what it means, why it is important and how to fix it. Each standard has a "Runner to Runner" section which is a story related to the topic written by co-author T.J. Murphy. If appropriate, he recommends mobilizations for each of the standards. The mobilizations are strategies on how to improve mobility of the region, and are detailed at the end of the book.

So does Ready to Run really get you running ready?

I allotted myself 3 weeks to work the recommended mobilizations to help achieve Starrett's 12 standards. Below is a sampling of my results. The pictures on the left were taken at the beginning of the 3 weeks, while the pictures on the right were taken after the mobilizations were performed.

Posture - Front view

Posture- Side view

After performing thoracic mobilizations and pectorals soft tissue work, my posture has significantly improved. My back is straighter, my neck is over my body and my shoulders are pulled back. This helps to reduce the stress on the low back, neck and shoulder.

Hip Flexion

I am able to lift my leg higher and with less struggle. In the pre picture my trunk is rounded forward while in the post picture I maintained an upright position. 

Hip Extension

There is more hip extension in the post picture. Hip extension allows better recruitment of the gluteals and decreases stress to the lumbar spine.

Squat Position - Front view

Squat Position - Side view

There is significant change in the pre and post squat position. I am able to get lower and keep my back straighter in the post pictures. In the side view of the pre picture, you can see the stress in my neck from the crinkling in my skin. Also, in the pre picture you can also see the change in the curvature of my lower back.

In addition, I also worked on the other standards by wearing my compression socks, using the compression band ( please see http://3drunner.blogspot.com/2014/08/compression-band-for-lower-extremity.html) and staying hydrated.

Pros

Ready to Run is a great tool not only for runners, but for just about anyone who is looking to improve their mobility. The book is chalked full of information on injuries, mobility and self mobilization techniques.

Born to Run also does a good job instructing readers on how to perform basic mobilization techniques, and helps you take charge of improving your mobility.

Finally, Starrett also does a good job covering other contributing factors such as shoes, compression garments and hydration.

Cons

Ready to Run presents a lot of techniques, and due to the organization of the book it can be difficult to deduce what injuries are related to what specific limitations. As a result, you may end up performing all the mobilizations in the book (which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just takes awhile).

While the mobilization techniques are nicely organized with their own appropriately titled chapter in the back of the book, compression techniques are found within the standards section titled "No Hotspots." This can make the compression techniques a little difficult to find, especially if reading the text as reference material.

Decision

I think Ready to Run is a great tool for beginners and veterans alike. If you would like to learn self treatment techniques in order to minimize and prevent injury then check out Ready to Run.

So Why Can’t We Recruit our Glutes?

Recently, I have noticed an increase in discussion on how weak gluteals are linked to numerous injuries. Injuries such as hamstring strain, knee pain, and low back pain can all be traced back to weak gluteals. We diligently stretch and strengthen but we all still seem to have difficulty activating our gluteals…WHY? Well here are some reasons:

We sit a lot!

Nearly all of our daily activities are performed in seated position. From eating a meal, driving, sitting at a desk at work, to relaxing on the couch; the majority of day is spent sitting. Additionally, we don’t always sit up straight. We lean against the couch end, we scrunch up in an airplane seat, or we squint at our computer screen, all of which leads to imbalances in our body. From prolonged sitting, the soft tissue in our glutes becomes desiccated and stagnant making it difficult to recruit and generate force. Furthermore, the tightness in our hip flexors also contributes to greater difficulty recruiting our glutes.

In a typical workday, an office worker can sit upwards of 14 hours! Does 10, 20, or even 30 minutes of stretching and strengthening our hips and glutes make a difference? It depends! If a person’s goal is to walk without pain, 20 minutes of exercise may help. BUT if a person’s goal is to return to running a marathon, 30 minutes worth of stretching and strengthening will likely not cut it.

Here’s a video on how to lacrosse roll glutes – One way to restore the soft tissue is to roll it out. By applying pressure on the muscle it pushes the stagnant fluid out and upon release new fluid is allowed in. The process is similar to how a kitchen sponge works.  

Bonus Videos on hamstring!

Is All Pelvic Drop Really Bad?

When standing on one leg study your hip alignment in a mirror. When you lift one leg the pelvis drops on the opposite side, it is an indicator of a weak gluteal in the standing leg. This is called a pelvic drop. There is discussion that the pelvis must stay level in order to obtain proper running form because it’s a sign of a strong glute. Current consensus states that allowing the pelvis to drop can lead to bursitis, ITB syndrome, and knee pain. However, in order to properly load the glutes, the femur must be able flex, adduct and internally rotate relative to the pelvis. Allowing the pelvis to drop (hip to adduct) will actually recruit the glutes. The glutes’ ability to decelerate tri-plane motion is what actually helps keep us injury-free.

Recent biomechanical research agrees that some amount of hip drop is acceptable. If one of those movements is lacking it can place extra stress onto other motions.

The pictures on the left (top to bottom) show the difference in pelvic drop on the right leg (4 degrees) compared to left leg (8 degrees), prior to tri-planar stretching and still with symptoms. The pictures on the right show demonstrate an equal pelvic drop achieved from tri-planar stretching. This results in the ability to run with minimal to no pain.

My example- I had a slip and fall injury which took over 4 years to recover from. I saw numerous MDs, had countless MRIs (often hoping for a positive result, but always coming back negative) and several injections without any relief. It was noted by fellow professionals that I had opposite hip pelvic drop, so I took up a regimen of traditional hip exercises (clams, bridges, etc.) with minimal change. I decided to look at my own videos and concluded that my injured hip did not have ENOUGH pelvic drop. Since I started working on hip mobility I have been able to return to running with minimal symptoms.

So listen to your patient or client and screen the whole body in a kinetic chain and in all planes of motion.

Do Clam Shells Really Get You Back To Running

      Maybe? Traditional gluteal strengthening exercises such as clams, hip bridges, leg lifts and planks provide a good foundation. However, in order to function you must perform exercises that replicate the motion you are trying to fix. The traditional exercises are not authentic to the movement of running. Performing functional exercises in an upright position are necessary to return to functional strength.  While basic strength exercises are necessary for a strong foundation, functional exercises are equally, if not more, important because it resembles our activity, RUNNING. After a long day of sitting, performing activation exercises prior to your run helps to stimulate the muscles. Running requires impact, impact which can injure if our muscles aren’t ready to take it. Think of activation exercises as something to get the rust knocked off of your shock absorbers to prepare the muscles functionally for the impact of running. To help recruit your gluteals while running, when your foot hit the ground kick the leg back and slightly outwards. Perform this activation exercise during the first couple minutes of running to stimulate the glutes.                          

Clam exercise - does it resemble running?

Lunge with reach - resembles running!

Please refer to the post on strength for functional exercises.

PLAN

 1)   Lacrosse ball roll glutes or any other body part. My pre-workout routine is roll out hip flexors, upper back and glutes. I also roll my calfs and quadriceps if they feel tight.

 2)  Make sure your motion in all three planes is adequate on both sides. Stretching my left hip allows my RIGHT hip to go into the frontal plane!

 3)  Perform not only basic glute exercises but functional exercises to gain a good foundation and tri-plane strength. Do activation exercises prior to your run!