May 11, 2005 –

 

Breakthrough findings on Running Injuries – A report from Coach Bill Leach

 

A recent issue of “The Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine” has found that over 80% of all runners that suffer injury to any part of the hips, legs or feet have a strength deficits in each of the following:

 

  • The muscles in the front of the hips that lift the knee upward on the injured side
  • The muscles on the side of the hips that move the leg outward
  • The muscles on the inside of the thigh that pull the leg toward the center of the body 

There is reason to believe that the differences in strength as listed above are a significant part of the cause of any injury from the hips down to the feet related to running.   So, by increasing the strength in the muscle groups that are described above, you can probably recover from your injury more quickly.  You can probably also reduce your risk for injury by identifying and correcting differences in the strength in the muscles on the left and right side of your body as listed above.  

 

So, if you have an injury anywhere from your hips down to your feet, or if you want to prevent running injuries for the coming running season, you will benefit from:

 

·         Measuring the strength of the muscle groups listed above, to determine left to right strength differences  

·         Adding strengthening exercises which target the weak muscles groups

 

STAY TUNED!  Coming issues will guide you toward effective strength measurement and strengthening exercises for reduced injury risk.

       

Nutrition Tips - 10 Foods for Health and PR’s, by Diane Gallagher, M.S. R.D., a Registered Dietitian and competitive master's runner

 

1.        Water - Staying hydrated can be a challenge for an athlete. Pay attention to hydration daily and keep up with your fluid needs to avoid dehydration. Water cleanses your system and keeps waste products from accumulating in your body. Body core temperature is regulated through sweating. Taking in adequate fluids will help prevent heat stroke.

 

  1.   Fat Free Milk - For a “no fat” source of protein choose milk.  It is packed with calcium and contains no saturated fat.  Each 8-ounce glass provides 300 mg of calcium.  Soy milk is also an option for those who can’t tolerate dairy products.

3.        Broccoli - Want to get more nutrition “bang for your buck”?  Choose broccoli as a vegetable more often and this is what you will get.  Nutrients provided by this green vegetable are: vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron, potassium and plenty of fiber.  Broccoli is a versatile vegetable and can be used in casseroles, salads, pasta dishes and eaten as a side dish.

 

In coming issues:  Detailed descriptions of the each of the remaining food items below will follow in the weeks ahead:

 

  1. Whole Grain Cereals and Breads
  2. Yogurt
  3. Oranges
  4. Beans Lentils and Dried Peas
  5. Tomatoes
  6. Potatoes
  7. Lean Meats, Poultry and Fish

Mid-Day Speed Training anyone?

 

Please contact Coach Leach at bill@coachleach.com if you are interested in:

 

·         “SPEED” (interval or repetition)  workouts –  Mid-day on Wednesdays (12 noon) – for 1 hour on the track at Lakeshore Park – Chicago Avenue and Lakeshore Drive 

·         “TEMPO or LT” workouts –  Mid-day on Thursdays (12 noon) – for 1 hour starting and finishing in Grant Park, at Columbus and Balbo 

 

PEAK FYI – The format for the current PEAK Performance Training Cycle (May 2 – June 23) includes:

 

  • Monday sessions FOCUS upon CORE Exercises, starting at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the CARA Board
  • Thursday session FOCUS upon EITHER CORE Exercises and SPEED Training (Athlete’s individual choice), starting at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the CARA Board
  • Saturday session FOCUS upon SPEED via interval, repetition and hill training, starting at 8:30 a.m. at the CARA Board

NEW RELEASE! – “Intermediate Core Training”, a DVD is available for purchase at www.coachleach.com.  The DVD is 1 hour and 5 minutes in length and includes a detailed “CORE” Wake-up and Warm-up routine and 3 full “CORE” training sessions, including demonstrations by athletes, the animated “CORE WIZARD” and a “Coaching Points” booklet.

“Intermediate Core Training” is available via: www.coachleach.com Fleet Feet Sports Chicago

 

Please report your race results, including notes – P.R.’s, etc. –e-mail bill@coachleach.com

 

Questions? Please forward questions to bill@coachleach.com – we look forward to your questions.

 

ARCHIVED editions of past COACHLEACH.COM Newsletters are available via the HOME page of www.coachleach.com

 

Coach Bill Leach

2400 North Sheffield Avenue

Accelerated Rehabilitation Center

Chicago, Illinois   60614

773-793-3917
http://www.coachleach.com