Every Thursday, in its “off-field” section,
20 Minutes
explores new spaces for the expression of sport, unexpected, unusual, clever or in full swing.
This week, focus on retrorunning or the art of running backwards.
If some have made it their specialty, doctors warn that it should not be made a discipline in its own right.
The orienteering course? No large forest nearby to learn. The Marathon des Sables? No beach or desert either nearby to compete in this race. Extreme kayaking? No kayaking and above all a little fragile heart when danger approaches. In recent months, in this off-field section, we have sent you all over the world. But, because there is always a “but”, it was impossible for us to slip a little into the shoes of these athletes.
Suddenly, when the word "retrorunning", or race back, came to mind, to accompany our good resolutions of January 1st, we did not hesitate.
We put on shorts, sneakers, and put on the reverse with two of the best ambassadors of the discipline, Sandra Corcuera (49 years old), multiple world champion and Aaron Yoder (36 years old), world record holder for the mile (1, 6 km).
Because, yes, retrorunning has its champions.
Even if they weren't necessarily meant for that.
Our off-field dossier
"I only fell twice"
“I like to run and I collect normal races, whether it is from 50 m to 100 km, says the Spaniard. One day in 2007, I discovered a retrorunning event, I went there without knowing what it was. It was the hardest 1,500m of my life. "For the American, the beginnings are even more by chance:" We had a fairly inexpensive treadmill in the family, which was not going fast enough for me, because I was running rather quickly. I was quite frustrated, because I wanted to train hard. So I started running sideways, then backwards, because it was harder ”.
Hard on the body, because the muscles are not used to it, and also hard in the management of a race, especially for the middle and long distance.
Yes, how do you manage to guide yourself when running backwards?
Well, on athletics tracks, we focus on the features of the lanes and the people at the edge of the track also serve as guides.
"In my entire career, I've only fallen twice," admits Sandra Corcuera.
Including once when a Polish woman bumped into me.
But that didn't stop me from winning the race.
"
"It must remain an educational, complementary practice"
But it's not all suffering. If our two athletes have darkened their eyes (almost) closed in this discipline, it is also because it has relieved them physically. “I was very regularly injured when running from the front, especially in the knee,” explains Sandra Corcuera. But since I have been retrorunning my injuries have decreased enormously. According to several scientific studies from universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy or South Africa, it has been shown that with retrorunning, we burn 30% more calories than a face run, and that it improved balance and neurological functions. "
Traumatologist and sports doctor at the Drouot clinic in Paris, Jean-Christophe Miniot is keen to put his studies into perspective: “Why does retrorunning burn more calories?
Because it is a practice that causes more energy expenditure.
If you have to cycle 100 km: you will lose more calories on a mountain bike than on a racing bike, although the latter will be the easiest to ride.
Yes, it has benefits, but it must remain an educational, complementary practice ”.
"A base for general physical preparation"
It is moreover by following this playful principle that Renaud Longuèvre, former trainer of Ladji Doucouré or Muriel Hurtis, uses retrorunning: “We insert it into the ranges, regardless of the discipline (sprint, middle distance, long distance) .
This is done in particular during warm-up, by activating the cardiovascular system.
It serves as a basis for general physical preparation ”.
The three advantages of retrorunning according to Renaud Longuèvre:
Involve antagonist muscles in all parts of the body which suddenly become agonists.
The functions of the muscles are reversed.
Fighting against asymmetry, the imbalance caused by activity, is therefore an important pledge of injury prevention.
It's interesting in terms of coordination and motor intelligence.
“The human body is not made for this practice over long distances, otherwise the eyes would be behind the head, quite simply, continues Dr. Miniot.
It is not something that seems logical in the biomechanics of the human body.
For example, at the base, the calf is a propellant muscle, and there it becomes a shock absorber muscle.
"
"Sport is made to explore the potential of the human body"
Response from Aaron Yoder: “I can understand what he is saying and yes, physiologically speaking, we were all designed to run forward. But that's sport. It is not natural for the human body to lift eight times its weight while weightlifting, or to crash into it at full speed like in American football. But man tries to do things that are not possible. Sport is made to explore the potential of the human body ”.
And Sandra Corcuera is a good example.
The Spaniard will try to win the gold medal at the world retrorunning championships, normally scheduled for next summer after several postponements due to the health situation, over a marathon distance.
Yes, 42.195 km running backwards.
And don't laugh too much if she overtakes you in a next race that you are competing "head on".
"For me, it's not a goal, but it's true that it happens sometimes," she slips.
Do you also see his smirk?
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