Running
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Upright posture and a slight forward lean
Leaning forward places a runner's center of mass on the front part of the foot, which avoids landing on the heel and facilitates the use of the spring mechanism of the foot. It also makes it easier for the runner to avoid landing the foot in front of the center of mass and the resultant braking effect.
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Stride rate
Exercise physiologists have found that the stride rates are extremely consistent across professional runners, between 185 and 200 steps per minute. The main difference between long- and short-distance runners is the length of stride rather than the rate of stride.[1][2]
During running, the speed at which the runner moves may be calculated by multiplying the cadence (steps per second) by the stride length. Running is often measured in terms of pace[3] in minutes per mile or kilometer.
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Running versus walking
In walking, one foot is always in contact with the ground, the legs are kept mostly straight and the center of gravity rides along fairly smoothly on top of the legs; in comparison, humans actually jump from one leg to the other while running. Each jump raises the center of gravity during take-off, and lowers it on landing as the knee bends to absorb the shock. At mid arc, both feet are momentarily off of the ground. This continual rise and fall of bodyweight expends a tremendous amount of energy opposing gravity and absorbing shock during take-off and landing.[4] . The act of running involves using more energy to accomplish travel over the same distance and running is a less efficient means of locomotion in terms of calories expended, though it is faster.
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Running injuries
Due to its high-impact nature, there are many injuries associated with running. Common injuries include "runner's knee" (pain in the knee), shin splints, pulled muscles (especially the hamstring), "jogger's nipple" (irritation of the nipple due to friction), twisted ankles, iliotibial band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinitis. Stress fractures are also fairly common in runners training at a high volume or intensity. The most common running-related injuries are due to over-exertion or bad running form.[citation needed] Repetitive stress on the same tissues without enough time for recovery or running with improper form can lead to many of the above. Generally these injuries can be minimized by warming up beforehand, wearing proper running shoes, improving running form, performing strength training exercises, eating a well balanced diet, getting enough rest and "icing" (applying ice to sore muscles, or taking an ice bath). Ice immersion is a very effective modality in the treatment of subacute injuries or inflammation, muscular strains, and overall muscular soreness. For runners in particular, ice baths offer two distinct improvements over traditional techniques. First, immersion allows controlled, even constriction around all muscles, effectively closing microscopic damage that cannot be felt and numbing the pain that can. One may step into the tub to relieve sore calves, but quads, hams, and connective tissues from hips to toes will gain the same benefits, making hydrotherapy an attractive preventive regimen. Saint Andrew’s cross-country coach John O’Connell, a 2:48 masters marathoner, will hit the ice baths before the ibuprofen. "Pain relievers can disguise injury," he warns. "Ice baths treat both injury and soreness." The second advantage involves a physiological reaction provoked by the large amount of muscle submerged. Assuming one has overcome the mind’s initial flight response in those first torturous minutes, the body fights back by invoking a "blood rush." This rapid transmission circulation flushes the damage-inflicting waste from the system, while the cold water on the outside preserves contraction. Like an oil change or a fluid dump, the blood rush revitalizes the very areas that demand fresh nutrients. Make sure not to stay in any longer than 15 minutes; 10 minutes is usually sufficient. There is a strong consensus among the running and scientific community that all of those can be effective in both minimizing and recovering from running injuries.[citation needed]
Another injury prevention method common in the running community is stretching. Stretching is often recommended as a requirement to avoid running injuries, and it is almost uniformly performed by competitive runners of any level. Recent medical literature, however, finds mixed effects of stretching prior to running. One study found insufficient evidence to support the claim that stretching prior to running was effective in injury prevention or soreness reduction,[5]. Another, however, has demonstrated that stretching prior to running increases injuries, while stretching afterwards actually decreases them.[6] The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that all stretching be done after exercise, this is when the muscles are most warmed up and capable of increasing flexibility. Recent studies have also shown that stretching will reduce the amount of strength the muscle can produce during that training session.
Inconsistent experimental methodology and the failure to use proper stretching methods are reasons given to explain the conflicting results[citation needed]. Because of this, members of the running community argue that stretching remains helpful.[citation needed]
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Jogging
Jogging is a vaguely-defined term which generally refers to a type of slow running, which may have originated in the UK. Previously called "roadwork" in the US when athletes in training, such as boxers, customarily ran several miles each day as part of their conditioning, in the 1960s to 1970s the word "roadwork" was mostly supplanted by the word "jogging," as the activity gained popularity.
The term jogging has fallen out of favour in recent years.[citation needed] Slower recreational runners now refer to themselves as "runners", rather than joggers. Jogging tends to imply that the runner is not trying whereas running implies someone at speed. The informal term "penguin running" has been adopted by many. The term "penguin" was coined by John Bingham.
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Running as a sport
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (June 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Running is both a competition and a type of training for sports which have running or endurance components. As a sport it is split into events divided by distance and sometimes includes permutations such as the obstacles in Steeplechase and hurdles. Running races are contests to determine which of the competitors is able to run a certain distance in the shortest time. Today, competitive running events make up the core of the sport of athletics. Events are usually grouped into several classes, each requiring substantially different athletic strengths and involving different tactics, training methods, and types of competitors.
Running competitions have probably existed for most of humanity's history, and were a key part of the ancient Olympic Games as well as the modern Olympics. Today, road racing is a popular sport among non-professional athletes, who included over 7.7 million people in America alone in 2002 [7].
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Types of running events
- Track running
- Road running
- Cross country running
- Trail running
- Fell running
- Relay Race
- Recreational running
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Classification of running by distance
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See also
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References
- ^ Hoffman, K. (1971). "Stature, leg length and stride frequency". Track Technique 46: 1463-69.
- ^ Rompottie, K. (1972). "A study of stride length in running". International Track and Field: 249-56.
- ^ Pacing chart for running
- ^ Hall, C., Figueroa, A, Fernhall, B & Kanaley, J.A. (2004) Energy expenditure of walking and running: Comparison with prediction equations. Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, 36 (12), 2128-2134. Abstract
- ^ Herbert, R.D. & Gabriel, M. (2002). Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review. British Medical Journal, 325 p. 468. online
- ^ Stretching and running injuries
- ^ USA Track & Field (2003). "Long Distance Running - State of the Sport."
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External links
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