How to run really, really far ∞
Weekly nuggets of pain science news and insight, usually 100-300 words, with the occasional longer post. The blog is the “director’s commentary” on the core content of PainScience.com: a library of major articles and books about common painful problems and popular treatments. See the blog archives or updates for the whole site.
Extreme examples are educational. For instance, we know from the experience of ultra runners that it is possible to run in a way that is less hard on your body. Once again, consider the case of Philippe Fuchs, who ran from Paris to Beijing, covering ~5,100 miles in 161 days. His primary concern was his “ability to keep absorbing muscular and skeletal punishment day after week after month,” of course. By the time Fuchs finished, he had developed an endurance stride that was clearly shorter and lower: he padded along with about 6% more steps per mile, a whopping 30% less time in the air, and 11% less landing force. I’m betting he wouldn’t have made it without those adjustments. Fascinating!