Eoin Everard Focuses On Making Runners Injury Resistant


Become a Patron!


My guest today has run on the international stage in his career and is currently the 3k European Masters Champion.

Along with an impressive running CV, he also has his PhD in biomechanics.

I am looking forward to going a few easy miles with Eoin Everard and trying to get to all the topics we can!

Eoin Everard

Sibling Rivalry

Eoin Everard has been athletic his entire life.

Growing up, he ran for fun locally but didn’t begin to take the sport seriously until around the age of 15.

At this time, his younger brother qualified to run and represent their country of Ireland.

Eoin quickly began to experience an extrinsic motivation for also wanting to represent his country in running.

He found that his natural talent coupled with hard work produced impressive results.

In a short amount of time, Eoin was running at the European Junior Champs.

Eoin had officially caught the running bug and it has been 20 years of consistent running since.

“What’s For You, Won’t Pass You”

An old Irish phrase that Eoin often heard was, “What’s for you won’t pass you.”

That phrase really stuck with him in 2012, when he was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Two years before the Olympics that Eoin was aiming for, he experienced his worst year of running.

With hindsight, he has since realized that his setback in the sport was actually a blessing.

Having struggled in the sport, helped him to appreciate it more in the future.

Eoin was placing too much pressure on himself and ultimately it backfired.

In the years since Eoin has found a training that suited him better.

Eoin Everard

Determinants Of Success

Eoin has learned a lot while running at a high level for so many years.

A lot of emphases is put on mental training, but Eoin has found that fitness is the true determinant of success.

Athletes training at a high level can hit consistency and intensity in training that’s not possible for the average person.

One individual workout, won’t make or break an athlete and their chances at success.

Eoin has also found that some of the most decorated runners in the world keep their stress levels relatively low.

He firmly believes that remaining calm is one key factor in success.

As Eoin has experienced himself, sometimes your biggest strength can also be your biggest weakness if not kept in check.

The Whole Body Connection

Eoin has his Ph.D. in biomechanics and has done movement assessments on thousands of people over the years.

He quickly realized in the classroom and out, that the entire body is connected through the kinetic chain.

A weak spot in one area can quickly begin to affect other areas up and down the chain.

One common cause of running injuries is muscles that get overloaded.

The solution to an overloading injury is to strengthen the surrounding areas.

Eoin frequently takes a joint-by-joint approach when treating his patients.

His main objective is to get the entire kinetic chain strong.

An Experiment Of One

Eoin has found that there are typically 3 reasons that people can’t move correctly during his assessments.

Those reasons are: the muscle is too short, the muscle may have knots or trigger points, or the issue could be a joint.

For each of those issues, Eoin has specific recommendations for how to begin to correct them.

Oftentimes, it is hard to know what will work for someone.

Each individual is unique and what works for one may not work for another.

Eoin recommends that each person try various approaches and see what works.

Patience is a key component of treatment because it can take up to 12 weeks to have physiological changes.

Train With Purpose

Eoin approaches each training session with a specific purpose in mind.

When doing so he can ensure that he is training the system that he intended.

A lot of runners inadvertently end up running in what he calls the “gray zone.”

The gray zone is where you’re not running fast enough to get faster, but not slow enough for recovery.

Training with purpose also extends to strength training.

If Eoin had to choose one exercise that is key to a stronger kinetic chain, it would be the single-leg deadlift.

Glute bridges and balance work are just a few suggestions of the endless exercises that can help one become a more injury-resistant runner.

If an athlete has the resources, Eoin recommends getting a VO2 max test done to help with training in the correct zones.

Eoin Everard


Mentioned In This Episode:

Stay connected to Eoin Everard by following him on Instagram.


Eoin Everard is a high-level runner that works to prevent injuries in both himself and those he works with. Click To Tweet


As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

 Want to Support the Continued Growth & Production of the Show?

Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.

Subscribe to the Show

Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs Radio by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.

Please Give Me Some Feedback!

Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.

Register for a Free Race Training Plan

Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.

Join The Tribe!

 

There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like-minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!

Legalese:

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This simply means that if you decide to make a purchase using one of the links, I get paid a small commission at no extra expense to you.

 

 

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *