Running is a skill that can be trained, optimized, and improved to reduce injury risk and increase performance.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Injuries don’t have to be inevitable. Running is a skill to be learned and improved with practice. With optimized form and deliberate training, you can run strong and pain-free for a lifetime.
For most runners, practice and training consist of running — more miles and faster miles — but never different miles.
In every other sport, athletes practice drills and components of the activity to make them better at the whole. They practice technique and learn the best way to execute on the field.
What if we treated running the same way?
Most of us start running by lacing up our shoes and heading out the door one day, and that’s it — with a little consistency, we become runners. At some point on your journey, it’s likely that you’ll start feeling some aches and pains (remember that 80% statistic?), and that will send you to Google or your local running group with questions.
And the common treatments (rest, run easy for a while, try taping or switch your shoes, just foam roll!) might work for a while, but more often than not, pain and injury persists.
To get out of pain for good and bulletproof your running, it comes down to one thing: biomechanics and safe running form.
The body is an amazing machine and can endure a lot — especially when it’s set up for success with the ability to use muscles, bones, and joints the way they were intended. But problems start to crop up when those structures are asked to take on forces they weren’t designed to handle, or are subjected to wear and tear over the course of miles.
Running is an inherently repetitive sport, meaning that any compensations in form or inefficiencies — no matter how small — can add up over the course of miles and thousands of strides.
The BEST way to minimize your risk of injury and keep running strong, according to research, is to optimize your biomechanics so that your body is able to carry you through long run after long run without unnecessary wear and tear.
Unless you’re an elite runner, you’ve probably never received coaching or form training beyond what you can find on the internet or what people in your running group tell you second hand.
It takes time and dedication, and for a lot of people, the idea of practicing their actual running form is a new concept.
To become an efficient runner, you need to develop a foundation in muscle activation, strength, dynamic alignment control, and power. Think about it this way: you can’t start marathon training with 18-mile runs…you need to start with base mileage to build a foundation first.
And in order to get the best results possible and bulletproof your running, that foundation needs to be rooted in science, backed by research, and supported by data — and that’s exactly what all our running training programs are designed to do.
Developed, tested, and refined in our gait lab in San Jose, CA, and now available to you no matter where you are in the world (or in your running journey).
Dr. Kevin Vandi’s debut book contains all of the science (and stories) behind his running training program — from how he developed it to the runners that inspired it!
Bulletproof your running by building a strong foundation rooted in science, backed by research, and supported by data so that you can run long, strong, and pain-free at any age.
At Competitive Edge, we provide more personalized physical therapy to help you get to a place where you’re thriving –– not just surviving.
From the San Jose Earthquakes to endurance athletes and everyone in between, we use specialized training backed by scientific and technology-driven techniques to see exactly what’s wrong and keep you going strong. Our doctors of physical therapy will implement more focused and effective treatments tailored to your body and your goals.
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