Earned Runs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Request Bibs/Contact
  • GEAR LOVE
  • FAQ
  • Starter Checklist
  • RESOURCES*
  • Oh the Places You'll Go!
  • Generosity
  • THE HONOR SERIES
  • BONE STRENGTH FOR ATHLETES
  • About

2017: YEAR OF HAPPY FEET & ANKLES?

1/3/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Feet at the beach taken May 21, 2014 by PKSenagore. All rights reserved.
BUILD RUNNING STRENGTH FROM THE FEET UP in 2017. Allison Pattillo reminds runners of the importance of foot strength in her article for Competitor.com, which is not readily conveyed by the title, “When Imbalance is a Good Thing: Build Strength with Balance Boards.”
 
She quotes Eric Orton who is an endurance athlete, the author of The Cool Impossible, and a coach. “The health of our feet, good or bad, relates to our run health”.  He goes on to say, “If you really think about it, our feet are the only thing touching the ground”, and “We are only as strong as our feet.”  The athlete-coach indicates that exercises which focus on the foot and even ankle, hip, and spine muscles “that are often overlooked, are essential when it comes to developing healthy patterns in running muscles.”
 
 
Patillo goes on to provide helpful advice on improving balance. There’s a link to another piece showcasing balance boards that can aid runners in this work. The message about foot strength is not as strong once balance is discussed in the article, so it’s being emphasized here. Runners and walkers who are spending time now to develop a training plan for 2017 might consider making improvements in foot and ankle strength, which can includes balance work, the foundation of their year’s effort.
 
Earlier in 2016 an Earned Runs BLOG featured research results that pointed to functional ankle/foot mobility and strength as being equally or more important to running health as we age than that of the larger joints. “It may be that our ‘running age’ is more closely related to our ankle ‘age’ than hip or knee age. It’s not too late to work on strength, mobility, and flexibility for the ankles and feet if you hope to keep running beyond age 45 when overuse injuries are known to increase.”
 
Check out this article, "GMB Fix Your Feet” written by the physical therapist Jarlo, and perhaps you will decide to focus training first improving mobility, flexibility, and strength of the feet and ankles.
 
The lengthy website page item “first introduces the basic anatomy and movements in these structures, then discusses the importance of working on this area, and lastly how to incorporate the demonstrated exercises in a training routine.” Scroll down to the section, “Strengthening Exercises for the Feet and Ankles” to quickly review the exercise/massages and select some that will work for you.

To be able to “run happy” into the future, perhaps it’s best to start with happy feet in 2017.
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2016/04/training/when-imbalance-is-a-good-thing-build-strength-with-balance-boards_149005\
 
http://running.competitor.com/2016/04/shoes-and-gear/6-balance-board-options-for-unique-strength-work_149008
 
https://gmb.io/feet/
 
* Orton’s book, published in 2013, was described by Goodreads.com:
“Featured in the bestselling book Born to Run, coach and performance guru Eric Orton has spent a lifetime learning and thinking about running and about the limitless possibilities of the human body and mind. In The Cool Impossible, Orton shares his wealth of knowledge in an inspiring step-by-step guide that will open up a new world of achievement for runners of all levels of ability and experience. “
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15808539-the-cool-impossible
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
    Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device.
    Picture
    Finished my first 50K challenge, a virtual but real effort April 6, 2021. Qualifies me as an ultra-marathoner! All rights reserved.

    Author

    EARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder.  I began participating in road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology.  I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health.

    Archives

    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All
    Greeting
    Image Only

    RSS Feed

    New! Search Box

    Earned Runs is now searchable! Check it out...
EARNED RUNS LLC                                                                                                                                                                                                    Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Request Bibs/Contact
  • GEAR LOVE
  • FAQ
  • Starter Checklist
  • RESOURCES*
  • Oh the Places You'll Go!
  • Generosity
  • THE HONOR SERIES
  • BONE STRENGTH FOR ATHLETES
  • About