Training, injuries, coaching, and more
Introduction Back in August, we saw how a rehab program consisting of eccentric heel drops with a bent and straight knee reversed damage to the Achilles tendon by inducing collagen remodeling. One thing I didn't make clear enough is that Alfredson's eccentric heel drop protocol, developed in 1998, was designed for midpoint Achilles tendonitis. In ... Read more
My apologies for not getting around to posting yet this week. This is always a busy time of year. If you've checked around though, you'll see that I've been doing some behind-the-scenes work. There's an "about me" section if you're wondering who the heck I am, and a "contact me" form if you want to ... Read more
Note: Patellar tendonitis should not be confused with patellofemoral pain syndrome, or "runner's knee," a different injury in the kneecap area with a different ideal treatment protocol Last time, we saw how an injury rehab protocol consisting of eccentric heel drops can remodel collagen in an injured Achilles tendon. The intervention was impressive for two ... Read more
Attention readers: I have published a significantly revised and updated article on midpoint Achilles tendonitis. I strongly recommend you read that instead! The information below is incomplete and out of date! Click here to go to the updated Achilles tendonitis article. Note: if you are looking for information on insertional Achilles tendonitis, see this article ... Read more
In my previous post, I mentioned how caffeine can boost athletic performance by stimulating the central nervous system, which in turn makes a given effort seem easier–the rated perceived exertion (RPE) drops. I was leading you on a bit: the drop in RPE isn't the whole story with caffeine. In fact, it only accounts for ... Read more
In my last post, I discussed how a preponderance of studies show that your running mechanics change when you are fatigued. The specifics of what changes occur are difficult to discern, as they likely vary from person to person. Before moving on, I noted a problem with conflating all of these studies, a problem that ... Read more
I've had injuries on the brain lately. Why do they happen? My high school's training room had a sign outside that said "Running injury? TOO MUCH, TOO FAR, TOO SOON." Needless to say, the trainer wasn't very helpful. But the medical/scientific consensus isn't much more helpful than that. Overuse injuries are "tissue damage that results ... Read more
One of the first things we blame whenever we get injured is our shoes. Most runners are keenly aware of all the minute details of their footwear, and they are easy to pin the blame on. Whether it's the shoddy upper of the updated model, a too-stiff midsole, shoes that are too run-down, or an ... Read more
The New York Times has a nasty habit of writing poorly-researched exercise science articles. They go something like this: A new study by professor so-and-so at such-and-such university upends some widely-accepted fact about exercise, and we're darn luck to have these scientists (and the clever journalist) telling us that common sense is wrong. You have ... Read more
Renato Canova is a world-famous coach who instructs many of the best athletes in the world. He has worked with the Italian national team in the past, but today, he works mainly with athletes in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. His athletes have won Olympic and World Championship medals, as well as setting national and world ... Read more