Interview with Jay Dicharry - Running Rewired
Jay Dicharry has been an authority on getting runners to move better for a while now. He came to prominence at the SPEED Clinic at UVA where he used technology and a keen understanding of biomechanics to fix broken runners (here's a nice little documentary about his work there). He now works out of the Rebound Clinic in the natural wonderland that is Bend, Oregon. His first book, Anatomy for Runners was somewhere between an anatomy textbook and an owner's manual for runners. His excellent new book, Running Rewired, seeks to teach runners how to become better movers so that they can run with "stability, strength and speed." Using concepts of neuroplasticity, Running Rewired manages to take a very complicated topic and provide concise, actionable steps to help runners improve their movement patterns. It sounds complicated, but trust me, Jay is a master of explaining things simply.
I've had a chance to read Running Rewired and over the past month, have been applying some of its enjoyable workouts into my own training, and I can say without hyperbole that every runner should own this book. By putting the book's message into practice, any runner of any level can find their way to better movement, and better movement translates not just to training and racing, but to life itself. On a busy morning, Jay and I found time to do a quick interview about some of the book's core principles.
In this all-too-brief interview (round two coming soon) we discussed how to train your brain in order to recruit your dormant muscles, why running is a skill that needs to be taught, information overload in this athletic information age, common imbalances in runners, and the important relationship between muscle strength and muscle memory. Jay's understanding of biomechanics and physiology is outstanding, and he has a lot to offer runners of every ability level, whether you're trying to run your first marathon or qualify for the Olympic trials.
Watch Interview on YouTube
