Bounce

Bounce - something that I wish I had at the moment!  And it's something that runners need.  And it's something that we lose if we become injured.  And it's something that will cause injury if we don't have it (achilles tendonosis/plantar fasciitis/calf tears...).  And it's something that will reduce performance on return to running if you don't work to get it back.

Plyometrics is the fancy name for a bit of bouncing.  Jumping, hopping, leaping, bounding, springing...and it should be part of all 'return-to-running' programmes.  There are some good ones on the internet...try the 'Peak Performance' website for tips/programmes.

Bounce is all about elastic recoil and eccentric muscle strength.  Eccentric being when the muscle is trying to work whilst at the same time having to lengthen.  And eccentric activity in a muscle is very destructive if the muscle doesn't have the power to resist the forces working against it....remember those quads muscles after that steep downhill on that fell race?  So before bouncing, eccentric strength should be addressed.

In the case of calves, heel 'lowers' off a step from tip toes can be done (single leg).  In the case of quads, single leg squats (slow down, fast up) with the heel on a raise can be done.  In the case of hamstrings, Nordic hamstrings (see google) or swiss ball roll outs (double, then single leg) are both good. 

And if you can't hop on one leg with good bounce, then it's not time to go back to running.