Over the course of my life so far, I have competed in numerous sports from soccer to javelin to long-course triathlon and everything between! Not only have I had countless hours of personal experience in training and competition, I've also had the opportunity to coach high school varsity athletes (soccer, basketball, volleyball, track, tennis, cross country, rugby and swimming), coach adult endurance athletes (swimming, biking, running and triathlon) and increase the physical fitness and strength of the general population at large as a Personal Trainer.
Here are a few things I've learned as both an athlete and coach:
- Injuries are often a symptom of a larger issue.
- Individuals do not all have the same level of body awareness.
- There is not always one optimal movement pattern, but one that is best for each individual.
- Successful athletes are a blend of physical talent, mental fortitude and relentless determination.
- Intuition is underrated. Listen. To. Your. Body.
- Mental skills take just as much training as physical skills, make time every day.
Though all movement fascinates me, running is no doubt where my passion lies.
Not too long ago, I finished my latest course on running through Bobby McGee, Total Run Transformation and I couldn't be more on fire about running and sharing what I've learned!
This is a great video that highlights some of the basics on running technique.
http://bobbymcgee.com/essentials-of-running-mechanics-with-bobby-mcgee/
In run training, it's important to start with a sound foundation to build upon. Strong before long.
One must first look at their own movement patterns, kinestetic awareness, range of mobility, stability, flexibility, strength and symmetry. Every movement you make throughout the day represents habitual patterns which can help identify where inefficiencies originate. Any compensation allowed to continue over an extended period of time is not only a sign of dysfunction, but can lead to injury.
Strength imbalances are a symptom of compensation and result in instability around the joints. This results in our bodies relying more heavily on smaller stabilizing muscles as the large muscles/muscle groups are not able to contribute effectively. Once the stabilizers are over worked, recovery is compromised, reducing your ability to train consistently and more often than not, leads to injury.
In order to be able to maximize your training, it's exponentially important to reduce both your inefficiencies and risk of injury!
YOUR TURN:
How is your body moving? Take the time to check in with yourself.
Does what you are doing feel right? It might feel easy, but the path of least resistance only the most worn, not the most efficient.
Have you seen pictures or video of yourself running and/or moving lately? Ask a friend to help.
Do you have chronic injury/pain and treating the symptoms does not seem to be helping? If so, you haven't found the real problem yet.
Have you sought the help of an expert? It's worth considering.
Remember -
Train hard, live well!
Sarah
great post!!!
ReplyDelete