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RUNNING FOR FIGHTERS PART 2
The last article outlined the three main running methods, and the benefits that they provide to a fighter. Now we’ll concentrate on the running itself.
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>Obstacles make running interesting
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Reasons Not to Run?
Repeated injury to ankles, shins and knees are a common reason for not running. If this happens to you, consider the following:
Have you got the right running shoes?
Running shoes are designed to suit specific pronation types – the way that your running foot moves as it strikes the ground. It’s important to select the right shoes for your physiology or you’re very likely to develop problems.
This movement or pronation of the foot is designed to absorb the impact of your body weight with the ground. If your foot moves too much (over pronates) then you’ll tend to develop painful shins, knees and hips. If your foot doesn’t move enough (under pronates) then you may develop outside ankle or knee pain.
- An over-pronating foot needs to be stabilised with a more rigid running shoe.
- An under pronating foot needs additional cushioning to absorb the impact with the ground.
- A neutral pronating foot requires no special absorption or stabilisation. It already does an effective job without any help!
I think that the easiest way to determine your pronation type is to look at the wear pattern on your old trainers. The outside of the heel will be have the most amount of wear – this is normal. The foot strikes on the outside of the heel and then rolls inward to absorb the impact. The best indicator will be the wear through the forefoot.
If most of the wear is on the inside (medial) then you over pronate. If most of the wear is on the outside (lateral) then you under pronate. Central wear indicates an neutral pronation.
Knowing your pronation type is the most important factor when selecting suitable running shoes. A proper running shoe shop will determine your pronation type and offer you suitable shoes. Online running shops allow you to select shoes from categories relating to pronation style. The shoes types are given various names, not all useful, but generally normal or neutral pronation shoes are called ‘supportive cushioning’, over pronation shoes are called ‘motion control’ or ‘stability’ and finally under pronation shoes are just called ‘cushioning’.
The main thing is that the retailer has a range of shoes to offer you for your pronation type; regardless of the name they have given the category. Get the right shoes and you can have injury free running.
Finally, also consider that running shoes last for between 300 to 500 miles. After this, you’ll begin to pick up injuries due to the degradation of your shoes. So, a fighter running 3 miles, four times a week will need to replace their shoes every 5 to 10 months.
What surfaces do you predominately run on?
Pavements and roads transfer excessive shock into your joints. Try to run on grass or dirt tracks if possible to minimise the wear and tear on your body.
How far are you running and how often?
Start gently, running for 10 to 15 minutes to begin with. Then after a day or two, add a further 5 to 10 minutes running time. It’ll take a couple of days before you feel the full effects of your first run. Building gradually allows you to adapt to these new demands, making injury less likely. This is particularly relevant to heavier fighters.
Are you warming up and cooling down?
A warm up before, and cool down after running helps guard against such injuries.
Run Like a Fighter
Now let’s turn running into fight training – this should cure any boredom issues (another major reason for not running regularly).
Get off-road
Leg muscles and ankles become better conditioned if part of the run is conducted on an uneven surface like a park. Obstacles and winding tracks keep you mentally switched on. Branches encourage a good guard and evasive head movements!
Listen to motivating music
Playing motivating music on a personal stereo of MP3 player works for a lot of people. If your music also contains round timing markers then you can achieve two functions in one (see website for Timer Training Mix CD).
Monitor your progress
When using the interval-training format, monitor how far around a defined route you manage to get at the conclusion of each round. Time your runs, including split times at obvious ‘milestones’ along your route. Compare your current performance to previous personal bests – keep a log of each training day.
Take this a step further using a heart rate monitor to provide an accurate indication of how hard you’re pushing yourself at every moment. You can also determine your recovery rate, and thus your level of fitness.
Using body fat measuring scales you can monitor the effects of running on your body weight / muscle mass
Develop physical and mental toughness with intervals
Both interval and sprint running develops a fighter mentally. Successful fighters have a mental toughness that drives them on even when tired and hurt. Pushing your running to this level builds mental resilience, giving you confidence in how hard you can work for a given number of rounds. Aim to finish every running session with a sprint finish.
Consider this: While you are sat in front of the TV with a packet of crisps, your opponent is tearing around the park!
Next month we will take a look at martial arts strength training.
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