So there I was out for my 10km run, and suffering, as you do.
So I thought I’d try something out.
When I did my last gym session for 2016, I did some shuttle runs with dumbbells in my hands.
Why?
As I said in my previous post, I’m stupid.
But anyway. I found that I was running differently. I was planting my feet and then pulling them backwards, instead of planting my feet and letting my body naturally flow over the top - which is how I normally run.
This active pulling technique uses way more of my quads and was a pretty powerful way to run. My shuttle runs were pretty quick (for a little old man).
So I tried experimenting with it as I ran down to the sea yesterday. Again, I instantly felt much more powerful and it used much more of my quads, which were really stiff and sore. So I stopped doing it pretty damn quickly I can tell you.
Ok, so what about my hamstrings? Could I run in a way that doesn’t use so much of my quads?
Since I was running on my front foot Chi Running style, I decided to try placing my foot further forward and bringing more of the heel into it.
I wasn’t worried about heel strike. I don’t weight much more than four feathers and my foot was only a couple of inches off the ground. I’m also running in proper padded running shoes instead of my Vibram Five Fingers (which I just love!).
It was interesting. My calves kicked in and told me that they too were really sore from the previous day’s run. But my quads were pretty quiet.
I was onto something here.
What if I could change the muscles I used to run at will? I could alternate between them and give them a ‘rest’ for a while. That might have huge implications for surviving a marathon.
The next big surprise came when I decided to run up the steep hill that leads to my house.
Remember the bit where I said I’m stupid?
Normally I’d run this sort of hill (if I was ever stupid enough to run up a hill) on my toes, pressing down hard to push myself up the hill.
It takes a bunch of effort to do this (which is why I don’t like doing it) and I’m usually panting my lungs out after a few seconds of uphill action.
This time I decided to try my new running technique of pulling back on the sole of my foot and keeping the full sole on the ground.
How would that affect my running up the hill?
The difference was dramatic. I powered up the hill with ease. Remember this is at the end of a 10km run and I powered up the hill and it barely increased my heart rate.
I think I’m definitely onto something here.
I’m going to play around with this and see just what sort of control I can gain over my muscles and how that affects my power and stamina.
I’ll keep posting here in Challenge 30 about my progress and any new insights I stumble across.
Has anyone else come across this sort of thing?
Is it all common knowledge and I’m only just finding out about it?
What else don’t I know? (besides everything. Apparently I know nothing and my wife keeps calling me John Snow. What’s that all about?)