We miss you Alia!

There is 60% chance of injury in running. The main reason is very similar to causes of injury in other movements: Bad Form. The other reason is too much volume. People usually seek out some type of training when performing complex movements such as the snatch, but everyone’s just expected to go out and run without coaching.

When Brian MacKenzie of CrossFit Endurance trained for the 100 mile race, he logged 6-8 hours of training a week. TOTAL. That’s running, strength, and met cons added up. That goes against everything conventional wisdom tells us about running. The standard operating procedure to improve running is…running. We already know that conventional wisdom has been wrong about nutrition. Would it surprise you in the least that it’s been proven wrong about endurance as well?

So, how did B-Mac do in the race? Weighing 190 pounds (well above the average ultra marathoner), and cutting his volume by 80% in his training, he finished in the top 25%. The science behind it is in CrossFit’s philosophy of being constantly varied. Shock the body with a variety of movements (run, lift, jump) in different combinations and different intensities and you’ll get much better results no matter what your sport. Squat heavy to get stronger connective tissue to reduce injury.

At this Thursday’s Gymnastics Class, we’ll spend some time talking about running as a skill and how practicing this skill can knock that goat off your list. In the mean time, take a look at some past posts:

Running Diagnosis

Running: A Skill Anybody Can Learn

The Unnatural Nature of Running Shoes

Shin Splints

Strike A POSE

WOD 07.20.11

OHS 3×3

3rds:
400m
21 Sit Ups
15 Box Jumps