Ready to Run by Dr. Kelly Starrett and TJ Murphy, (03) Introduction to the Standards, Notes

Post date: Feb 5, 2017 1:42:19 AM

Ready to Run

Part 2. Chapter 3. Introduction to the Standards

• • 1. 12 Standards

       1. Neutral Feet

       2. Flat Shoes

       3. Supple Thoracic Spine

       4. An Efficient Squat Technique

       5. Adequate Hip Flexion

       6. Adequate Hip Extension

       7. Adequate Ankle Range of Motion

       8. Warming up and Cooling Down

       9. Compression

       10. No hot spots

       11. Hydration

       12. Jumping and Landing

    2. Pursuing, achieving and maintaining the 12 standards will produce the following results:

• • • 1. Tissues will be healthy and hydrated and the surfaces between the tissues will slide and glide rather than stick like velcro.

      2. Joints will be in the proper positions.

      3. Normal range of motion will be restored so that the ankles, knees and hips will work the way they are designed, unleashing full power and minimize the destructive forces that can wear holes in the wheels

      4. Essential mechanics and motor control patterns will be reinstalled so that when we stand, walk and run we are not chewing up cartilage and connective tissues.

      5. Hip function will be optimal, resulting in more power for running, less stress on the knees and the capacity to run with good for, no matter the type of runner we are.

• • 3. We are all born to run but something goes awry along the way. Things go pretty well until we have to buckle ourselves in our desks in First Grade. Our joints and tissues mold into the positions in which we spend the most time. Significant amount of time bound to a desk or a chair or in shoes that elevate the heels, warps the body and it becomes restricted by those patterns. Add the time spent hunched over the cell phone and the results can be crippling. These new shapes and tendencies of the tissues and joints are no longer conducive to running. We must be reborn to run.

    4. You Can Change

• • • 1. We must acknowledge that we can restore our natural apparatus despite the damage we may have incurred from too much sitting, too little self maintenance and too much reliance on overbuilt running shoes, painkillers and sheer force of will.

      2. We can change. The key to enjoying running for the lifetime lies within the body itself. Our job is to pave the way.

      3. The 12 standards are guideposts. They are targets that involve lifestyle, range of motion, movement capacity and habits related to running. Evaluate where we stand on each standard and follow the tools and strategies to achieve/maintain them.

• • 5. Chasing the Standards. Fundamental Principles: the most important criteria.

• • • 1. Be patient. First, don’t be discouraged. Our tissues have remarkable capacity to change. The body has an elastic quality. Just know it’s not going to happen overnight. Eat the elephant one bite at a time. Commit for the long haul. Be engaged in chipping away at a standard on a daily basis. Go after it.

      2. Be creative. We are in charge. There are multiple paths available. Depending on the day’s demands, go in armed for combat. Be creative with how we build rituals into our daily life to seek, achieve and maintain the standards.

      3. Test and retest. To get the most out of our investment test before and after performing a mobilization. Test range of motion before an exercise, then test it again afterwards. If we can see improvement, we’ve registered a change, great. If not, try a different mobilization or tool. Hunt for the right combination that initiates change in the tissue.

Keep after it. “No days off.” Pursuing and maintaining the standards is like maintaining good dental health. It’s never over. Don't let the distance of the journey overwhelm us. By investing ten minutes per day over weeks and months, we’ll be astonished at how much improvement we can grab. Keep a training journal to record our progress and measure our performance against the standards