Even more to work on

Photo by Joshua Rodriguez on Unsplash

After my second run of Week 4 I have concluded that run 2 is the "short" run because run 2 is the hardest.  I've found this every week since I started training. Run 1 and 3 are ok, and run 2 is a slog and usually touch and go whether I'll finish.

I had absolutely nothing in the tank for run 2, which was a shame as it was a really nice day for it.  Sadly this wasn't enough to motivate me and I definitely felt I was doing more of a slow shuffle than a run. I completed the intervals but I certainly didn't enjoy it. 

Sadly I've added to my list of body parts that need work this week, as I've learned that my ankle dorsiflexion is extremely limited. This happened entirely by accident as I was watching some strength training exercises for runners on YouTube, and one suggested getting into a very low squat, basically sitting on your heels, which should be planted firmly on the ground. This, for me, is impossible. My ankles have to raise off the ground for me to get even close, but even then my balance is rubbish and I can't hold it for long before falling backwards. 

I decided to research whether this would be a problem or not for running, and I found this article on the Red Bull website written by Risqat Fabunmi-Alade.  The following is a quotation: 

Proper dorsiflexion results in correct foot strike and contributes to injury prevention. Dorsiflexion as you run puts your foot in an ideal position to absorb the shock of the landing and tenses your muscles to spring forward into the next stride. This allows a reduced ground contact time per stride, allowing you to run faster and more efficiently. Those with poor dorsiflexion may experience a ‘loose’ or ‘floppy’ foot due to relaxation at the ankle joint which results in striking the ground through the toes, resulting in poor force distribution that contributes to injuries such as shin splints and runner’s knee. Poor dorsiflexion also reduces the ability to utilise and apply power from the posterior chain muscles.

 (If you also have poor dorsiflexion I suggest you read the full article).

So clearly this is a problem. It seems that every week running highlights something else that's wrong with me. Perhaps that's a good reason in itself to take up running. At least I'm being presented with problems to fix that I'd be completely unaware of otherwise. As it happens I now have a reason why I suck at squats and lunges so badly.