Run forest Run!... (Running)

Member Name: B_O_M_B_A_

Product:	Running
Date:	05/08/08 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to do, widely accessable and cheap!

Disadvantages: Potential injuries, very competitive

Introduction and History -

Before I got into hockey I was an avid runner, I ran for my school, town and county at a young age and thought I would go all the way. I won a AAA award at the age of 11 with a 100m time of 13.79 seconds, quick for a little person. Unfortunately everyone started to grow much quicker than I did and I was soon the third fastest over the 100m at school. My fitness levels helped me to run in cross country races for school also but I soon decided it wasn't the sport for me, I found cross country races a little boring compared to the adrenaline and excitement I got when I was waiting for the gun to start me off running down the track ahead of me.

It is highly enjoyable when the crowd is cheering you as you run towards the line with everyone at your back, knowing you have enough energy to carry you the rest of the distance without getting overtaken. I would love to get back into the sport but I feel I am too old now and have put on a few extra pounds.

Running has been a popular event among competitions for thousands of years and will continue to be, it is an easily accessible sport with local running tracks open to the public, or even clubs where you can run for a team.

The races -

Distances for running can vary but the most popular ones are listed below, the 60m race can be over within 7 seconds whilst the 10,000m can go on for hours, the competitors have to adjust their running style to deal with the varying distances. Long distance runners will tend to have very high fitness levels, but very little muscle; this saves them having to carry around large amounts of weight. Sprinters need explosive power so they have tremendous strength in their upper and lower bodies, for them fitness isn't as much of an issue but still key.

60m (indoors)
100m
200m
400m
800m
1,500m
5,000m
10,000m

There are usually 8 participants in a race, first of all they will be asked to 'Take their mark', at this point they will approach their starting block and put their legs on the block and their hands on the starting line whilst being crouched with their back leg outstretched behind them. The starter will then say 'Get set', or 'Set' at which point they will raise their bodies, but with their hands still on the floor and their legs on the block. The starter will then shoot a gun and the race begins.

If a participant starts before the gun the whole group are taken back to the start (false start). After the first false start, anyone else who commits the same crime is removed from the race. If the race begins without a problem the person who crosses the line first is the winner, occasionally a photo finish is needed but rarely.

It is a fact, everyone runs differently, my girlfriends legs tends to fling out to the side when she runs, and my mum leans extremely far forward, we all create our own running style.

Lower Body -

However, when we run we all experience three similar actions with our legs; these are Support, Drive and Recovery which are explained below. When we run only one legs is on the ground at a time, therefore when one leg is resting (on the ground) the other is going through Support and Drive, there are moments when we do a small hop between strides, this is where both legs are in Recovery.

Support - The foot is touching the ground and supports the body against gravity which has a centre of gravity in the lower abdominal area.

Drive - Drive leg extends at the knee joint and hips so the toe maintains contact with the ground as the leg trails behind the body. As the leg pushes it creates a diagonal thrust, the vertical part is an addition to the support phase and aids the body against gravity whilst the horizontal pushes the runner forward. The power is mainly exerted from the quadriceps and calves, especially in sprinting.

Recovery - When the trailing toe is lifted off the ground Recovery begins, the hip will flew which causes the knee to drive forward. As the knee kicks forward it exerts torque to the lower leg through the knee causing the leg to jolt upward. In the last stage of recovery the hip reaches maximum flexion and as the lower leg unfolds the knee joint also reaches its greatest extension. This subsequently causes the hamstring to stretch and thus contract, the recovery stage then ends when the leg hits the ground again.

Upper Body -

The upper body is used to maintain stability whilst running; the arms compensate for the motions of the lower body and keep it in rotational balance. At the point of recovery, the opposite arm provides forward drive, whilst during the support and drive motions are balanced by the backward movement of the opposite arm. The more force that is exerted by the lower body, the more exaggerated the upper body movements are to counter them. It is possible to run without moving your arms but at highest speeds you may fall over and you will probably never reach your optimum speed.

Most of the energy spent through running goes to compensating these conflicting forces, therefore increase speeds and thus reduced times can be timed by eliminating wasteful or inefficient body postures whilst running, this is why runners tend to have very strong upper bodies, to counter them easier.

Good running -

Upright posture - Leaning forward means you are likely to land on you toe rather than your heel, this should make use of the foots spring effect, it will also prevent the runner from landing the foot in front of the centre of mass which will cause a breaking effect.

Running versus walking - When we run we do a small hop between steps, this means we must fight gravity to take off and when we land to absorb the blow, this causes us to use high levels of our energy, thus in terms of calories used walking is the better option although it is slower

Stride rate - Many runners have a very similar stride length, therefore it is the stride rate which can mean the difference between first and last, most top runners have a stride rate of between 185 -200 steps per minute.

Injuries -

Some potential injuries are listed below, running is a very physical and muscle stretching exercise and injuries can easily be received.

Runners knee, twisted ankle, shin splints, Achilles tendinitis and joggers nipple.

Kit -

Running shorts
Vest
Running shoes (or spikes)
Body suit (runners have full elasticised body suits for more comfort and less resistance)
Starting block

Verdict -

Running is a great for fitness but everyone should have a small warm up and stretch before exerting themselves too much. It is one of the best ways to lose weight and can be done anywhere. Unlike swimming, hockey and many other sports you don't need any facilities, you can just run around your block.

Fitness rating - 9/10
Accessibility - 10/10
Easy to learn - 10/10
Potential for injuries - 8/10

Summary: Get out there and run your socks off!!