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

Older Yet Faster

The Secret to Running Fast

and Injury Free

Third edition

Keith Bateman and Heidi Jones

Keith Bateman and Heidi Jones 2020

Illustrations, Ainsley Knott 2018

Older Yet Faster Publications Pty Ltd

olderyetfaster.com

All rights reserved. Except for short passages for reviews, no part of this publication in any of its formats may be used in any way without written permission of the publisher.

First published in Australia in 2014

Second edition published in Australia 2018

Third edition published in Australia 2020

Kindle ISBN: 978-0-6487727-2-9

EPUB ISBN: 978-0-6487727-3-6

Hardback colour ISBN: 978-0-6487727-0-5

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-6487727-1-2

Dewey number: 796.42071

Editing: Jamie Roberts and Rubida Communications

Illustrations: Ainsley Knott

Cover design and photographs: Stuart Greaves

Book internal design and production management: Rubida Communications

Disclaimer

Running is a personal journey for which you must take responsibility. This book cannot take into account your individual physical or medical situation. Check with your medical professional before starting or amending any exercise program. The publisher and the authors accept no liability for loss or injury resulting from using the contents of this book.

Ebook reading notes

The table of contents is accessible through the Contents icon (three horizontal lines) of your ebook reader.

There are illustrations in this ebook. Double-tap an illustration to enlarge it in a separate window.

This ebook has hyperlinked (blue font) cross-references in the text, and index locators at the back of the book.

Many people have helped us in many ways with the first edition, second edition and this third edition.

Thanks to Lena Fleming for suggesting and helping with the new cover design, and David Blackman for blogging his technique-change experiences following the first edition. Readers feedback has been invaluable in helping us refine the lessons, exercises and text for this third edition.

Ainsley (ainsleyknott.com), you have brought this book alive with your excellent illustrations. You accurately interpreted our ideas and responded to our changing needs with grace and professionalism.

Our thanks also goes to Stuart Greaves for allowing us to use his pictures of Keith and Heidi on the front and back covers, and to Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix at Xero Shoes for the footwear.

An extra special thank you must go to our friend and mentor Robert Miller, who dedicated more than three years to brilliantly drawing out our passion for what we do, and assisted us in expressing ourselves more clearly in the second edition. And finally to Steve Walsh, for helping us achieve a higher level of clarity in this third edition with his exceptional language skills, applied from a runner's perspective.

Thanks also goes to my previous coach, Sean Williams, who for over 15 years guided, pushed, and restrained me. Sean, I really appreciate your wisdom. It was an honour to run with Seans Elite squad from 2003 to 2015, which included some of Australias best runners, such as Australian 10,000 metre record holder Ben St Lawrence, Harry Summers and Neil Berry.

Apart from running with, chasing and being chased by these runners, including Sean himself, it has been a buzz to have a wonderful string of training buddies to train and race with over the years. These included Belinda (Belzy) Wilsher, twice City2Surf (Sydney) winner Lara Tamsett, Jim (Bruiser) Dawes, Tom Hurley, Morgan MacDonald, Martin Matthews, Mick Chay, Rob Lansdown, Tony (Fats) Fattorini, and many, many more. Also, watching and mentoring the youngsters in the squad and being their target in training until they were fast enough to pass me has been like being a dad again.

Eloise Wellings, thanks for the privilege of being your training partner in the weeks before the 2012 Olympics, and Liz Miller, Clare Geraghty, Lara Tamsett and Becky Lowe, thanks for letting me pace you in the City2Surf and other races. Its been a ball and long may it continueI intend to be running with you guys for many more yearsso watch your backs, your conscience isnt far behind!

James and Andy Polson, without you I would never have started on this project. It was you who first approached me with the idea of producing an iPhone app. You helped a great deal with the structure of the first edition.

And to my best friend and now my wife, Heidi Jones, many thanks for your expert podiatry advice, enthusiasm, brilliant steering of this project, and for keeping the pressure on and working with me to finish this book.

My deepest thanks go to my soul mate Keith. Not only have you helped many of my patients, you have also resuscitated my running life. After so many injuries, I lost belief in myself as an athlete. I thought I couldnt change my technique. I have learnt so much from you, and you have transformed the way I assess and treat my running patients. Through technique change everyone can run smoother, faster and avoid unnecessary injuries.

A big thank you to the gurus in their fields: Pilates teacher Gataneo del Monaco for guiding me towards starting a foot strengthening program; Angelo Castiglione for his self-myofascial release therapy advice; running coach Alan McCloskey for his foot exercises; and osteopath and runner Dr Chris Jones, not only for his rehabilitation exercises but also for the many times he has put my broken body back together. My journey has led me to these great people and you will find their exercises in Heidis Strengthening Program and Heidis rehabilitation exercises.

And finally, a big thank you to my father who made me fall in love with running from a very young age. You guided and nurtured my competitive spirit, which not only led me to achieve good results in running but has also helped me during the difficult times in life. Thanks dad!

Older Yet Faster sets the new standard for running technique training and theory. Whilst tackling the most essential tenet of our sport, this book can teach any level of runner or coach the correct technique to run quickly and efficiently. Keith and Heidi, with their years of record-breaking running, show the reader how to become faster and remain injury free. This book has been an amazing help to me as a coach, and to countless runners whom I coach. I recommend this book as a helpful guide on running technique and to anyone who wants to get faster by following some simple measures.

Sean Williams has been a regular Australian Athletics Team coach at the World Athletics Championships, World Cross-country Championships and International Ekiden relays. Sean has coached three Commonwealth Games athletes, with two also becoming Olympians. Sean was Keith and Heidis coach for many years.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Older Yet Faster. As a long-time ultramarathon runner, I had picked up some bad habits, leading me to an inefficient running style and ultimately to injuries. By following the drills and techniques in Older Yet Faster, I have experienced a transformation in my running and a heightened awareness of body balance whilst running. The transformation from rhino to gazelle takes commitment and patience, but check out Keiths running style and I guarantee you will think I want to run like that!

Lisa Harvey-Smith, MPhys (Hons), PhD, astrophysicist, ultramarathon runner and author. Lisa has completed a gruelling 250-kilometre race through Australias Simpson desert and several 100-kilometre, 6-hour, 12-hour and 24-hour races. She is a member of the Australian Ultra-runners Associations 100 club for athletes who have completed 100 miles in under 24 hours.