The Word is Out, Technique Counts

I was at a lecture last night presented by Dr. Jack Taunton, one of Canada's premier sports medicine doctors and a runner himself.

The seminar dealt with a recent study he did on different types of shoes and injury rates. I'll share with you his conclusions in another newsletter.

What I did want to tell you about are his comments regarding the importance of technique. With the increasing popularity of minimalist shoes such as the Nike Free, the role of developing good running technique is very important.

Along with better technique such as increasing your cadence, shortening your stride and landing on your mid-foot, Dr. Taunton also stressed the importance of good core stability and overall strength.

These are all things I teach in my clinics and camps and I'm glad the word is getting out about the importance of all these factors.

There's a paradigm shift taking place in the running world. To run at your best and minimize your injury risks means you need all around development.

You need adequate functional flexibility, good core stability, proper running strength and good technique.

You definitely need to run to improve but if you're running poorly or are lacking in any of these areas you'll limit your performance and will wind up injured, eventually. Especially as you ramp up the mileage if you're training for any of the longer distance races from half-marathon and up.

Participants have had great success with my clinics and I'm happy to be adding more clinics to the schedule.

The "Run Better" clinics are the best to do first as they focus on teaching good running technique with innovative drills and exercises. This clinic lays the foundation for future development. If you've never taken a Core Running Camp or Clinic this is the one to start with.

Two "Run Better" clinics are beginning soon. The "Run Better" clinic at Target Fitness begins on Oct. 18 and runs for 8 weeks on Monday nights. The "Run Better" clinic at Executive Lifestyles begins on Oct. 27 and runs for 8 weeks on Wednesday nights.

The "Run Stronger" clinic is the next step. These clinics include a strength training workout that will develop core and joint stability as well as mobility to keep you running strong and supple. Technique work will be done but it's best to do a "Run Better" clinic first as they emphasize teaching good technique.

In partnership with the Run Inn stores, the "Run Stronger" clinics run from Oct. 5 to Dec. 2.