Older Yet Faster: The Secret to Running Fast and Injury Free

Older Yet Faster (English and French editions with illustrations and photos, and online lesson and exercise videos (Closed Captions in English, French and Hindi)) is a manual for teaching runners how to transition to efficient running and to help them to avoid incurring almost all of the common running injuries as they do so. It is ideal for beginners to learn how to run well and for experienced runners to changeover to good technique. Coaches can also use this book as a reference on how to implement technique change for their clients, and we expect it to become the go-to manual for medical professionals, to help them deal with running related injuries caused by bad technique and footwear.After learning how injuries are caused and then gaining a good understanding of running technique in the early chapters you will be prepared to read about our technique-change system which we call “OYF Running”. This consists of “Keith’s Lessons” used in combination with “Heidi’s Strengthening Exercises” and forms the main body of the book." Keith shows you how to run efficiently in a simple, step-by-step guide both in the book and with videos. Each Lesson provides exercises set out in a format which is both easy to understand and implement. The first three lessons teach you the basics of running correctly and the last three help you put these into practice and help you to refine your technique over the period of your transition. This program is set up so that runners can teach themselves in conjunction with the online videos and forum.Heidi’s Strengthening Exercises consists of a well-ordered series of exercises which will help your body safely adjust to the redistribution of the workload and are essential to rebuild parts of the body which have been neglected due to poor technique. It should be started as soon as possible, in order to build strength and to deal with the resultant muscle and tendon soreness that you will start to experience. We identify specific injuries and how they are caused and we show how by improving running technique, and re-strengthening these injuries are quickly cured. Podiatrists will find Heidi’s experiences and advice particularly interesting, especially as they will almost certainly, be in conflict with what is still taught in universities. Chapters Twelve and Thirteen, ‘Managing the changes’ and ‘Rehabilitation’, explain what should happen during the transition and what to do should you get injured, or if you are currently injured. Chapter Fourteen is very important as you must have suitable footwear to run with good technique. There is then a chapter on how your body shape will change as you adopt your new technique and a chapter on general tips and traps a list of commonly used terms, a glossary and an index.Finally, we have included three appendices: For Coaches, For Podiatrists and a detailed look at Heidi’s strengthening program. In Appendix A, Keith discusses how to implement his Lessons from a coach’s point of view, in Appendix B, Heidi explains how she treats her patients who are suffering with specific injuries and in Appendix C she explains her Strengthening program in greater detail for medical professionals and interested runners.

Keith is a competitor and coach: From the age of 45 Keith's running times improved dramatically, culminating in a host of State, National and World age-group records. The records that he set in the 55-age-group were faster than the records he set in the 45-age-group! At the time of writing, he has broken, and still holds, 38 age-group State Records, 15 Australian age-group records and five 55-age-group World Records: 1500m (4:12.35), 1 mile (4:35.04), 3000m (8:56.80), 5000m (15:29.7) and 10000m (31:51.86). Keith is the oldest person ever to break 32 minutes for 10 kilometres. Keith conducts private coaching session and coaches Cross-country and track running at a Sydney school. His technique-change lessons combine with Heidi's Strengthening and Rehabilitation programs to form the core of this book. Keith also provides a chapter for coaches who want to introduce technique change for their runners.

Heidi is a long-time competitor and a podiatrist Heidi has been a life-long runner and became a podiatrist to fix running injuries. She graduated in 1996 and she runs her own clinic at Bondi, called Feet On The Move. After orthotics failed to meet her expectations, Heidi devised a foot-strengthening program as an alternative. This has proven to be very successful in treating runners, non-runners and children. Heidi combines her strengthening program with Keith's technique-change lessons to form the core of this book. Heidi also provides a chapter for podiatrists and other medical professionals treating runners, which describes how to implement her program.

Freelance illustrator based in Bristol, UK. This website is a personal portfolio of drawings and illustrations