Rich on Running: Running backward into the New Year

Perhaps it meets the definition of “ironic” that, as we prepare to move forward into the New Year, the running world is abuzz over the phenomenon of ? running backward.The topic in question comes from a study by the University of Milan in Italy last year, and it was the subject of a New York Times Magazine article on Dec. 9. Reporter Gretchen Reynolds wrote that “a small body of science suggests that backward running enables people to avoid or recover from common injuries, burn extra calories, sharpen balance and, not least, mix up their daily routine.”Well, this sounded intriguing. I tested it with six wall-to-wall backward “laps” across a room ? three in each direction.Reynolds described how the subjects of the study ran backward, noting that “they landed near the front of their feet and took off from the heels. They tended to lean slightly forward even when running backward.”This held true for me, too. My heels went up as I moved toward the opposite wall and I landed on my forefeet. Initially I felt some pain in my knees but learned to let my feet hit the ground more gently. As the laps continued, they felt more natural, to the point where I could swing my arms back and forth in rhythm with my legs, and my pace got faster.Reynolds sounded upbeat about the benefits of backward running, citing several other studies that reported more calories burnt, and less wear and tear on the front of the knees.It definitely felt like a good workout and, once I got the hang of how to run backward, the knee pain went away. Perhaps going backward isn’t such an unusual idea. Just look at all the swimmers who do the backstroke.Maybe I should follow the advice of Giovanni Cavagna, the professor who directed the University of Milan study, as described by Reynolds: “Intersperse a few minutes periodically during your regular routine, Cavagna says. Increase the time you spend backward as it feels comfortable.”The one caveat is that on my backward runs, my gait featured an addition not present during my regular runs ? namely, my head was tilted a little to the side to make sure I wasn’t about to slam into a wall. I still remember the day in a pool when I did the backstroke and bumped my head (don’t ask).In perhaps the understatement of the year, Reynolds reports: “But (backward running) has drawbacks, Cavagna says – chiefly that you can’t see where you’re going. ‘It should be done on a track,’ he says, ‘or by a couple of runners, side by side,’ one facing forward.”One wonders if this will be the latest running trend as we head forward ? or is it backward? ? into the year 2013.Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].