The following information was contained in a recent newsletter-ad:

Achilles tendinitis – clinical facts

Achilles tendinitis is a loose term used to describe the pain,
swelling, and tenderness usually experienced in the area 2cm to 6cm
above the insertion of the tendon into the heel bone.

Around two thirds of Achilles tendon injuries in competitive athletes
are incidents of inflammation. When the term `tendinitis' is used in a
clinical context, however, it refers to tendon degeneration without
associated inflammation. This may lead athletes and their coaches to
underestimate the chronic nature of the condition. Although surgery is
sometimes used to correct this injury, Achilles Tendinitis –
Prevention and Treatment raises important questions about the
effectiveness of surgical procedure.

Assessing risk: the likelihood of injury increases with the number of
years of running, the training pace and the weekly mileage. Achilles
tendinitis is an overuse injury. The longer you have been running, the
more likely you are to suffer and the condition is most commonly seen
in male recreational runners between 35 and 45.

As described below, the way we run can affect the Achilles tendon and
this needs to be analysed.

How the way we run can cause injury: running consists of a
co-ordinated set of joint movements: foot down, cushioning phase,
push-off and toe-off. The joints work together, cushion the impact and
then propel the body forward. If this chain of co-ordinated joint
movements has a weak link, then other parts of the chain have to
compensate and excess stress can occur. An analysis of the running
biomechanics of running shows exactly how, when and to what extent the
muscles work during the phases of running and reveals how inefficient
biomechanics can cause injury.

A common misunderstanding about muscle activity: the nature of leg
muscle activity when you start running at push-off is quite the
opposite of what you might expect to happen.

In fact, the muscles – quadriceps, gastrocnemius, soleus, anterior
tibialis, gluteus maximus, and hip abductors - are not active during
the push-off phase. They only become active just before foot-down to
prepare the body for impact with the ground.

The muscles act to provide a stiffness to the joints in order to
control the landing. Only the hamstrings and adductors are active
during the push-off phase. Contrary to what many believe about running
muscles, the energy from the push comes from the tendons and not from
active contractions of the muscles.

Rear foot pronation and ankle strength: research found that, after
looking at a whole host of factors, a greater degree of rear-foot
pronation and reduced ankle-muscle strength were strongly associated
with Achilles tendinitis.

This means runners need to develop sufficient strength in the ankle
muscles and use specific conditioning and running technique exercises
to control excessive pronation of the rear foot. The causes of
Achilles tendinitis: research has indicated insufficient strength of
the gastrocnemius, soleus and anterior tibialis, and specifically
insufficient eccentric strength, will result in poor control of the
dorsiflexion and pronation during the foot-down and cushioning phases
of running. If these movements are not controlled, particularly the
velocity of pronation, then this can cause an excessive whipping of
the Achilles tendon as the foot strikes the ground and the knee rolls
forward over the foot, which may result in injury.

The hip may also cause problems for the lower leg and Achilles tendon.
This is an example of how the whole leg chain is dependent on all the
links working correctly. If one area, such as the hip, does not
perform its correct function, then other areas are adversely affected.

Functional exercises for the Achilles

The key to making a full recovery from any injury is not just
corrective treatment and healing, but also re-strengthening and
rejoining co-ordination of the joint and all the movements it is
involved with.


* * * * * * *
Ok, enuff said! So how does that play into our way or style of
running? For one, you read (and for the very experienced distant
runner knows) mileage, repeated mileage, lots of mileage, is just
plain setting you up for a retetitive injury such as achilles
tendonitis. "The way we run can affect the Achilles tendon and this
needs to be analysed . . .." Well, what we are trying to teach you is
a method or style that does not employ pushing off and toeing-off.
Remember, we lift the foot off the ground with just the hamstring! We
do not push or slam the foot back down to the ground - but let gravity
pull it down. We want you to run as lightly as possible. "Float like
a butterfly" as the ole saying goes. That's why I ask you to listen
to the way your feet sound when you are running!

Now about those weird drills? Well, I told you last night that they
are for coordination and some for good. solid muscle elasticity and
strength. We are trying to make stronger those other muscles
mentioned above. We are tryng to get you to know your body and regain
control so that excessive pronation is eliminated - good form!

So it's very important to have fun and be relaxed doing all of this
learning of a new style or method. Having fun makes learning less
stressful and easier to absorb the knowledge in question. But you
must at the same time be serious about "making a serious effort to get
the method/style down." Do not go through the motions. Think about
what you are doing. Get to know your body; get in tune with it; get
in control of it! Practice the drills alone in front of a mirror or
with another participant. Now this leads me to another point . . .

We are such a large group that it is difficult to work with you all in
an effect manner. Oh, it's fun at times trying to convey some point
but I am afraind that we cannot be there with you to guide you as
might be needed or expected. So smaller is better! By now you may
know where I am going with this: Pace-Group Assignments.

Last night (if you were there), you learned about your placement in a
given pace group. First, these assignments are not permanent in
nature. It's a work in progress. But for now each group is to act as
a cohesive training unit. That means working together on long runs -
deciding what time to meet (e.g., earlier than 8:00 am?). For some
groups, 8:00 am is it since that how some of you planned this training
program. Others of you are placed in a squad or unit in which doing
the training loing run is a must (and a possibility) in this heat,
especially as we progress in the program and the distance doth
accummulate!

Now, for Tuesday workout, please try to maintain your tribe
affiliation. [Note: For the very fast runners, who are doing long
runs at Candy Cane City (with Brian O'Connor, Paul Schwartz and Amy
Vitro) and Sunday trail runs (with Brian Ivins), you will train on
Tuesday nights as a group by joining the speed group headded by Ellen
Cooper.] By now most of you should know the basic drills and exercises
to do. Every Tuesday I will have posted on the Calendar of the
discussion site and send out an email, what specific speed work needs
to be done for that evening. We will continue to do 15-15s and
lactate spoilers (those are those 2 minute runs with a 1 minute
recovery). But starting in August, you can expect more of the
standard speed work to be introduced - 200s, 400s, and even 800s. [For
those in the Ellen Cooper's Speed group, you can expect some double
duty on speed work since you are more than capable of handling it and
do need the extra intensity] Come September, we will be inside at
Philbin's where you will see and do pylometric and explosive running
techniques - and this is why we give a "nod" to Philbin's for such
sponsorship assistance.

Now this placement should act as a means to get you to train with
folks of similar abilities as yourself. You can push each other as a
group to achieve better form, speed and efficiency. If we introduce a
new drill to your group, this will allow me to pop in and help out
your squad leaders with that. This also will allow me the luxury to
roam around and visit with you all to see how each of you are
progresing alon. Something a head coach should do.

So keep a look out for this pace group placement information. I will
be sending it out in the next day or two. Get to know your
participants in your group. Plan an outing of some sort. Have a DVD
viewing party of the POSE or CHI running DVD, which I will lend to
your group if you want to do that. Have your group select a couple of
workout dates for bringing snacks and refreshments for the whole SR
team. Get inventive. Hey, even name your unit, as they do in
Survivor. Make a name that you can identify as a group. OR as Wanda
say, "let's have a song to call our own!"

More later!

Run Wisely and Safely,

Bob Fabia