you use for your sport , and ( c ) your body can adapt quickly , so use every opportunity to make yourself stronger and reach your full potential . Right , now let ’ s get to the Q & A .
A : What are the main causes of injuries ? G : There are three things that cause injuries : 1 . Incorrect technique , 2 . Training load of ‘ too much , too fast ’ – not pacing yourself correctly in training , and 3 . Biomechanics , which can either be a restriction or a weakness .
A : How do we fix these things ? G : In terms of incorrect technique , you should seek help from a coach , or someone who knows what they are doing in your discipline , and to prevent training too much , too fast , you need to start with small amounts first and build from there . Be strict with yourself .
Now let ’ s talk about biomechanics : There is a big difference between race walking and running , notably that in running we usually strike the ground mid foot to front foot , and you create elastic recoil / energy that then transfers through your system . Also , at some point both feet are off the ground . This is called an open chain activity . In race walking it is the complete opposite , it is a closed chain activity , with one point being in contact with the ground at all times . The other differences are that you heel-strike , which then overflows to the amount of mobility you must have in your ankle , but we ’ ll talk about that later on .
A : What are the most common injuries specific to race walking ? G : The most common injury is often shin pain . This is because we lift the foot to strike heel first and with that lift of the toe , we are working our tibialis anterior in its extreme short position , and any muscle in its extreme shortened / lengthened position is weaker . Hamstring injuries are also quite common in race walking , because you are basically over-straightening the leg where the hamstring is in its maximum stretch position , which again , means it is in a lengthened position , and that is where we are then working on the weaker side of the muscle .
A : We use our hips a lot in race walking , moving them forward to create longer steps . So how important is pelvic stability in race walking ? G : As a race walker , you need to control what is happening around your pelvis , which controls what ’ s happening around your knees and ankles . if you don ’ t have control , your foot collapses , your knee collapses , and you don ’ t maintain that tension which is required in order to pull yourself as you are walking , so a lot of pelvic stability is very important .
A : If we look at running and running injuries , how do the biomechanics in running differ from that of race walking ? G : As I mentioned before , in running we strike the ground running mid foot to front foot , so there are no extreme patterns , like your ankle being in a flex position in race walking . So , striking mid foot to fore foot in running tends to be a stronger position , and we don ’ t have the typical extreme range injuries of race walking …
but what you do have in running is that as your foot makes contact with the ground , it creates elastic energy that is then transferred through the system like a spring to propel us forward . This is why runners get slightly different injuries in the quadriceps and Achilles .
A : I remember how sore my quads were when I first started to incorporate running into my programme . and how I couldn ’ t run more than 400m at a time . Why would that be ? G : In running your quadriceps need to contract in that mid position , so now your knee is not in that locked / over-straightened position , and your muscles need to control the position of the leg , which can lead to overuse of the quadriceps . So , when you are running downhill , for example , your quadriceps need to contract and control that lengthening , and if the quads are not strong enough , you can pick up pain in the front of the knee . Whereas , when your pelvic stability isn ’ t good , you can get side of knee pain / ITB pain . So , it has a lot to do with the muscle-controlling movement and muscle strength – and once again , if you do too much , too quickly , it can cause injury .
A : What is the most common injury in running ? G : Achilles tendonitis , which is mostly caused by doing high volumes , too quickly . Basically , it is inflammation of the tendon .
A : Are there any injuries that overlap in running and race walking ? G : Yes , there are . We can take Achilles tendonitis as an example : If the calf is really restricted in race walking , and the foot needs to go up in order to plant the heel first , you can have a look at how much stretch you are putting through that calf . This can cause a tendon to become inflamed as well , but whereas in running the tendon tends to be irritable because it is taking so much force with that elastic recoil , here we see that it is a loading problem . So , it ’ s a similar injury , but with slightly different causes .
About the Author
Race Walker Anel Oosthuizen is a multiple SA Champion and Record Holder , and represented SA in the women ’ s 20km at the 2016 Rio Olympics .
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