Back strength for runners

When it comes to strength training, some runners tend to overly focus on the lower body workouts (squats, lunges etc.) and in the process lose out on strengthening some of the other equally important muscle groups – back strength is one such area. This article provides some simple yet effective exercises that one can perform to strengthen the back.

Why is back strength important for runners? To understand this, visualize the onset of fatigue towards the ending stages of a marathon and a common image that one would think of is that of dropping shoulders and a bending back. When that happens, the body starts dissipating (leaking!) energy in the form of extra effort needed to support tiring upper half and unnecessary body movements. The body ceases to be in the state of fluid and seamless motion that may have been possible in the initial stages. This is partly what may happen due to weak back muscles. Back strength is important as it helps to keep the body poster firm and upright by stabilizing spine and pelvis. This helps in eliminating any unnecessary energy dissipation, thereby improving running economy.

So, what are some of the simple workouts that one can perform to strengthen the back? There are many but listing below some of my favorite ones (thanks to my gym instructor Daljeet Singh for sharing these).

1. Back extensions

I like this one for its sheer simplicity. It’s a work out that can be performed just about anywhere with little or no equipment. To perform this exercise – just lay down on a floor or mat with the belly facing downwards. Pressing your pelvis into the floor, try to lift your upper body (head, chest, shoulders, and arms).

2. Dead lifts

This one is probably one of the most effective exercises to achieve strong core strength and works on multiple muscle groups – lower back, hamstrings and quads being the most prominent ones. This involves pulling the weight off of the floor and then standing with back & legs straight and shoulders back. (Note: correct form is of utmost importance for this exercise as it can easily lead to back injury, if done incorrectly). 

 3. Chin-ups / Pull-ups

This one is an ever-green and one of the most effective workouts for overall body conditioning. It probably has been in existence for much longer than the fancy gyms of today. It involves raising oneself with one's arms by pulling up against a horizontal bar fixed above one's head. 

4. Barbell rows / Dumbbell rows

To perform this - bend over and grab a bar of appropriate weight, pull the bar against the lower chest while keeping the back horizontal. Another effective variant of this workout can be performed by using dumbbells.

5. Lats Pull-Down

I like this one especially during the monsoon season when out-door works outs tend to get impacted due to rains. To perform this – just keep your chest tall, keep your elbows pointed straight down, squeeze your lats and pull-down the bar to your chin or just below.

(Note: As with all work-outs, proper form is critical to derive health benefits and avoid injuries. Please make sure to consult your gym trainers for proper form.)

Sundeep Singh

+91 - 98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the finer nuances of running techniques / strategies. Sundeep’s best run till date is ADHM 2015, which he completed in 1:31:20.

Sources:

• Inputs from gym trainer – Daljeet Singh
• ChiRunning Book by Danny Dreyer and Catherine Dreyer
• http://www.runnersworld.com/health/exercises-for-a-strong-back
• http://www.bodybuilding.com/content/10-best-muscle-building-back-exercises.html
• http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Deadlift
• http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ridgely14.htm

When the rubber hits the road!

Most runners have at some point confronted the question – what’s the right way for the foot to strike the ground? The question becomes even more pronounced when one is nursing a running related injury, for that’s the time when most recreational runners are really forced to think about the finer nuances of running. Through this article, I intend to share the most widely recognized correct running form with respect to foot strike.   

Depending on which part of the foot takes maximum load at the time of landing, a runner can be classified in three broad categories - heel striker, forefoot striker and midfoot striker. Numerous studies have indicated that midfoot strike is the most efficient form and it can considerably help improve running form, while also reducing the risk of injury. When one achieves a midfoot strike, the pressure of impact is distributed across the entire foot – a major share of this load is borne by the mid-foot and forefoot, and relatively small share of load is borne by the toes and heel (see figure below).

So, let’s examine this a little closely - why is midfoot strike considered the most efficient form?

Reason 1: Midfoot strike helps distribute the load over a larger area, thereby reducing the pressure of impact

All other things being constant, a midfoot strike allows the load to be distributed over a larger surface area, thereby leading to a lower impact per unit area of foot surface. This uniform distribution of load feels much more comfortable on the foot as compared to a somewhat concentrated load impact that one feels during a heel strike or forefoot strike. 

As an analogy, think of it like this – if you were given the option of being nudged by one of the two objects – a sharp needle or a blunt object - which one would you choose? You would most likely choose a blunt object as sharp needle creates a highly concentrated force (i.e. high pressure) due to its very low area of impact. This is an extreme illustration of how reducing area of contact at the point of impact can lead to a feeling of discomfort; however, it’s the same laws of physics which warrant the load of foot impact to be distributed over a larger surface area through a midfoot strike.

Reason 2: Midfoot strike helps prevent braking motion, which significantly reduces the risk of injury

The proponents of Chi-running suggest that midfoot strike allows the runner to ‘cooperate’ with the natural force of impact. Essentially, in a midfoot strike the movement of foot (at the time of impact) is in the direction of the force exerted by the ground – this ‘cooperation’ with the natural force of impact facilitates shock absorption. As compared to this, when one strikes with the heel, there is a ‘bang’ at the time of impact (due to opposing direction of foot movement and force of impact). This impact passes through the runner’s lower body and can be a cause of various running related injuries (especially the knee injury). 

Reason 3: Midfoot strike helps prevent bouncing motion, thereby minimizing “energy leakage”

It is quite intuitive that when a runner is trying to move straight ahead, all possible energy should be deployed to create the forward motion. Any energy which doesn’t create this forward motion is an unnecessary dissipation, which can lead to sub-optimal running pace.

Now, how is this relevant in the context of our discussion related to midfoot strike?

If one traces the trajectory of the center of mass of the running body and compares the pattern for a runner with heel strike vis-à-vis a runner with midfoot strike, it is observed that the runner with heel strike tends to exhibit small cyclic vertical movements (see figure below).

These vertical movements, (often referred to as the “bouncing” motion of a runner) are quite small as compared to the predominant forward movement and may not be visible to the naked eye. However, these vertical movements require the body to spend some energy overcoming the force of gravity with each step. When aggregated across a large number of steps, this results in a significant loss of energy, thereby leading to sub-optimal performance.

Now that we understand the advantages of midfoot strike, the next important question is - how does one practice this running form? Like all proper running forms, proper foot strike may feel awkward to begin with. However, someone keen to practice this running form may focus on the following:

• Shorten the stride length – Longer stride length tends to land the foot ahead of the body, thereby leading to a heel strike.
• Try to lean – Tilting the body forward (from the ankle and not from the waist) places your center of gravity ahead of the foot strike and makes it easier to achieve midfoot strike.
• Listen to your footsteps – The ideal foot strike feels soft and gentle on landing and is barely audible (as compared to the loud thumping sound for hard strikers).

“A good runner leaves no footprints” – (Chi Running, by Danny Dreyer) 

Sundeep Singh
(+91 - 98181 19794)

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies.

One year down - a life-time to go!

Last year, on 12^th Oct 2014, I had participated in my first running event (CRPF HM). As such, I am on the verge of completing my first year in the world of running. Given this context, the current edition of my Running Reflections holds a special significance for me. In this edition, I intend to look back at the year that just went by and share the learnings / experiences which I value the most.


During the course of last one year, my outlook towards running has assumed different shapes and forms – at different times during this short timeframe, I have viewed running as recreation, crazy passion, potential long-term profession, compulsive obsession...the list goes on. After all these fluctuating perspectives, I seem to be finally happy at just trying to be an ardent student of this sport for now. Like a typical student, I am starting this blog with three most important learnings I have had with respect to running. I am sharing these as I believe these are the areas that most beginners tend to get wrong.

My learnings from the first year of running

Learning 1: Technique matters!

By nature, running is simple – all it requires is moving quickly on the feet, something that most of us have done at some point in life. However, for someone who aspires to evolve as a runner and stay injury-free, this is slightly more nuanced. There are several finer elements that one needs to be aware of. For instance, there is so much to be learned about aspects such as stride length, cadence, arm swing, foot strike, body poster, pelvic rotation etc. Getting these finer nuances right is critical to running efficiently and expending minimal possible energy, which is important for running long distances.

This is one area where I have made maximum progress over the past year. Not because I have mastered the technicalities (in fact far from that), but only because I have started identifying these inefficiencies which is probably the most important step to start improving. For instance, as it stands today there are three areas that I am working on:

1. Instead of back and forth arm swing, my arm swing tends to be all over the place.
2. Shoulders should be kept steady (like headlights of an automobile) - for me shoulders tend to swing as I run.
3. Lastly, my foot-landing tends to be a heel-strike as opposed to a mid-foot strike. This is a common cause of knee injuries for runners.

A simple visual comparison with an accomplished runner can help elucidate these points. For example, compare the position of shoulders, elbow and foot-strike between me and Shshank Sir in the visual below (thanks to Coach Jatin for this analysis). Interestingly, both Shshank Sir and I are running at just about the same pace in these pics. It’s a different matter that I seem to be exhausted as if sprinting and Shshank Sir seems to be relaxed as if just brisk walking – that’s what proper running technique can do!

Learning 2: ‘One size fits all’ approach doesn’t work

Many of us have at some point entered search strings like – ‘sub-2:00 training plan’, ‘sub 1:45 training plan’ etc. in Google search bar. It certainly helps to understand what these typical training plans look like. However, over a period of time I have realized that these standard plans should not be adopted without appropriate customization.

The reality is that each body is unique and has its own training needs. Personally, I realized that there was sufficient ‘homework’ that I had to do even before something like a standard plan might be useful for me. This homework was required in the form of building the basic capabilities required for running (strength, cardio etc.). Even today, almost 70 - 75 percent of my training comprises of strength workouts and my average weekly mileage is relatively low compared to other runners (it tends to be around 25Kms per week).

The other important thing to note here is that training needs would differ by the type of race. For instance, the training focus prior to a race such a Hyderabad Half-Marathon (hilly terrain, high humidity) could be on building strength, endurance workouts etc. On the other hand, an event such as ADHM (flat course, cool weather) may require more of cardio workouts, interval runs etc.

Over the past few months I have tried hard to build different elements of workouts (other than running, of course) in my training regime.

Learning 3: If you have a race-day plan, stick to it!

The only mistake I consider bigger than ‘not having a plan’ is to ‘have one and not stick to it’. This is something I still find difficult to execute and till date AHM has been the only event in which I managed to stick to my race-day plan. On most other occasions, I have been guilty of deviating from my plan and eventually ending up with an inferior timing (compared to what I had planned for).

Moreover, it is interesting to note the factors that can lead to deviation from the race-day plan. On some days it tends to be the race day adrenalin which prompts me to run faster in the beginning. On other days it would be over-ambition or probably just lack of focus. Worst of all, there have also been instances when all it would take is an ‘unknown’ runner overtaking me and my petty ego prompting me to run faster, thereby screwing up the overall plan!

My most treasured moments from the first year of running

The journey over the past year has been full of magical moments / experiences. As I look back at the year and recollect the most treasured moments, can’t help think of the following moments.

There couldn’t have been a more auspicious start to my running journey than to meet my all-time idol Sachin Tendulkar minutes before my first run (CRPF HM). I recall how tears continued to trickle down and I kept staring blankly at the great man even after the race had started.

The journey was made special as I met some inspirational coaches, mentors and buddies along the way. Special thanks to Jatin Sir, Shshank Sir, Coach Ravinder Singh, Ash Nath and Aby Dee.

Finishing every race (big or small) was special, but none more so than finishing first Full Marathon at SCMM, completing Airtel Hyderabad HM and winning Rookie Runner of the Year Award in 2015.

…a big thanks to all who have been a part of my first year of running journey and I hope to have many such fun-filled running years ahead!

Sundeep Singh 

+91 - 98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to deeply analyze the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies. Sundeep ran his first half-Marathon on 12th Oct. 2014 and within less than a year of running, he has achieved a personal best HM timing of 97 minutes. 

Day Breaker HM...from PB to PW, all in 12 weeks!

19^th July: Day Breaker Half Marathon

Due to incessant rains over the past few weeks, I had been anxious over the days leading up to the event. Every few hours I would check the weather forecast for Sunday morning. I had been silently praying that the forecast of rain and high humidity would not come true. After all, this was going to be my last event before the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon (AHM) scheduled for next month and I was keen to get a good uninterrupted run before AHM. Well, part of the prayer did get answered – thankfully it did not rain, but the unanswered part (i.e. the part related to humidity) was about to offer me the toughest weather conditions that I have ever run in!

Just like in any other event, I was in my own zone prior to the race kick-off. I was warming up in a corner and silently hoping to improve my PB (personal best) timing of 97 minutes, which I had achieved about three months back at Nehru Park HM. Just then my coach Jatin Arora walked up to me and offered a coaching tip:  

“Today is not the day for timings and records. It is very humid – don’t push very hard and focus more on completing the run safe and strong” – whispered Jatin softly in my ears. It was almost as if he had read my mind.

“Yes Sir – I understand that. Today is not the day for timings and records” – I replied, without meaning a single word of it!

Shortly thereafter, the run started and I started chasing the target time of 97 minutes. The run seemed to have started well for me. I was not running very hard so that I had sufficient energy left for a strong finish. At the same time, I was not running slow either, lest it becomes difficult to catch-up towards the end. I seemed to be moving at just the right pace.

Out of habit, I kept glancing at my stop-watch at all major milestones:

• 1 km – 4:30
• 2 km – 8:52
• 5 km – 22:49
• 10 km – 46:38  

I made a quick mental calculation and realized that I was pacing well. With a mild negative split (which I usually manage), I would have been around 97 mins mark and with a little bit of luck probably a little under 97 minutes. What I didn’t realize was that it was the adrenalin rush of the event day which had me going well till that time, but that couldn’t have been sustained for another 11 km in that atrocious humidity.

By around 13 km mark, I was badly drenched with sweat. The effect of humidity had started showing up and it felt like the engine was running out of ammunition very fast. It was around that time that the wisdom of Jatin’s advice started dawning upon me. The spirit had started dropping, but somewhere I was still hopeful of completing strong.

By around 15 km mark, the hope had also started dropping and it felt like I would have to run really well from there on to not hit my PW timing (personal worst, if there is something like that)!

By around 17 km mark, I was so drenched with sweat that it felt like I had taken a shower. Each step gave a sensation as if the shoe had been soaked with water by landing in a water pit. By now, I knew I had to do something different to even complete the run. Amidst dropping spirit and dropping hopes, I decided to drop-off my T-shirt too. I realized that with the amount of sweat it had soaked, just taking it off and squeezing out the sweat would probably make me carry half a kg lesser.

Shortly thereafter, the run came to an end and I did manage to achieve my PW by clocking 1:49 beating my previous PW of 1:47. The time I took for the run was about 2 minutes slower than my previous slowest run and a good 12 minutes slower than my PB of 97 minutes. All in all it was a good humbling experience with some great learnings, the most important one being – follow your coach’s advice.

On the positive side of things - despite the atrocious weather, the euphoria and the enthusiasm at the finish line was there for all to see. For me, the highlights of the day were:

1.       Coach Ravinder Singh did it again!
Rain or no rain, humidity or no humidity, route permit or no route permit (remember Nehru Park HM instance), Coach has developed a knack of organizing great events one after another. Here again, observing the celebrations and sumptuous meal at the finish line was a grand experience. It is no wonder that on the same day Coach was honored by TomTom (Global leader in navigation, sports watches etc.) for his contributions in the field of running and promoting running as a way of life.

2.       All running groups rocked!

It was great to watch my fellow runners from Boot Camp Yellow (BCY) and other running groups running hard under testing weather conditions. Everyone was a winner and could hold his / her head high for taking on a challenging run head-on. And may I dare say, none more so than the youngest member of BCY group (Rahul) – who completed his first half-marathon yesterday at a young age of 14. I heard one of the fellow runners commenting - 5 km before 5 years, 10 km before 10 years and 21 km before 21 years are all great accomplishments and I couldn’t agree more.

I have to admit that before reaching home, I was feeling a bit embarrassed to share the result of my slowest half-marathon with my wife. She made the job easier by saying that in such an unforgiving weather even standing still for 1:49 is commendable, running for that long certainly is a huge achievement. I am not sure how true that is – given a choice, I would rather run for that duration than stand still. Nonetheless, it did help me overcome the disappointment of my slowest HM.

...So, What next?

Next month I am travelling to Hyderabad to participate in AHM. I have heard a lot of nasty stories about the difficult terrain and weather conditions at AHM. Personally, I would have wanted to achieve anything but my PW in the last event before going into AHM next month. However, that was not to be and the only next step from here on is to prepare stronger and harder. As I earnestly start preparing for the next event, I so much hope that I get to label my next blog in September as - “AHM 2015...from PW to PB, all in 6 weeks!”

…but I know it’s easier hoped than accomplished!

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Sundeep Singh: +91 - 98181 19794

PS: I am releasing the August edition of my blog ahead of time because I want people to read it while the experience of Day Breaker Half Marathon is fresh in their memories!