Words of wisdom-An extract from Gordon Pirie’s book Running Fast And Injury Free

There is an entire generation of runners who have suffered severely from the misinformation supplied to them by shoe manufacturers, and the pseudo-experts who pass themselves off as knowledgeable authorities in the popular running press. Some of these runners will never run again. Unfortunately, many runners have been led up athletic blind alleys by incorrect information, and have become either too severely injured or too disenchanted with the sport to continue.

There are three basic reasons for the injury epidemic currently sweeping the running world, which is making life unpleasant for millions of runners, and destroying many more that are lost to the sport forever.

The first is the most basic - very few runners know how to run correctly. Improper technique puts undue strain on the feet, ankles, knees, back and hips, and makes injury inevitable.

The second reason is more subtle than the first, though closely related to it. Most running shoes today are designed and constructed in such a manner as to make correct technique impossible (and therefore cause chronic injuries to the people who wear them). It is a common misconception that a runner should land on his or her heels and then roll forward to the front of the foot with each stride. In designing their shoes, most shoe companies fall prey to this incorrect assumption. The result is that running shoes get larger and clumsier every year. Far from protecting runners, these shoes actually limit the runner's ability to run properly, and as a result may contribute to the injury epidemic.

The third factor accounting for the current plague of injuries is an over-emphasis on mileage in training, especially "long slow distance" (LSD). Without the constant maintenance of a proper balance in training - including sprinting, interval training, weights, hills and long-running - a runner's body simply will not adapt to the stresses it encounters on a day-to-day basis. Most runners approach the sport backwards. Initially, they settle into a training regime and go at it. Then, if problems occur, they might think about making changes to the way they run or in the shoes they wear (though few get around to making a constructive change. Most wait for a miracle).

GORDON PIRIE'S LAWS OF RUNNING
1 - Running with correct technique (even in prepared bare feet), on any surface, is injury free.
2 - Running equals springing through the air, landing elastically on the forefoot with a flexed knee (thus producing quiet feet). On landing, the foot should be directly below the body. (Walking is landing on the heels with a straight leg).
3 - Any and all additions to the body damage running skill.
4 - Quality beats quantity; the speed at which you practice the most will be your best speed.
5 - Walking damages running.
6 - The correct running tempo for human beings is between three and five steps per second.
7 - Arm power is directly proportional to leg power.
8 - Good posture is critical to running. (Don't bend forwards!).
9 - Speed kills endurance; endurance kills speed.
10 - Each individual can only execute one "Program" at any one time; an individual can be identified by his or her idiosyncrasies (i.e. "Program"). An individual can change his or her "Program" only by a determined, educational effort; each individual's "Program" degenerates unless it is controlled constantly.
11 - Static stretching exercises cause injuries!
12 - Running equals being out of breath, so breathing through the mouth is obligatory (hence the nickname "Puff Puff Pirie").