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Post date: Jun 11, 2017 11:57:53 AM
Return to the Twelve Running Standards
Chapter 10. Standard # 7 : Ankle Range of Motion
Question: Do you have normal Range of Motion in your ankles? To achieve this standard, normal ankle mobility must be expressed under bodyweight load as demonstrated by the ability to hold the pistol position with either leg.
Key Motivation. Unglued ankles allow movement with optimal patterns to access the full, free power of elastic recoil for running.
Recommended mobility exercises for ankle range of motion. The feet and ankles are amazing spring like mechanisms that offer tremendous qualities of elastic recoil. To open them up:
Plantar Mobilizations (p.217)
Dorsiflexion Work (p.218)
Plantar Flexion Overdrive (p.219)
Anterior Hip Smash (p.223)
Couch Stretch (p.114)
Briefing. Lack of range of motion in the ankle joints in a runner is expressed in the turned out duck foot position, valgus knee, collapsed arches, plantar fascia stress, bone spurs, bunions and injury pain that threatens to turn a runner into a former runner.
The ankle joint and the surrounding fascia, bones and muscles function as a system. Within this system lies the connection between the leaf-spring like mechanism of the feet and arches.
The achilles tendon or heel cord is a 6” stretch of tendon that attaches to the calf muscles to the heel bone (so tough it could suspend a Ford Fiesta above the ground.)
Despite the amazing capacity of the heel cord, running lots of miles and running fast tend to stiffen it up, even more so in the shoes with steep drops and with knees caving in, rolling through collapsed arches and pulling the heel cords off vertical axis. Add to that:
10,000 or more steps taken/day.
Any stress channel through weight training
Price of any time spent in shoes with elevated heels.
Being slumped in an office chair 8 hours/day.
The result is expressed in debilitating knee pain. There are no bad heel cords, only bad heel cord owners. When the ankle and heel cord are treated poorly, repercussions can be found up and down the chain. Depending on how high the mileage we have accumulated meeting this standard will take patience and consistent effort. Strive for and maintain a healthy, functional and elastic ankle complex requires daily maintenance. Making a daily habit of working toward normal range of motion in the ankles and feet will ensure that we can enjoy running for the rest of our lives.
In terms of movement pattern capacity and use of elastic recoil translates to power and speed over lengthy spans. To make use of this recoil we can have no limits in either plantarflexion or dorsiflexion.
Making appropriate changes to tissues and joints takes a steady and consistent attack over days, weeks and months. It takes both work ethic and patience. The path is committing fifteen minutes per day to work on repositioning the joints, restoring the glide between the sliding surfaces of the tissues and improving movement patterns.
Test #1: Dorsiflexion. Can you get into the pistol position? A pistol is a full flexion 1-leg squat
Test # 2: Plantarflexion. Can you get into kneeling position?
Runner to Runner. Convert to the Pose running method but prepare for the drills by having both the ankle standards and the jumping and landing standards down. Start running slowly (1-2 times per week max.) Allow the body to progressively adapt to the new stress. Let the heel cords strengthen with the work. Take up to a year to ingrain the new pattern. Melting all the standards makes a huge difference.
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