Yesterday I
was back on the Pacific Crest trail hiking and running. It was a great
opportunity to get reacquainted with my skeleton, my support framework. Without
a skeleton in would be impossible to move the way humans do. Without gravity it
would be impossible to propel ourselves over the ground. Notice the alignment
of the entire skeleton from head to toe in all of the above pictures. In the
first picture of the skeleton above it is even possible to see the spiral
motion that happens throughout the skeleton in good running alignment and
movement.
We could
think of pushing off our feet to propel us forward, but the feet are not
designed to be the source of propulsion, they would quickly be overwhelmed if
given this task. We could think of pushing with the legs to propel us, but even
the legs would tire quickly and overuse of the leg muscles removes fluidity and
can promote injury. We could think of using the core musculature, but even this
cannot be done efficiently unless we have an understanding of how to use our
foundation, our skeleton. Without a skeleton we don’t run. Without gravity we
don’t run. The skeleton and gravity combined connect us to the ground or
surface we are running on. When we transmit the forces involved in running in
such a way that they make good use of the skeleton and the ground, we run well,
using no more muscular effort than is necessary. Running this way is not just a
case of good alignment but good alignment in motion, which is a coordinated use
of the skeleton throughout the running stride.
Here are two
things you can do to prepare for a run and to get in better touch with your
skeleton.
1. Walk around and get a general sense
of your walking.
2. Now stand in place and think of your bones. Go
slowly and notice how your bones support you. How much muscular effort does it
take to stand? Scan from head to foot, notice each vertebrae, your pelvis, you
legs and feet. Take your time, don’t rush through this. Where could you let
your skeleton support you more? Where do you feel your muscles working hard?
Walk again and compare to the first time you walked.
3. Lie on your back on the floor. Have
your knees bent and your feet hip width apart. Take both knees a little to the
left. Can you notice that one knee travels farther in the direction of your feet
than the other? Keep your feet hip width apart.
Don’t let them stack one on top of the other as you move them to the
left. It you wanted to take the knees farther to the left, go very, very slowly
and notice what happens in your pelvis, then in your low back, then in your
ribs? What happens in your shoulders? Turn you head to the right a bit and
notice what happens as you do this movement.
4. Keep doing the movement very gently
bringing the knees to point to the ceiling and then bringing the knees to point
to the left. What is your right shoulder doing as you go a bit farther to the
left? What is you upper back doing? Can
you feel a spiral developing from head to foot?
It is important to notice if you are getting longer as you do this
movement. Do you have an overall sense of lengthening? Rest when you want to.
Doing the movement more gently will hasten the learning process. Can you feel
how the running movement might move through you, through your skeleton? Repeat these movements on the other side.
Remember there is no magic in the movements. The magic is in where your attention
is while you do them. If your intention is to feel better alignment of the
entire skeleton then that is what you will begin to learn.
5 5. Enjoy! Remember, keep it easy, keep
it light. And may your running be fun
and rewarding.
Visit us at http://www.transcendent-running.com
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