Ventura High School Distance

Supplemental Strength, Injury Prevention, and Mobility Protocols

Prepared by Coach Karisa Curtis

The goal of the VHS distance-specific strength, injury prevention, and mobility protocols is to provide a balanced and comprehensive program to maximize running economy, efficiency, and strength, and prevent injury. These supplemental routines are outside of the running workouts but they will be administered as part of the daily track workout in its entirety, with seamless transitions from run to this supplemental work. The goal of this method is to keep the heart rate elevated throughout that day’s workout so the athletes will improve their fitness and aerobic capacity without more running, which could potentially lead to overuse injuries.

Studies show that competitive distance runners who engage in strength training have significant improvements in maximal and reactive strength, running economy - oxygen and energy use, and Vo2max over control groups, without hypertrophy (muscle bulking). They had faster time trial performance and sprint speed.

Myths about Strength Training for Distance Runners:

Myth: Strength training-induced muscle hypertrophy might make runners heavier, which could compromise running economy. 

Fact: There is a phenomenon called the concurrent effect that blunts the ability of muscles to expand when strength training and aerobic training are performed in conjunction. Gains in muscle mass are not an issue for runners who perform strength training correctly.

Myth: High repetition, low-weight resistance training is best for runners. 

Fact: High-intensity, explosive strength training has been shown to yield the best results, even in distance runners.

The Protocol:

Below are the general components of the protocol. The weekly amounts will follow a periodized approach, with a general build phase during the early part of the season, followed by a taper phase as the season progresses. Depending on the unique goals of individual athletes and varying meet and workout schedules, the supplemental training plan will be adapted to best align with those priorities. 

Pre-Run:

1. Dynamic Warmup and Core (Daily)

Post-Run:

1. Prehab (Specific Injury Prevention Work) (2 routines 1x each/ week)
2. Strength/Kore Smashes (3 routines 1x each / week)
3. Ladder Drills (1x / week)
4. Endurance Strength (1x / week)
5. Power Strength (1x / week)
6. Mobility (3x / week)
7. Bodyweight (1x / week)

Why We Do What We Do:

• Dynamic Warmup: To progressively elevate heart rate, improve range of motion, and fluidity in the joints for an open and efficient stride. To activate key muscles and prepare them to absorb the impact forces of running as well as work together to provide a powerful push-off phase of your stride cycle.

• Core: To improve stability in the torso and minimize wasteful movements at the joints, coordinate movement between the upper and lower body, reduce muscle strain and joint overload, and improve force production and breath mechanics.

• Ladder/Agility Drills: To improve mind-body connection, quicken reflexes, coordination, balance, control, flexibility, and speed. To engage supporting muscles and help the body to adapt to remain aligned during dynamic motions, limiting the risk of injury. 

• Prehab/ Injury Prevention: To help reduce the risk of injury and improve performance. While the Prehab routines are specifically built for injury prevention, the aim of all of the routines is to build strength, power, and range of motion to bulletproof the body to perform at its best in running.

Common running injuries the protocol addresses:

1. Shin Splints: We include strength training using more intrinsic muscles in the foot, incorporating dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, foot inversion and eversion, and include exercises to increase ankle mobility, and strengthen the tibialis. Opening the range of motion in these areas gives access to more muscles to help absorb impact.
2. Plantar Fasciitis: We focus on soleus strength, calf raises, and toe flexion and extension. 
3. Knee Pain: We aim to increase hamstring strength, improve eccentric strength in quads and glutes, and strengthen glute medius, as well as work to get knees safely over toes.
4. ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome): Engage hips and activate glute medius to prevent IT Band from overworking and pulling on the knee. Improve mobility at attachment points and strength train to improve stride efficiency and reduce overreaching.
5. Hip/Groin Pain: Incorporate adduction and abduction, and activation of glute muscles. Improve mobility in hips, trunk, and groin.

• Strength (Functional/ Strength/Core Smashes/ Bodyweight): Strengthens muscles, joints, and connective tissue, improves neuromuscular coordination and power, and betters coordination and efficiency for improved running economy. It helps you exert less energy to hit and maintain a certain pace by recruiting more fatigue-resistant muscle fibers. We incorporate functional full-body strength, combined core/lunge, core/balance, core/glutes and hips routines, and a weekly bodyweight session to maximize strength, create stronger strides, and bulletproof the body from injury risk. Some areas of focus include:
• Getting out of the sagittal plane and into the frontal plane helps prevent injury and increase muscle control. Increases pelvic stability for better running mechanics. Frontal plane stability optimizes force production/reduction and reduces ground reaction forces so you can run more economically.
• Abduction Work - activates glute medius, improves alignment, and prevents IT band from overworking and impacting the knee. Decreases hip adduction in the stance phase of running to give you stronger mechanics. Improves control and single-sided strength which improves balance and strengthens force production in your stride.
• Adduction Work - increases stability and helps position and decelerate the femur when you run. 
• Unilateral movements including bridges and squats (especially ones that include eccentric quad/glute building strength), which require more muscle focus and stability and help prevent muscle imbalances, as well as improve running efficiency and prevent knee pain.
• The soleus handles more load than any muscle in the running stride. Strengthening it helps improve ankle stability and sends power to the ankles for stronger plantar flexion when you run. 
• Running is a balance sport (at any given time, only one foot is in contact with the ground), so we implement balance work to maintain alignment and limit excessive motion from the foot up to the torso, and for improved proprioception and coordination.

• Power Strength/ Plyometrics: To improve Vo2 max and aerobic efficiency. To maximize the muscle’s ability to contract which increases power and resistance to fatigue. To improve ankle stability and stronger tendons and joints for a stronger push-off phase in your stride cycle. The increased variability in your movement means better running form and fewer injuries.

• Mobility: Actively moving your joints to help you move with more control, strength, and stability, and improve movement capacity at all angles. 
• Ankles and feet absorb shock when you run. Opening your ankles and the range of motion of your foot can prevent injuries further up the chain. Plantar flexion is a big source of propulsion and extension when you run. Decreasing muscle fatigue here can help you create more power.
• Thoracic spine mobility helps to distribute force through the spine so that the pelvis can rotate as the shoulder moves in the opposite direction. Opening rib joints and improving posture for better breath mechanics.
• Deep squat hip mobility means stronger hip flexors and knee flexion, and better ankle mobility. Improves stride strength and helps prevent low back pain.
• 90/90 hip movements and internal hip rotations improve trunk and pelvic movement and stability and activate glute medius to prevent ITBS.
• Hip articulations help improve stability and end-of-range motion. Increases hip flexor strength and prevents muscle imbalances.
• Hip flexor and quadricep openers relieve pressure on the lower back and psoas and maintain knee function and stride length.