Robustness training, see also: Intro | Explanation | Calf Muscle Example | Alignment Challenge | Pilates Improves
Introduction: Running and related sports can be classified as damaging forms of exercise, and it is rare for a runner to go two years injury free. A study performed on US Intercollegiate Track and Basketball Athletes revealed a 29% injury rate for the season (ref 1 - these were serious injuries). It is therefore not sufficient to train for speed and endurance alone. You need to train and maintain for "robustness" as well. (A robust runner is one that does not break down). 1. Robustness is the ability to keep going in the face of stress & uncertainty.
2. Specific Training versus None-specific Training - it's a Trade Off. Specific training develops specific robustness. The highly tuned track athlete may cope with the expected and trained for stresses of the 1500 meter race, but may not be able to cope with the unexpected - for example getting boxed in on the bend. He or she needs atleast some none specific robustness training. By comparison, the none specifically trained rugby player would not even be aware of being boxed in! - this sort of none-running specific body contact is the bread and butter of his sport. On the other hand, the rugby player would not have trained specifically for speed endurance to see him staying ahead of the pack. That is the trade off between robustness and specificity. Correct Strategy:
Example 1: A tight buttock and leg alignment problem. A runner has tight buttock and thigh muscles that cause his right leg and foot to point outwards. As a result, backward leg drive during sprinting puts extra stress loading on the lateral hamstrings, the head of the Soleus muscle and the ligaments at the back outside corner of the knee. The resulting pain impairs both specific race performance and robustness. The solutions are:
A road runner who is used to running in road shoes with built up heels and pronation support puts on a pair of racing flats for track sprinting. His heel is lower, and his calf muscles are not used to working at the longer length. Also, (due to the sudden withdrawal of pronation support), the runner cannot cope with the normal and natural pronation stresses to the foot and ankle (see note 1). Thus, the calf muscles, and ligaments of the inside foot are put under unaccustomed stress. The resulting break down is totally predictable and almost totally avoidable - provided the runner had learnt the training drills and muscle maintenance strategies to avoid the injury occurring in the first place. The Solutions (discussed in more detail in the next section) are:
© Bruce Thomson, PilatesRunner May 2008 |
