Ankle Flexibility 101

The focus of today's blog is ankle flexibility.  Thinking a lot abut my #breaking10 project today and I have realised that with running I can put in lots of different types of sessions to stimulate the fitness I need, but with regards to technique - and indeed ability to just be able to get over barriers - I need to start at a much, much more basic level.

My ankles have actually been a huge limiting factor in old age.  My perpetually tight (and often torn) calf muscles, shin splints, achillies issues (several) and the weird upper shin issue that we couldn't diagnose have all been a cause from lack of ankle mobility.

I believe at the minute that strengthening is pointless if you aren't getting full power from the legs anyway.

Steeplechase is about being able to hurdle barriers as efficiently as possible.  10 mins for 3k I can handle, I'm not a million miles off that right now.  The chase is about loosing as little rhythm as possible, keeping the pace consistent with minimum start - stop. The less you loose over barriers, the faster you can run off a given pace.

To hurdle efficiently, you MUST be flexible.  Like swimming, just powering over barriers is non-efficient.  The ankle are the start, because they give you the pivot points to take off and to push off the barriers / water jump.  Improving ankle flexibility (aside from all the other benefits) gives you the best anchor point.

Ankle flex knee drop wall test (made that up) gives me 5 cm on left and 8 cm on right.  That needs to be 10 cm on both sides, so a long way to go!

Great and quick drills I've sourced online are - roller, with 5 rolls either direction, moving from flush to left lean and right lean.  Then seated toe curls and drop ankle flexed on roller, 3 x 10 secs each.  that should (should) get me where I need to be.  I notice the tendon along big toe is the tightest.

Once ankles are flexible enough, it's the turn of the hip flexors.  they are an age old issue that I work anyway but hip flexors, hamstrings, quads, ankles and calf are the chain.  I'll try some hurdles in March, just to get over and once I am doing technical work I'll focus on strength.

The flexibility side will be key to this season.  Fitness I don't have a concern with because I only need to be marginally fitter than last season.  Getting my legs high enough to hurdle seems a bit of a challenge right now.  Funnily enough I think the flexibility side may actually be the key to the speed that I need to get that 800m time down.  Sub 60 for 400 !!  Gulp !!!