Running Myths Exploded.

Nice wee 20 minute explanation of some frequent issues.

Just flicked through it will watch it fully later.

Good to see the pre run stretching myth debunked again (and little benefit post exercise also)

Good slide on barefoot running and good to have the myth exposed again and the benefit of having shoes fitted in a specialised shop.

Thanks

(and little benefit post exercise also)

if I don’t stretch after running I can barely walk the next day. Should I stop?

if I don’t stretch after running I can barely walk the next day. Should I stop?

My personal advice for you would be to keep on stretching after running. This is on the basis of if it works for you then keep doing it.

if I don’t stretch after running I can barely walk the next day. Should I stop?

You may find it’s not the stretching as such, it’s the warm-down which happens to be in the form of stretching.

I do have an opinion but it is based on experience and anecdote as oppose to Gluptons undoubted expertise and knowledge.

Over the years my approach has been not to stretch but to “warm up” and “cool down” and these are both very necessary. The first doesnt involve any static stretching but would over a period of a few minutes (for a steady run) or much longer for a track or speed session go through the range of movements gradually that you will use during the session. Its common for quality club road runs to start very slowly, build up to very fast then “racing” stops a mile or so from home. Basically start and finsih very slowly.

:edit
Exactly as 5thelephant puts it.

Good to see that he says you can forefoot run with cushioned shoes, too many people try forefoot with minimalist shoes and hate it (because it hurts their feet). I run forefoot in heavily cushioned Nike air’s with no issues.

Its common for quality club road runs to start very slowly, build up to very fast then “racing” stops a mile or so from home. Basically start and finsih very slowly.

I do something similar to this. I’ll walk/slowly jog from the first 15 mins, then run my planned distance as normal, and then walk the last 15 mins back to the house/car. If nothing else it stops me having to sit in the car pishing with sweat 🙂

I run forefoot in heavily cushioned Nike air’s with no issues.

Me too.

When I’m running fast I’m on my forefoot, for long distance, I’m all over the place, use normal cheapy Adidas for everything.

I’m also a fan of start slowly and finish slowly ( I make sure I just walk around for a bit after a long run rather than just stop )

Local trails start a handy 10min walk from my front door, which makes for a perfect warm up / cool down. Still usually take the first km or so easy, though.

if I don’t stretch after running I can barely walk the next day. Should I stop?

Funny, I’m the complete opposite. If I stretch post-run then for the following couple of days I can barely walk. Don’t do it and the next day I’ll be fine.

Does the video tell me if I should by either;

1) Newton Distance Racers (because that’s what’s trendy in triathlon circles)

or

2) some Nike Flyknit Racers (because they’re pretty blinging)

?

WackoAK – Member

Good to see that he says you can forefoot run with cushioned shoes, too many people try forefoot with minimalist shoes and hate it (because it hurts their feet). I run forefoot in heavily cushioned Nike air’s with no issues.

i’ve found a ‘flat’ sole does make it a *little* easier to run downhill maintaining a forefoot strike.

and a big squidgy sole makes it a little trickier to pick my way through rocks/roots.

and the kind of shoe that has a big squidgy sole is useually to narrow for me.

but yes.

surfer – Member

Good slide on barefoot running and good to have the myth exposed again and the benefit of having shoes fitted in a specialised shop.

did you see the bit where he suggested barefoot training might be a good idea if you’re suffering from foot pain?

did you see the bit where he suggested barefoot training might be a good idea if you’re suffering from foot pain?

Nope, reserve the right to change my comments once I have watched the whole thing.

He seemed quite open to barefoot/minimalist running, just seemed to see it as a tool for improving technique for some, which is pretty much how I see it. But he was also saw how it has become a fad, and certainly didn’t see it as required for all.

He was much more dismissive of pronation correction shoes and foam rollers.

I’m in the warm up pre/cool down post camp. Simple light warmups pre run consist of light jogging for about 1k until my breathing settles, then the run, then I cool down about 1k from the end.
No stretches, nadda.
I trail run so most of my run consists of offroad where obsticles invariably control your pace.

Just about to look into the “barefoot” craze, suspect it’s not an option for me offroad though.

But he was also saw how it has become a fad, and certainly didn’t see it as required for all.

Weird, I tried flat shoes and they just hurt, thought it was me but speaking with people in my running club, loads of us have tried them and all of us have gone back to regular padded shoes, even the fast guys

Just about to look into the “barefoot” craze, suspect it’s not an option for me offroad though.

No reason why it can’t be done. Something to bear in mind though; I went for a run around the woods on Sunday with a friend who is heavily into the ‘bare foot’ stuff. I couldn’t see much difference between the sole on his €120 ‘bare foot’ shoes and my €40 cross country spikes.

How do we know that the stuff in the video isn’t the myth? I just read about a sbig study that showed the idea of support to ‘correct’ over or under pronation was bobbins.

Good to see that he says you can forefoot run with cushioned shoes

Yep, but a thick heel makes it a bit harder for obvious reasons. I went looking for flatter shoes, that was when I found out all this barefoot controversy.

I have some Innov8 trail shoes that are fairly cushioned sturdy shoes, but more or less flat.

thought it was me but speaking with people in my running club, loads of us have tried them and all of us have gone back to regular padded shoes, even the fast guys

Funny how people differ – I’m a right fat bastard, and my minimal shoes (not as minimal as some mind) are way more comfy than padded ones, I don’t get any pain. Well, apart from a blister or two sometimes.

Maybe it’s because I’d never done much running in normal shoes so I didn’t have to re-learn much.

start gently, work hard, and end gently

have a beer

works for all sports

Over the years my approach has been not to stretch but to “warm up” and “cool down”

Plus one. I just extended the runs to include the warm up / cool down. Seemed to make perfect sense to me, and for me at least it definitely works. Of course I might just be hard as nails*

Be quite interested to watch this tonight.

*Unlikely on a tremendous scale

have a beer

Recovery ale 😀

360p? C’mon! I don’t care how scientific you are, if you cannot upload a 720p video to Youtube, then GTFO 😡

and the benefit of having shoes fitted in a specialised shop.

Just read what I wrote. I meant to say that I think this is not required and is also a myth

Aye – I did wonder Surfer. He does not think that fancy shoes make much sense.

For warming down – is this aimed specifically at the muscles you’ve just used or is it more of a general systemic thing?
Like say you cycled to a running race, legged it round, then cycled back at an easy pace; or vice verca. Would this be as effective a warm down as jogging home from the running race?

@Garry_lager pretty much I suppose. its about continuing to pump the blood as much as anything else.

If I don’t pre stretch ill get 2 km and my hip will start hurting, agree with everything apart from that

But if there’s no pain the next day, then no weakness has left my body. 😕

did you see the bit where he suggested barefoot training might be a good idea if you’re suffering from foot pain?

Not really. I dont think he advocated barefoot training other than the point on the slide unless I missed it and he was rightly dismissive of the “fad” of barefoot running.

Funny how people differ – I’m a right fat bastard

I always imagined you as a small, wiry character mol!

Every coach / trainer I’ve had for every sport includes a warm up and down both of which include stretching. I’m currently having physio after a knee injury and likewise stretching is a core element especially after using the muscle rehab machine. I think I’ll stick with years of experience rather than a video on the Internet

I’m not too sure placing every coach you’ve had has recommended stretching and you’re recovering from a knee injury in the same paragraph gives the message you were intending 🙂

What’s a muscle rehab machine?

Anyway, isn’t there a difference between stretching to increase range of mobility (ie to achieve optimum bio-mechanic efficiency) and flapping around after you’ve done a bit of training?

The former being done by holding stretches for up to 3 minutes, to tear muscle fibres and is much like any weight training.

The latter just being a bit of a waste of time.

I’m currently having physio after a knee injury and likewise stretching is a core element especially after using the muscle rehab machine. I think I’ll stick with years of experience rather than a video on the Internet

Well “years of experience” and “a video on the internet” are not mutually exclusive.
I saw a physio recently for (a persistent achilles injury) the first time as my usual physio wasnt available. She started to tell me about how I should stretch and in a roundabout way I asked what these stretches would achieve and she couldn’t explain.
Some of the other things she recommended were fine and she highlighted some areas that could have been contributory so it was worthwhile however old habits die hard!

This video didnt tell me much new (other than the ITB being adhered to the Femur!) as I have never been a big fan of stretching even post exercise and there is evidence to show it can even contribute to injuries.

I’d pretty much agree with most that through my own experience over the last few years. Buy my shoes online now, I run forefoot in cusioned albeit low drop trainers, and I have stopped streching as I also think it was contributing to my previous injuries.

However, foam rolling has always seemed to work for me as a method of relieving ITBS. the muscles certainly seem less ‘hard’ afterwards and the pain over the outside of the knee disappears. So I personally find it hard to believe it doesn’t work!

the muscles certainly seem less ‘hard’ afterwards and the pain over the outside of the knee disappears. So I personally find it hard to believe it doesn’t work!

I dont think he is saying it doesnt work at all I think he said it may have some limited benefit. I think there is evidence to indicate that cetain types of massage have benefit and maybe the roller is providing that.

Isn’t he saying that a golf ball, or anything that’s more targeted, would be better than using a foam roller in just one plain of movement?

For those of you who are interested this is about the best explanation that i’ve found of how foam rolling might reduce pain. http://www.bettermovement.org/2013/how-does-foam-rolling-work/