Ongoing linky parties: Motivation Monday and Fabulously Frugal Thursdays.

Imagine running in a pair of shoes made from tire treads over truly rock terrain filled with boulders, holes, and logs. As wild as it sounds, there’s a group of Indians in Mexico known for their incredible running ability and their shoes made from tire treads. To them, running is life; it’s play; it’s how they get around.

I had my second encounter with these Indians this week in Eric Orton’s The Cool Impossible which is turning out to be an interesting book. I’m not sure why I picked it up at the library. I wasn’t thinking of improving my form or strengthening my ankle at the time. Now I’m off on a journey of slant boards, zero drop shoes, and finding ways to add another trail run into my weekly run. I kid you not – I’m seriously debating if there’s enough light at 5:15 am to hit the trails at my local college.

Ankle/Foot Strengthening

In The Cool Impossible, Eric Orton introduces the concept that form starts with the feet and ankles. As runners, all too often we focus on the big muscles like the glutes. We forget the core and upper body, and we forget the foundation – the feet. The rocky terrain the Indians run over daily strengthens their feet and ankles which helps prevent injuries in other areas like the knees and hips.

Since my ankle that I sprained in January started bothering me last week, maybe because I wore an old pair of running shoes for a run, or maybe it was the race, (as in who really knows?), my ears perked up when I read Orton’s thoughts on foot and ankle strengthening. I googled slant board, his tool, and found suggestions for using them, making my own, and some very pricey slant boards. I decided to use my treadmill to mimic a slant board and see if this technique worked.

Well, my ankle is weak. In fact, weaker than I expected. Which is a bit worrisome. I didn’t like wobbling during the exercise.

More googling brought me to Fit4FunctionSydney, and a video showing foot and ankle strengthening exercises without the use of a slant board. Just bare feet. After trying these, my left foot felt tired and sore. While I work on persuading my wonderful husband to build me a slant board from his scrapboard, I’ll use these exercises to strengthen my feet and ankles. I’ll also find a way to get some more trail time because I think the trail time will help me with the form changes and drills outlined by Eric Orton in The Cool Impossible.

Because I love meeting new people and sharing, this post is linked to:

Fitness Friday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday

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