In part one and part two of the 3-part vendible Matt Long, Darren Reevell and Mark Brace introduced the concept of biokinetics. In this final vendible they pull the learning together and ask ‘now what?’

Spring 2022. Team England warm weather training camp

After a day of training, and then some relaxation on the waterfront and in the sea, our two Commonwealth Games unseat athletes are when at the team hotel and having refuelled they are now enjoying a relaxing massage with the team physios. Sat in the corner of the treatment room is their team mentor who has one eye on the tv but who is enjoying some idle yack with the athletes.

As her calves are stuff worked on the treatment table, the sexuality marathoner asks him “So you’ve told us what biokinetics is and why its important, but you promised to tell us increasingly well-nigh how to modernize it”.

Fundamental Movement Patterns

Turning the sound on the tv down, the mentor replies, “We need to work on your fundamental movement patterns. Things including bracing, hinging, squatting and lunging, which will develop that optimal stiffness of your kinetic uniting that I was talking about. As you unzip competence with some FMP movements we can progress through double leg to single leg squat; I will be looking for the triple extension and triple flexion via ROM through ankle, knee and hip in squat”.

Lunges once perfected can moreover be challenged with forward and reverse movement and with medicine balls thrown from a stable base- centre of mass over wiring support. The sexuality marathoner asks, “So what will this do for me?’” Enthusiastically, he replies that, “This kind of work will help develop trunk tenancy and when you are physically competent enough, the workout can be increased with the aid of resistance- but you have to earn the right to progress”.

Plyometrics

The mentor continues that, “I’d like you to spend increasingly time with your boyfriend- on the track I mean!”. With a giddy squint the sexuality marathoner says, “But he’s a speed-based athlete and I’m endurance based”. The mentor fires when saying, “You will find that by undertaking things maximal short sprints increasingly regularly and coupled with things like pogo / countermovement jumps, hop and stick and jumping to a low box, that you will modernize your physical prep work in terms of strength and mobility”.

The sexuality marathoner nods in try-on and asks, “So what are we both doing at the track tomorrow?”. The mentor prescribes that, “You can both work on foot drills which will strengthen your feet virtually the big toe joints and without you’ve zingy those muscles and tendons you can move on to mobilising through hurdles drills which will help with hip mobility”.

Multi-terrain and hill running

The sexuality marathoner then asks, “So without all those drills in the warm up phase of my session, what’s my main session”. He replies, “After you’ve washed-up a few alactic sprints on the track we will get you out onto the trails, not only to build some increasingly strength endurance but considering running the inclines and declines over the trails helps with your biokinetics too, by having to retread your kinetic uniting stiffness”.

Footwear

Her massage stuff finished and in grabbing her towel in preparation to throne off to her hotel room for a good night’s sleep, the sexuality marathoner fires one last question to the team coach. “Anything I need to know well-nigh kit for tomorrow?”, she asks. He responds, “Bring a couple of pairs of trainers, your racing shoes and your spikes and we will mix up what you wear as we progress from the warm-up to the main session on the trails.

Be prepared, likewise to do some barefoot strides on the grass infield of the track as part of the warm-up as I’ve checked the grass is unscratched to use. This is considering over time it will modernize your wastefulness and proprioception”. (See Thompson, P.J.L. 2021). The sexuality marathoner replies, “How come?”. He continues that, “If towardly for the individual athlete then going barefoot activates the smaller muscles in the feet, ankles, legs, and hips that are responsible for largest wastefulness and coordination”.

Questions for self-reflection

1. Why is an understanding of the biokinetics of healthy movement important for me to understand as runner?
2. Where are the particular points in my periodised macro-cycle of training which requite me the opportunity to focus increasingly extensively on my fundamental movement patterns- perhaps when returning from injury; when tapering for competition or when returning to training without a period of rest and recuperation?
3. When in my microcyles of training is there an opportunity to work on some of the drills and practices alluded to above? Where are my weightier windows of opportunity?
4. How will I monitor the success of the training of my fundamental movement patterns? Is it solely based on my performances or are there indicators of process such as the ‘feeling’ I have when running and kinaesthetic feedback which lets me know that my running economy and efficiency have improved?

Reference

Thompson, P.J.L. (2021) ‘Biokinetic energy – identifying the fourth energy system for all track & field events’. Techniques for Track & Field and Cross Country, USTFCCCA, 14 (4): 8-13. This is the Technical Journal of the United States Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) misogynist self-ruling of tuition at this link:

Mark Brace (mbrace@englandathletics.org) and Darren Reevell (dreeevell@englandathletics.org) are Regional Mentor Leads for Endurance who have served as England Team Managers. Matt Long is a Midlands Team Manager for Road, Cross Country and Masters and Mentee Team Manager on the England Athletics Staff Training Programme and welcomes contact for support at mattlongcoach@gmail.com