January has been about running and I hope that it has been interesting to read and the Facebook lives have been of interest. Any comments will be gratefully received.
In Summary, the National Running Show was extremely interesting and there were a number of different Therapists involved. Seeing how each one of them worked and the different skills and techniques used was very interesting and enlightening. The other interesting element was the how they gave advice and provided differing views and approaches to deal with the runners psyche. The message that we all gave was actually very similar and our views about what we saw held a very common thread.
What was that thread? The lack of strength and conditioning in people’s general plans was a factor in injuries and niggles seen. The main emphasis of what I was trying to get across was the importance of strength of training when training for any event whether it be running, cycling, triathlon, rugby, cricket, hockey or football. Preparation for each sport will be different in terms of what strength and conditioning they choose to do, but will have that one common component. A Sports Therapist like Andrew Spaak will be able to advise and provide some assistance.
I quite often get told or asked “But surely all I need to have is a pair of running shoes?” In simplistic terms the answer is “Yes” but to reduce the risk of injury and to improve performance, strength and conditioning is key! This has ended up being another post about the benefits and importance of strength and conditioning, but it’s important to prepare, prepare, prepare.
- Running Shoes – Get them fitted properly and make sure they are comfortable.
- Have the right kit and if running at night be seen and be safe.
- Strength and Conditioning (Yes – I did need to put it down again)
- Have a plan that is appropriate for you and don’t worry if you have to change it or something gets in the way.
- Regular Sports Massage will help.
The most important thing is to SMILE and ENJOY!
