From Running Trails to Running School!

 This weekend, Sarah Seads (Kinesiologist, Personal Trainer, Run Coach and my dear friend) and I ventured across the water to Vancouver to take a course.  New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries, offered by The Running Clinic, was one of the best courses I have been to in a long while.  We came away with our heads FULL of new information based on ultra-current research.  We were encouraged that many of the things we are teaching our patients and clients are bang on correct.  However, we were also forced to change many beliefs that have been core to our rehab programs.

Sarah has summarized the most important points on her blog here, so I won't bother repeating it all.  You can go there to check it out!

It's crazy how much shoes have changed over the years.

My Personal Top 5 Take Away Points:

1) I will be getting back into my minimal shoes again and for good.
2) I will throw away my kids "big bulky shoes" and get them connected to the ground again.
3) Minimal shoes aren't going away.  "Barefoot running" is a great tool for most people, but must be transitioned into and executed correctly.  Minimal running is NOT for everyone.
4) Stretching....big changes that I must accept.  That's for another post.
5) Even though I do it rarely, I won't be taking NSAIDS at all anymore.  Nothing good comes of it.

We were reminded that 80% of all running injuries come from training errors. My impression is that the approach to running and injuries has changed more in the past 3 years than during my whole career as a physio (14 years).  Research is being published every day that is blowing our current belief systems to bits.  As health care providers we do the best we can with the knowledge that we have, but at the end of the day we have to accept that 5 years from now we may be doing things totally differently!

Guess who's leg is mine?