15 Dec
Blog

The Benefits of Hill Running — More Speed, Better Mechanics, and Power

I grew up in the late 70s and 80s, have been an athlete my whole life and have loved soccer since I can remember. So one of my favorite mainstream media training stories as a kid was the hill legendary running back Walter Payton used to condition himself in the off-season. Search all over the internet and you can find stories about Payton's alien conditioning, how he brought athletes from all sports to exercise, and how they all ultimately knocked out from exhaustion. He's one of the most prolific runners in the NFL, arguably one of the greatest of all time, and the hill was his secret.

I've been training for almost twenty years now and I'm obsessed with mountain running. I owe that to Payton, and since speed is the ultimate goal in all of my programs, hills (or stairs for those of you who don't have a suitable hill nearby) are an absolute must in any speed or conditioning program. I've spent the majority of my career between Cal Poly and San Jose State, and both places have significant hill / stadium slopes that are perfect for pounding my athletes.

Why hill

Power and strength are crucial when it comes to speed, especially during the acceleration phase. Forty yard jumps, tall running backs shooting through a seam, a batter racing down the first baseline to hit a throw, or a forward exploding to the hole, the sudden surge of speed is the most important factor. It is the first three to five steps that determine the success of the effort.

Check out the NFL combo. When you see the athletes running into their 40s, it's the start that makes the best time. Conversely, if you see a man stumble out of the gate or take a sloppy step, rest assured that the time will be less than impressive.

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgUP_u604NA (/ embed)

Mountain running teaches the drive phase of a sprint like nothing else can. Because of the incline, the runner has to use the forefoot to climb. One of the most important speed training cues we use is that the forefoot is responsible for speed and the heel is responsible for braking. Even tall guys who, due to their size and tendency to heel contact, come up first when running on level ground, are forced into a “suitable” sprint position. Think of the lean angle that world class sprinters use on the first 50-70 meters of a 100 meter run – this is the position we want to teach and the hill does it for us automatically.

The most obvious benefit is the burden that mountain running puts on its feet. I've always thought that parachuting, tape running, and partner hauling were silly considering all of these devices or routines are aimed at the benefits of time on the hills. In addition to squats, Olympic weightlifting and / or kettlebell training, nothing will improve leg strength and explosiveness like sprinting up a hill.

Use mounds for side applications

Since the vast majority of the teams I train for speed don't really have the ability to run straight in their sports where they would benefit from on-track training (think top speed), we devote almost all of our time to Change of direction training. Many children have little or no understanding of how to turn. They have no understanding of where their body is in space, they insist on using their toes to slow down, and most of the time they have little control over their swing when running.

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ymA2RlXnKg (/ embed)

Due to the incline of the hill you have chosen, the runner must of course bring his drive foot into a "toe-in" position when climbing sideways. If they don't, their efficiency will drop and they will almost instinctively feel the need to adjust. When you are on level ground, one of the most important lessons I teach is a subtle toe-in on the outside leg of a turn. This does two things. First, it allows the runner to fully access the big toe while riding. Second, it is directionally in sync with the goal they are trying to achieve. Believe it or not, this is something many of these kids don't own when they first show up. And what you get when you don't have this technique is a slow, feeble attempt to redirect yourself.

Next, gravity is a tyrant. The natural slope of the hill requires a very strong push. One that is required on level ground when the athlete is trying to accelerate. If I can get a kid to drag their bum up the hill, either sideways or straight, then they have context and I can get that kind of understanding on level ground.

The benefits of backward hill sprints

Running backwards on the mountain is the perfect way to pound your athletes. The hill I use is behind our sports complex in Cal Poly and is about 35 meters long with an incline of about 14 percent. Steep. We have integrated running backwards into the final phase of our mountain training. Part of that is because I want my kids to be very uncomfortable, part of functional speed for my defensive backs and linebackers, and the other part is that they develop some level of resilience.

When I was in college we had to walk around the outside of the Begley Building at EKU. In all fairness, it was a deliberate way of making us miserable. The slope changes outside were constant and there was a close relationship with misery because we were told to do this for 15 minutes or more without a break. It was a total jolt, but it taught us a lesson – learn how to penetrate pain. Nothing careless, just a burning sensation on your legs that would almost choke you on your own vomit.

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Bv5g-JRFA (/ embed)

The foot drive that walking backwards when going uphill is basically nowhere else to be duplicated. It teaches the kids how to push off the forefoot with whatever they have. Remember that acceleration is in the front of the foot and braking in the heel. The runner trains the right pressure, the right place and the economical use of the feet.

Hills teach running efficiency

Again, due to the incline, the runner is brought into a position in which he has no choice but to give everything. Due to the distance, they have to go up a hill, casual jumping or sessified hopping only makes the ascent 10 times longer. Because they want it to be over as soon as possible, you get a natural full effort.

Hopping has proven to be the hardest part for my children. Other things might hurt more, but jumping makes them work as hard as possible, coordinate their movements as efficiently as possible, and their anaerobic energy system burns them up completely. It is a pleasure to watch.

Selected image: KieferPix / Shutterstock

05 Mar
Blog

An Introduction to Running Cadence

Among other things, technology lovers, data junkies or sports science nerds like me can follow that the cadence can be easily monitored on a GPS device. A 2016 study showed that using a commercially available watch such as a Garmin is, among other things, a reliable and valid method of tracking cadence. 1.9

The definition of the current cadence

We have known for years that many walking injuries are related to the forces that go through the body when it hits the ground with every step.

Cadence is the number of steps a person takes per minute. The reason we started paying attention is that research a few years ago has shown that this correlates with the influence of the legs with every foot strike.

Higher cadence means more steps per minute, which means less strain or impact on a run. Kind of cool, right?

Increasing the cadence can also help when crossing. Opening your crotch is a great thing for sprinting, but not efficient for distance running. For this reason, Usain Bolt does not run marathons. Most people who cross the country with their knees locked hit their heels on the ground at the point of impact.

It is a braking movement that causes a choppy step. This places a heavy strain on the joints and can lead to injuries over time. Think about how often your leg hits the ground over a 5, 10, or 15 mile run.

Change your cadence

A recent study of healthy runners running at 7.5% higher cadence for 8 weeks showed an 18-10% reduction in their stress rate (impact force) .8

These runners kept their new shape a month later. If you don't have an injury, you don't need to increase your cadence. Unless you are overwhelmed.

If you have an injury, changing your cadence can help. Studies have shown that this helps with problems such as stress fractures and lower leg injuries such as shin splints.5,8 An increased cadence has also shown an increase in the activation of the gluteal muscles.5

Making better use of these muscles during a run can help with the biomechanics associated with other injuries like IT band syndrome. 3,10

Increase your cadence

The first thing you need to do is find your cadence. Count the number of times your right foot hits the ground in 30 seconds. Multiply this by four to get the total number of footbeats per minute.

You may be thinking, "But I read on social media, or a friend told me, or a famous running magazine wrote that I should run at a cadence of 160-180. And more is better, so I shoot for 180 ! "

The media suggested a cadence of 160-180 since cadence studies were published a few years ago. In them, the participants had an average cadence of 165-185. However, I was lucky that the author presented his research results.

They are quick to notice that their results are based on increasing each runner's individual cadence by 5-10% .4.8 The mean of their subjects was 165-185, but there was great variability among all participants in the study.

If you're 140, try 147 (5%). Once you are familiar with it, try 7.5%. If you still go too far or are in pain, try 10% – and contact a PT or other sports doctor.

For all high-flyers out there, you don't have to increase your cadence above 10%. More than that will do great damage to your running economy. This is basically how much oxygen or energy you need to keep up a pace – making you run less efficiently.

The trick is to find a sweet spot for your shape that is sufficient for you not to "brake" with every step, but not so quickly that you have difficulty turning your feet over.

Use your phone to track your running

Metronome apps let you put your new, improved cadence into practice. I got good results with Run Tempo and Pro Metronome. There are other versions that can even sync your music to your tempo, which is great because who wants to hear generic pounding for 5 miles?

If you change your cadence, be patient. At first glance it will seem terribly awkward to run with a faster turnover. Use intervals first. When listening to music, start with one song “On” and two songs “Off”. Then try two one and one and increase the switch-on time from there.

Reduce your risk of injury

Recent research has focused on reducing a runner's vertical vibration or bounce.1 If you decrease this, not only will the ground reaction forces decrease, but the cadence will also decrease. So instead of counting, try to keep your body as low as possible on the floor.

Concentrate on running "softer" and not jumping. This is also traceable on some portable devices. When we talk about keeping your body on the floor, we are not talking about slumping or hanging. Keep your shoulders upright and your hips slightly bent forward.

You can also try increasing your stride from your stride. Studies have shown that the tension and load on the shins are influenced by the step size. If your posture is narrower, the lower leg is generally subjected to greater stress. 7

Do not try all of these methods at the same time. It is difficult to keep all of these changes going on for miles, and you don't know which factor actually helps. If you have a question, plan a gait analysis with a running expert to determine exactly what will help your individual needs or training.

Finally, remember to manage your training load or intensity. Your cadence or shape doesn't matter if you're constantly revising your joints and tendons. If you have racing goals, increase your mileage accordingly. There is a fine line between too much and too little.

The conclusion of the cadence

The cadence depends on how much stress or impact passes through the body when you run. If you have or have had an injury in the past, increasing your cadence may be an option for your workout.

Find your individual cadence. Not everyone should run at 165-185 steps per minute. There are other ways to reduce the impact or risk of injury, e.g. B. Increase the step size, change the training load and reduce the vertical vibration or jump.

References:

1. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Anthony Carroll, Andrew Rombach and Joseph Zeni. "Validity and reliability of a commercial fitness watch for measuring running dynamics." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 46, No. 6 (2016): 471-76.

2. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Richard W. Willy, Anthony Carrol and Joseph Zeni. "Changing cadence or vertical vibration while running: effects on running related injury factors." International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy 13, No. 4 (2018): 633–42.

3. Fredericson, Michael, Curtis L. Cookingham, Ajit M. Chaudhari, Brian C. Dowdell, Nina Oestreicher and Shirley A. Sahrmann. "Weakness of the hip abductor in distance runners with iliotibial band syndrome." Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 10, No. 3 (2000): 169-75.

4. Heiderscheit, Bryan C., Elizabeth S. Chumanov, Max P. Michalski, Christa M. Wille and Michael B. Ryan. "Effects of the manipulation of the cadence on the joint mechanics while running." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 43, No. 2 (2011): 296-302.

5. Lenhart, Rachel, Darryl Thelen and Bryan Heiderscheit. "Hip muscle strain when running at different walking speeds." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 44, No. 10 (2014).

6. Lenhart, Rachel L., Darryl G. Thelen, Christa M. Wille, Elizabeth S. Chumanov and Bryan C. Heiderscheit. "Increasing the walking step rate reduces the patellofemoral joint forces." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 46, No. 3 (2014): 557–64.

7. Meardon, Stacey A. and Timothy R. Derrick. "Effect of manipulation of the step size on the tibia tension during running." Journal of Biomechanics 47, No. 11 (2014): 2738-44.

8. Willy, R.W., L. Buchenic, K. Rogacki, J. Ackerman, A. Schmidt and J.D. Willson. "In-field gait retraining and mobile monitoring to treat ongoing biomechanics related to tibia stress fractures." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport 26, No. 2 (April 2015): 197–205.

9. Willy, Richard W. “Innovations and pitfalls in the use of portable devices in the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries related to running.” Physiotherapy in sports 29 (2018): 26–33.

10. Worp, Maarten P. Van Der, Nick Van Der Horst, Anton De Wijer, Frank J.G. Backx and Maria W. G. Nijhuis-Van Der Sanden. "Iliotibial band syndrome in runners." Sports medicine 42, no. 11 (2012): 969-92.

04 Mar
Blog

An Introduction to Running Cadence

Among other things, technology lovers, data junkies or sports science nerds like me can follow that the cadence can be easily monitored on a GPS device. A 2016 study showed that using a commercially available watch such as a Garmin is, among other things, a reliable and valid method of tracking cadence. 1.9

The definition of the current cadence

We have known for years that many walking injuries are related to the forces that go through the body when it hits the ground with every step.

Cadence is the number of steps a person takes per minute, The reason we started paying attention is that research a few years ago has shown that this is related to how much impact you get through your legs with each foot strike.

Higher cadence means more steps per minute, which means less strain or impact on a run. Kind of cool, right?

Increasing the cadence can also help when crossing, Opening your crotch is a great thing for sprinting, but not efficient for distance running. For this reason, Usain Bolt does not run marathons. Most people who cross the country with their knees locked hit their heels on the ground upon impact.

It is a braking movement that causes a choppy step. This places a heavy strain on the joints and can lead to injuries over time. Think about how often your leg hits the ground over a 5, 10, or 15 mile run.

Change your cadence

A recent study of healthy runners running at 7.5% higher cadence for 8 weeks showed an 18-10% reduction in their stress rate (impact force) .8

These runners kept their new shape a month later. If you don't have an injury, you don't need to increase your cadence. Unless you are overwhelmed.

If you have an injury, changing your cadence can help, Studies have shown that this helps with problems such as stress fractures and lower leg injuries such as shin splints.5,8 An increased cadence has also shown an increase in the activation of the gluteal muscles.5

Making better use of these muscles during a run can help with the biomechanics associated with other injuries like IT band syndrome. 3,10

Increase your cadence

The first thing you need to do is find your cadence. Count the number of times your right foot hits the ground in 30 seconds. Multiply this by four to get the total number of footbeats per minute.

You may think, "But I read on social media, or a friend told me, or a famous running magazine wrote that I should run at a cadence of 160-180. And more is better, so I shoot for 180 "

The media suggested a cadence of 160-180 since cadence studies were published a few years ago. In them, the participants had an average cadence of 165-185. However, I was lucky that the author presented his research results.

They are quick to notice that their results are based on increasing each runner's individual cadence by 5-10% .4.8 The mean of their subjects was 165-185, but there was great variability among all participants in the study.

If you're 140, try 147 (5%). Once you are familiar with it, try 7.5%. If you still go too far or are in pain, try 10% – and contact a PT or other sports doctor.

For all high-flyers out there, you don't have to increase your cadence above 10%. More than that will do great damage to your running economy. This is basically how much oxygen or energy you need to keep up the pace – making you run less efficiently.

The trick is to find a sweet spot for your shape that is sufficient for you not to "brake" with every step, but not so quickly that you have difficulty turning your feet over.

Use your phone to track your running

Metronome apps let you put your new, improved cadence into practice. I got good results with Run Tempo and Pro Metronome. There are other versions that can even sync your music to your tempo, which is great because who wants to hear generic pounding for 5 miles?

If you change your cadence, be patient. At first glance it will seem terribly awkward to run with a faster turnover. Use intervals first. When listening to music, start with one song “On” and two songs “Off”. Then try two one and one and increase the switch-on time from there.

Reduce your risk of injury

Recent research has focused on reducing a runner's vertical vibration or bounce.1 If you decrease this, not only will the ground reaction forces decrease, but the cadence will also decrease. So instead of counting, try to keep your body as low as possible on the floor.

Concentrate on running "softer" and not jumping. This is also traceable on some portable devices. When we talk about keeping your body on the floor, we are not talking about slumping or hanging. Keep your shoulders upright and your hips slightly bent forward.

You can also try increasing your stride from your stride, Studies have shown that the tension and load on the shins are influenced by the step size. If your posture is narrower, the lower leg is generally subjected to greater stress. 7

Do not try all of these methods at the same time. It is difficult to keep all of these changes going on for miles, and you don't know which factor actually helps. If you have a question, plan a gait analysis with a running expert to determine exactly what helps your individual needs or training.

Finally, remember to manage your training load or intensity. Your cadence or shape doesn't matter if you're constantly revising your joints and tendons. If you have racing goals, increase your mileage accordingly. There is a fine line between too much and too little.

The conclusion of the cadence

The cadence depends on how much stress or impact passes through the body when you run. If you have or have had an injury in the past, increasing your cadence may be an option for your workout.

Find your individual cadence. Not everyone should run at 165-185 steps per minute. There are other ways to reduce the impact or risk of injury, e.g. B. Increase the step size, change the training load and reduce the vertical vibration or jump.

references:

1. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Anthony Carroll, Andrew Rombach and Joseph Zeni. "Validity and reliability of a commercial fitness watch for measuring running dynamics." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 46, No. 6 (2016): 471-76.

2. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Richard W. Willy, Anthony Carrol and Joseph Zeni. "Changing cadence or vertical vibration while running: effects on running related injury factors." International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy 13, No. 4 (2018): 633–42.

3. Fredericson, Michael, Curtis L. Cookingham, Ajit M. Chaudhari, Brian C. Dowdell, Nina Oestreicher and Shirley A. Sahrmann. "Weakness of the hip abductor in distance runners with iliotibial band syndrome." Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 10, No. 3 (2000): 169-75.

4. Heiderscheit, Bryan C., Elizabeth S. Chumanov, Max P. Michalski, Christa M. Wille and Michael B. Ryan. "Effects of the manipulation of the cadence on the joint mechanics while running." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 43, No. 2 (2011): 296-302.

5. Lenhart, Rachel, Darryl Thelen and Bryan Heiderscheit. "Hip muscle strain when running at different walking speeds." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 44, No. 10 (2014).

6. Lenhart, Rachel L., Darryl G. Thelen, Christa M. Wille, Elizabeth S. Chumanov and Bryan C. Heiderscheit. "Increasing the walking step rate reduces the patellofemoral joint forces." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 46, No. 3 (2014): 557–64.

7. Meardon, Stacey A. and Timothy R. Derrick. "Effect of manipulation of the step size on the tibia tension during running." Journal of Biomechanics 47, No. 11 (2014): 2738-44.

8. Willy, R.W., L. Buchenic, K. Rogacki, J. Ackerman, A. Schmidt and J.D. Willson. "In-field gait retraining and mobile monitoring to treat ongoing biomechanics related to tibia stress fractures." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport 26, No. 2 (April 2015): 197–205.

9. Willy, Richard W. “Innovations and pitfalls in the use of portable devices in the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries related to running.” Physiotherapy in sports 29 (2018): 26–33.

10. Worp, Maarten P. Van Der, Nick Van Der Horst, Anton De Wijer, Frank J.G. Backx and Maria W. G. Nijhuis-Van Der Sanden. "Iliotibial band syndrome in runners." Sports medicine 42, no. 11 (2012): 969-92.