How do You Put on Your Socks?

Fifteen Centimetres can make a Big Difference.- For all the Walkers/ Runners/ Tri Geeks and Bikeaholics.

Fifteen centimetres might not seem like a big deal when running 5km,10km, 21.1km or 42.2km. When it comes to peak performance those 15 cm can make all the difference. It's the small details that are the foundation and stepping stones to progress.

What's the distance between your heel and ball of your foot?

Roughly 15 cm.

Have you ever wondered why your calf muscles are still so tight even after stretching?

The culprit may be tonus- continuous and partial contraction of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

When doing a gastrocnemius (calf) stretch that the pivot point is the heel and not mid foot; as a traditional heel drop off a curb. This 15 cm will change the movement arm and its effect on the ankle joint.The movement arm and pivot point at mid foot will cause an eccentric (lengthening ) contraction on the gastrocnemius muscle. 

You will”feel ” the traditional heel drop, because the muscle is contracting eccentrically. An eccentric contraction has the potential to generate up to three times the amount of force as a concentric contraction. 

Solution - pivot point should be the heel.

The effect of tonus is the gastrocnemius may be the cause of knee inflammation and discomfort.

The gastrocnemius( calf muscle) crosses the ankle and the knee, If the gastrocnemius is chronically shortened from the inherent nature of running and lifestyle( too much sitting and not enough Movement Machine) . This chronically shortened gastrocnemius will cause a slight bend in knee: “turning on” the quadricep muscle( thigh muscle).

The quad being “turned on ” could result on tension pulling the patella (knee cap) upwards .This tension on the patella will force the knee cap into the joint space which can lead to increased friction and possible inflammation.

The attention to small details.These small details may seem trivial and a waste of time. It’s the small details that are the stepping stones to progress. 

Legendary Basketball Coach John Wooden, who led the U.C.L.A. Bruins to ten N.C.A.A championships, would get his players to practice putting on their socks for the first two weeks of each season. The reason was quite simple; any wrinkles in the sock would lead to blisters. A blister would not allow his players to bring the best version of themselves to each practice; or possibly miss practice.

How do you put on your socks?