Thursday, September 30, 2010

Slow Motion Running

Steve Magness over at The Science of Running has a post today  analyzing the footstikes in a slow motion video of the top women at the Sunday's 5th Avenue Mile in New York.  I just find the viewing of running form presented in this fashion as fascinating. Here is the video.



Here is another wonderful slow-motion video showing the elite male runners at the 2010 Boston Marathon at about the 17 miles mark.


Elite Men in the 2010 Boston Marathon - Super Slow Motion from Runblogger on Vimeo.

Runners in order on video are: 1. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, 2. Deriba Merga, 3. Tekeste Kebede, 4. Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (red/green singlet); 5. Abderrahim Goumri (purple singlet w/ yellow stripe), and 6. Mebrahtom Keflezighi. Video is from runblogger.com.

Here is Ryan Hall (also at the 17 mile mark) in Boston.


Ryan Hall - Boston Marathon 2010 from Runblogger on Vimeo.

In case you missed the 5th Avenue Miles last week. Here is the video of the women's race (actual race at 2:25).



Here is the video of the men's race (actual race at 4:25).


It has been two weeks since my last run. That is not even slow-motion running. I am just not running. I have no desire to run. Oh, I would love to, but I am tired of the pain and trying to fix imbalances. All the muscles that were bracing around my hip have loosened up and now I am left with pelvis and hips that are definitely out of alignment: up, down, back, and forward. I don't know what to do about it anymore. I tried a second MRI and that went worse than the first. They lie you flat on a table that slowly slides you into the jaws of the MRI machine like you are being swallowed alive by a monster. It just wasn't my idea of a fun time, even though I knew how important those images would be. I am waiting to hear from the doctor to see what his advice or next line of action is going to be. I would love to be running, but until someone can tell me what I need to do, I can't muster the energy for it anymore. I just know that I am tilting at windmills and I can't think of anything else to try to keep my legs and hips in alignment. It is good that I stopped and let things unwind. I can feel exactly what is going on.

Whether from a labral tear or bad positioning, my left hip is pushed forward and the femur doesn't sit properly. It then is rotated inward. This makes the whole femur twisted on down to the knee where it seems to rest on the inside of the knee which compensates by twisting the lower leg out. This stresses the outer quads and inner hamstrings. Then it angles down wrong on the heel which makes it feel like the foot is everted out and I can't bend the knee forward over the foot properly. It doesn't feel in aligment when walking let alone running. I have tried everything that I can think of to fix this over the years, and I can't think of anything else that would solve it. Right now, my body isn't a body that should be running. Hopefully the doctor can figure out if it is a labral tear or find some fix that I haven't thought of. Until then, I can only dream of having such wonderful running form as in these videos.



Update:
This new book from the author of The Entrepreneurial Patient blog is a must read book for anyone with hip problems and is thinking about about arthroscopic hip surgery or has had arthroscopic hip surgery for a labral tear or FAI.






8 comments:

RICK'S RUNNING said...

I came across your website for the first time today.
Sorry to here of your injury problems and imbalances.
as a runner I've had many problems due to poor posture.
My chiropractor has kept me running for many years.
And this is always my first port of call when things go wrong.
I've been working hard to improve my posture, but often when I get tired i lose my good form.
I think things like running tall and keeping the pelvis in a neutral or slightly pushed forward help.
This exercise is really good for the pelvis and glutts.
http://bretcontreras.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/hipthrust/
And here is a good video on hip strength work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbOVWfnYiG0
I found out alot from looking at my race photos, my hips rotate inwards making me land with my feet pointing inwards, the result is sending shock up to my hips and back, causing sciatic problems.
P.S. i also recommend checking out THE CORE WELLNESS website.
Rick

Jim Hansen said...

Thanks Rick,
I'll check those out tonight.
Jim

RICK'S RUNNING said...

Thanks for the link to trigger point performance, very good!

Michael said...

Keep your head up Jim! Things will get better for you.

Jim Hansen said...

Thanks Mike,
I believe you are right. I am being patient and realize I have plenty of years left of good running if I get myself fixed, otherwise it is just frustratingly poor and painful running. If it means six months to a year off or more, so be it.
Jim

Matt Metzgar said...

Maybe some barefoot walking in the meantime?

It might help.

Jim Hansen said...

Matt,
After not running for over two weeks, I ran 8 yesterday. Felt great for 1/4 mile and then I began to hurt, so I started "listening" to what was going wrong as it went wrong. The first thing was a pain around my inside lower left pelvis. Things started tightening up in familiar fashion soon after that. I am thinking maybe a stress fracture, too!
I know I shouldn't run anymore. I am not so sure about walking much, either. Although I am thinking these insoles altered my stride enough to create problems with the mileage I was doing. I should see the podiatrist soon as he is making me more permanent insoles.They fix one problem, but may have lead to others. My toes have gotten really stiff so I am exercising and moving them more.
JIm
Jim

Matt Metzgar said...

My vote is still barefoot, especially on trails.

Trail runners seem to be injured less:

http://runners-corner.com/pdf/harper_natural_surfaces.pdf