We’re almost done with this running series! Today is the last standard that you need to assess and work on for a healthy running/mobile body.
Standard #12: Jumping and Landing
Running involves many jumps and landings. It is virtually an endless series of these two components. This test is two-part. First, to reach this standard, you need to be able to jump and land on a box with good mechanics. Two, you must demonstrate the ability to perform 30 single-leg jump-rope hops with your left foot and the same with your right foot.
By now you are probably getting the big picture: band-aids won’t suffice. If you have poor mechanics, crappy motor control patterns, and joint positions that encourage wear-and-tear, there is no single, easy, answer. Until programs like the Pose Method and CrossFit Endurance came along, runners were rarely taught to drill their awareness into the movement skill of running.
When you jump and land on your feet, what you’re really doing is performing an unloaded but dynamic squat. The stress of landing after a max vertical jump is greater, so the opportunity to trash your knees and ankles is higher if your mechanics are faulty. BUT, if you master jumping and landing with good mechanics, you’ll get a feel for good running mechanics. This will especially be true in your downhill running or running down steps- situations in which impact stress increases. Below are key points and instructions directly from Kelly Starrett’s book, Ready to Run.
WHAT YOU DON’T WANT:
- Knees forward and shins not vertical: You lose connection with your posterior chain and hammer your knees.
- Toes pigeoned inward or fanned outward, duck-like: You’re out of good position and ripping your knees with rotational shear.
- Unbraced midline and disorganized lumbar spine. The muscles of your trunk are not engaged, and your pelvis is in a sloppy position. Power from your posterior chain is lost. Your knees get hammered, and so does your lower back.
Test #1) Jumping onto a box
Test #2) Single-leg jumps {You perform 30 single-foot skips with a jump rope, with both your left and right leg, all with good mechanics}.
Running Intro,
Running Series #1,
Running Series #2,
Running Series #3,
Running Series #4
Running Series #5
Running Series #6
Running Series #7
Running Series #8
Running Series #9
Running Series #10
Running Series #11
Running Series #12
Running Series #13
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