It seems like public running is finally catching onto what trained runners have known all along: that coaching is important.
It amazing how most of our outdoor sports have long been done by “typical people” all by themselves, without any help. Yet these people often do these activities at great intensity and for decades. …And they often are injured. Yet they don’t know why.
Is it maybe because Americans are a bit anti-teaching? Naw, on running teams at schools there are always coaches and they are intense. So there are thousands and thousands of trained runners out there. But, still, it seems like most folks think they can just go out and run like heck on their own and be fine. Burn calories. Go fast. Have fun. No problem. …Millions of injuries result.
Bike racing, canoe racing and XC ski racing are other areas where the general public has no coaching. At the elite levels XC skiing always has had coaching and been technique intensive. But biking and canoeing? Naw. Biking is catching onto coaching now.
Speed skating has always had coaching. It’s been famous for its intense technique requirements.
I suspect all outdoor sport is just as technique oriented as speed skating. Most of us just skip that part, though.
Anyway, everyday runners have recently started to really catch onto coaching. It started with the near-universal injuries that baby-boomers are finally facing. Then came Barefoot Running. Now we have Pose and Chi running.
I wonder what the longterm coaches teach?
Basically, I think that if we’re going to run we should be trained. By someone who knows. It should be done with video feedback.
But what’s up with all these styles and camps? Running is big bux. It’s highly competitive.
I was thinking that the Pose Method was the smart thing. So I googled around a bit. Turns out there is some serious questioning of it. Ugh. Especially check out the Comments section of the following link. That’s where the action is:
www.sportsscientists.com/2007/10/pose-running-reduces-running-economythe.html
The upshot is that these coaches and science types say that Pose is a scam. Whoa…
Anyway, I love to run. But of late it seems like it makes my hips achy. I’d like to regain my running. I need to take a clinic, it looks like. But is there any agreed-on technique out there? I don’t want to end up in some offshoot camp without knowing it.
One of the Comments at the link above seems to have it right: We should learn a variety of techniques so we can change up to rest muscles and so we can adjust to the terrain we encounter. I’d like to find a coach who’ll help me with that.
It’s amazing how all the different camps use “science” to sell their view. Evaluating science is tough work…
