Since marathon training is currently in full swing, many will mix up their runs with fast and slow interval training or flat surfaces and hills/steps. All of this is great, and is a helpful way to surprise your body and get the most from your workouts. Both techniques increase stamina, and each challenges the body in a different way.
For those who are running hills and climbing stairs, I see a common injury with a "hidden" muscle. The muscle is called posterior tibialis or "posterior tib" as they say in running circles. The posterior tib is a deep lower leg muscle that runs up the back of your shin bone. As it attaches behind your knee, it helps to stabilize your lower leg bones and knee. At the other end of the muscle it runs deep to your achilles tendon just past your ankle joint. If this muscle remains tight, or gets increasingly tight from hill runs, it decreases the range of motion in your ankle. Running with tight ankles will make you you run "heavy," which means you're pounding the pavement and not being as graceful as you need to be. Sports massage is a great way to get the muscles softened and lengthened allowing runners to be more graceful and light on their feet. So why is it SO important to run light? Because, when you are pounding the pavement hard with your body, that impact damages your feet, ankles, knees, hips and low back as that force moves up through your body.
I have worked with runners for years, and I continually remind them to schedule their massages 2-5 days before all of their long runs. The reason for this is to give the runners a "tune up" and be sure that they are using their bodies in the most efficient way possible. This is an injury prevention massage and standard maintenance for anyone who plans on running long distances. If hills are slowing you down and you notice yourself running heavy, book yourself a sport massage today and run
faster and injury free tomorrow.
If you have any questions about sport massage, please email me at RyanH@JointVenturesPT.com.