Practical Running Training

Functional training is based on the principle of „utility“ and „practicality“, which means that it is effective and advantageous in carrying out specific tasks. In essence, it is a type of training that aims to improve our coordination and mobility in daily life. It is a comprehensive range of exercises that can be tailored to the individual needs of people. Functional training can be used to improve physical fitness, performance, pain relief, and enhancement of quality of life. Many exercises in functional training are based on natural movements of the human body, such as pushing, pulling, twisting, and lifting. The genesis of functional training is difficult to determine, but it has been used in rehabilitation for many years. Therapists used it to help patients with injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Over time, functional training has become increasingly popular among people who want to improve their physical performance.

Runners constitute the largest group in the sporting community. Crucial is the ability to choose the appropriate type of training that will enhance strength, balance, and endurance. For runners, nearly the entire muscular band is significant. Their feet cushion the weight exceeding 200 kilograms, and the resulting impact force must be proportionately distributed between the knees and the hips. Also significant is the position of the torso and spine, whose lumbar vertebrae must cope with the weight that exceeds the body mass of the runner. How, considering these data, can one design a functional training that will be ideally adapted to the needs of the track? At the outset, an individual assessment of the trainee in terms of joint mobility, strength, balance, and coordination is essential. A trainer-expert must evaluate the skills of the trainee and adjust such exercises that will most effectively contribute to the improvement of the most neglected body segments. The most common motor deficits in runners include: - weak deep muscles (particularly the lumbar and hip muscles and the back extensor); - weak foot tendons; - poor elasticity of the biceps muscles and limited mobility in the hip joint; - incorrect technique in performing exercises; - imbalance of strength between the biceps and the quadriceps.

How, considering the above-mentioned deficiencies, can a training program be customized for the runner? Below we present one of the tried and tested examples (requiring no equipment, and thus feasible for anyone to execute).

Warm-up. We rest until we feel warm or slight perspiration on our forehead, and then we perform a few minutes of dynamic stretching. Then we perform a series of exercises: raise the legs lying down, left and right leg 10 times; bend the legs to the torso 8 times; – lift the leg lying on the side (rest the head on the outstretched arm), left and right leg 10 times each; – lift the leg lying on the stomach, left and right leg 10 times each; – lift the torso with the feet on the ground: 15 times; – full squat: 10 repetitions; – forward and backward steps (with holding) 3 times.

("deep muscles", equilibrium, agility) We are undertaking a cycle of 18 exercises in accordance with the presentation in the video (20 seconds per exercise) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaE9T15aOoQ

(balance, running technique, strength) – maintaining the knee bent (with fingers pointing upwards), left and right leg bent for 30 seconds; – positioning on one leg bent at the knee, the other straightened behind, hands forward, left and right leg straight for 30 seconds; – kneeling position on the right knee and 15 lifts of the kneeling leg upwards, then shifting; – "pulsing" in the stride, assuming the striding position and moving the straightened leg behind 20 times (so that the knee is just above the ground but not touching it); – 20 full squats (focusing on hip work, not the quadriceps muscles); – climbing stairs on the left and right foot (20 times on each leg).

("Static stretching") This training stage should last for a minimum of 15 minutes. We must carefully stretch each muscle group that we have trained. Stretching not only relaxes and calms, but also contributes to the growth of our muscles during the recovery phase.

In what manner can functional training influence our achievements in competitions? For years, we have stressed how deep-lying muscles act as 'second lungs', aiding our breathing during running when we can no longer continue... Invisible yet fortified by movement, hip and lower back muscles, which we experience through functional exercises, safeguard us from fatigue and hip failure... The strength of a back extensor allows us to maintain an upright posture, and well-defined abdominal muscles assist in lifting the knee... All this pertains to deep-lying muscles... Maintaining balance is also crucial... If we incorporate it into our functional training, we can avoid hazardous side-to-side oscillations... It is worth mentioning that proper execution of training can shield us from injuries resulting from long-term overloading... Functional training is undeniably one of the three most significant components of running training.