You have been patient, you put in the rehab, you rode the stupid bike, you swam in the chlorine filled water, you watched your friends post pictures of their runs and never hated them so much, so when is it your turn?! This is the biggest question that all of my running patients have when they are asked to shut it down. Try telling a runner they have to stop, and see how happy that makes them feel. When recovering from specific injuries, this rest from running is very necessary. So how do we know it is time to get back to it? There are certainly different factors that go into this decision, and it is not just that you are starting to feel better. Pushing a run too quickly when the body is not ready can set you back and add even more to the frustrations that you are feeling. So, what if the answer to that question is, “you can go back to running when you pass a test.” Who doesn’t love tests right? Ok, ya I get it, most people hate tests. However, runners love objective measures! Think about all the crap we track as runners, our mileage, pace, splits, cadence, calories burnt, heart rate, gels eaten, water consumed, etc., etc. So when I tell a runner, let’s take a test and if you pass, you can start a run progression, and if you don’t, there is more work to be done, the competitive juices start flowing and they are ready to go!
So let’s go through the “Running Readiness Test”. This is a great objective tool to determine one’s readiness to start a run progression. If you fail a portion of the test, it can help guide you into what areas need to be focused on before taking the test again. Let’s begin!
Description of the Test: (Print out PDF in Resource page and See Reference Videos)
- 6 tests, 1 minute in length
- 30 seconds rest in between each test
- The tests are scored on PASS or FAIL basis for each test
- Must PASS all tests
- All tests must be done with >2/10 pain level or FAIL
Test #1: Hopping
- 1 min, no rest
- 180 bpm rate, set a metronome and stay on the beat with each hop
- Good upright form, keep knees apart, hop off toes
- FAIL: significant slowing, knees together, flat feet, pain
- Idea is that we need to hop in order to run, we need our spring mechanisms working and able to utilize our stored kinetic energy
Test #2: Plank
- 1 min, no rest
- Good form, straight line, equal weight bearing, good head alignment
- FAIL: Hips too high, hips too low, weight shifting, significant muscle shaking, pain
- Idea is that we need a strong core for running. Just because you injured an ankle, that doesn’t mean we neglect strengthening our core. Maybe that weakness lead to compensations down your kinetic chain to the injury of your ankle?!
Test #3: Quick step up/downs
- 1 min, no rest
- Switch order of feet 30 seconds in
- 180 bpm, use the metronome again and match foot strike to beats
- Use 6-7” step
- Good form, knees apart, spring off toes, good trunk position
- FAIL: slowing, flat feet, knees together, pain
- The idea is the same as the hopping test, in that we need our spring mechanisms. Now we already did two other tests before, so fatigue starting come in. Why 180 bpm, see upcoming post on cadence manipulation
Test #4: Single leg squat
- 1 min, no rest
- Switch leg 30 seconds in between
- Bend to 60 deg angle at knee
- Good form, no loss of balance, level hips, good knee alignment
- FAIL: loss of balance, hips drop, knee falls in, pain
- Idea is that running is a single leg activity, so we need to be able to control single leg squats
Test #5: Wall Sit
- 1 min, no rest
- Good form, quads parallel to floor, upright trunk, equal weight bearing
- FAIL: forward lean, not parallel, weight shift to one side, pain
- Idea is we need strength and sustained endurance with running
Test #6: Leap and Catch
- 1 min, no rest
- 40 bpm, hop at beat with slight pause, use metronome
- Set distance at 60% of your height
- Good form, level hips, no loss of balance, good knee alignment
- FAIL: 3 faulty patterns: loss of balance, knee inside of toes, use other foot to catch self, fail to cross line, hip drop or pain
- Idea is that running is hopping from one leg to the next, and we need have control and stability for this to occur
There you go! This is an easy test to perform at home to give you an idea for readiness to start a run progression (see resource page for safely performing a run progression). If you pass, great! You are ready to start, in addition to the strengthening routine that helped you get to this point. If you happen to fail any specific test, then that can be an area of focus during your continued rehab. Good luck and happy rehabbing!
See Resource page for video of test for reference