Stretching and strengthening

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 15

Stretching and strengthening

RUNNERS’ DIARY

By

John Drew

Among family fun-level runners, as well as competing track athletes, about six out of 10 are off training for some period each year because of inury — the accepted term in the running world for going lame. The internationally famous New Zealand athletic coach, Arthur Lydiard, who is now aged 60, has run about 270,000 km iij racing and training. He has never been lame because, he says: “I have always worn shoes with plenty of rubber between me and the road.” You may recall this quote earlier from Arthur Lydiard in this column, but it is a case where repetition is justified. “Train, don't strain” is one of Arthur Lydiard’s favourite slogans; and while no runners can be reminded too often of Arthur Lydiard’s many wise counsellings, there are plenty of other sports injuries not necessarily tra= ceable to the wrong shoes and running too fast, too far, too soon. One 65-year-old man was reminded of this after completing last week’s 26 mile 385 yard Sedley Wells mid-winter marathon. It was his 20th marathon. He had suitable shoes. And he ran the marathon slower than his racing pace while attempting to help even slower finishers through at the back of the field. Yet he became lame after that marathon with aches which spread from the hip through the buttock and down the back of the thigh. This condition is worth mention because it is not uncommon among runners. Dr George Sheehan, a heart specialist who is famous in the United States as a sports medicine columnist and is a notable marathon runner at the age of 55, calls it sciatic neuritis and says it can be one of the few troubles in the hip and buttock which is worse

while the sufferer is sitting or in bed. Dr Sheehan says that this condition can be often traced to leg length discrepancy and the need for stretching techniques to deal with “strength-flexi-bility imbalance” created by running. He suggests trying a compensating heel height. His stretching routines are known- to many runners as “The Magic Six.” The first stretching exercise is the wall pushup for the calf muscles. Stand flat-footed about three feet from the wall with hand against the wall lean in until it hurts, keeping the knees locked,

the legs straight and the feet flat.. Count: "One second, two seconds,” etc. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat for one minute. The second is the hamstring stretch. Put your straight leg with knee locked ' on a footstool, later a chair, finally a table as you improve. Keep the other leg straight with knee locked. Bring your head toward the knee of the extended leg until it hurts. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat for one minute, then do the same exercise with the other leg. The next stretching exercise is the backover for the hamstrings and low back. Lie on the floor. Bring straight legs over your head and try to touch the floor with your tqes until it hurts. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax by bringing your knees to your ears for 10 seconds. Repeat the

stretch- and relax periods for one minute.

The first strengthening exercise is for the sii n muscles. Sit on a table with the legs hanging down. Put a 31b to lb weight over the toes. Flex foot at ankle. Hold for six seconds. Relax. Repeat for one minute with each leg.

The second is for the quadriceps (thigh muscles). Assume the same position with the weight. This time, straighten the leg, locking the knee. Hold for six seconds. Relax. Repeat for one minute and then do the same with the other leg. Next is the bent-leg situp. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet close to your buttocks. Come to a sitting position. Lie back. Repeat for two sets of 20. Some of these exercises were also recommended by Dr Don Johnson, director of sports medicine at the Carlton University of Ottawa who lectured here last year, as well as by a former United States marathon runner, Debbie Rhode, who now directs a popular running club for women of all ages at the Christchurch Y.W.C.A. Another prevalent and stubborn sports injury which can respond to stertching routines is a strained or torn calf muscle. The immediate treatment of this type of injury is, of course, application of ice packs to stem internal bleeding.

When this condition gives persistent trouble try taking a week off running and do toe raising with toes on a block of wood about two or three inches off the floor to give greater extension.

Each day try three groups of movements, say, of 20 repetitions each. Later increase the resistance with a bar bell across the shoulders. Later in this column we plan to discuss other commonly experienced running injuries as well as the place of yoga, weighttraining and diet in the runner’s regimen.