Clockwise on a track

I always liked to do my slow running, warm-ups and warm-downs, clockwise. And in outside lanes or inside the curb.

And track-wise for fast running.

Never thought about being cool. Or anything about running being cool.
It’s more of a mentality.

Point taken, thanks.

Calf strains and imbalances in ankle and foot strength are more common, but the hip usually goes next by being overworked when the other parts of the body fail.

thegaitguys.com

Injures induced by running the same direction on an indoor/outdoor track. — The Gait Guys

The Gait Guys

We have been seeing, addressing and treating this problem for years, far too many years. There are few things that frustrate us more than coaches and athletes who refuse to alternate their track workouts into the clockwise di...

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I do my warm up and cool downs clockwise but run backward. Problem solved.

The people I often see going clockwise on track are pushing strollers or walking three abreast in lane 1.

This is the reason why you are not fast and will never be fast. Running clock wise and counter clock wise is how you avoid over use and strain injuries. It also assists with a smoother transition to the roads. Nobody does it too look cool they do it to avoid injury.

I only workout on the track once a week and never more than three weeks in a row because of the abductor strain it seems to cause. I would avoid the track altogether but I like training in a group for faster stuff

Most of the time one wont get injured. But, physically, there is a big difference in what muscles you are using from IT band to adductors and abductors and ankle etc... So its completely reasonable to at least warm up/down the opposite way if possible. Tracks are also slightly banked, esp when they get some use, and that means one foot pronating the other supinating over and over esp given the same turn direction. Like running on the same side of the street always. Usually fine, but its a risk. Its all relative, given the other specific drills and stretches and rolling out of muscles and yoga and chiropractics nobody has an issue with? This fits in even more with those same balancing techniques and is real.

Track ultras alternate direction every four hours.

At the local track, everyone goes clockwise and I have no idea why - I assume non-track people just assume that's how things are supposed to work? Sometimes I do just so it's not weird running toward each other every 2 minutes.

The indoor track at my gym switches direction every day.

You've reminded me of a cartoon:
I've Got It Too Omar a Strange Feeling Like We've Just Been Going in Circles | Meme on ME.ME

ive-got-it-too-omar-a-strange-feeling-like-weve-6764868.png

Why is it so hard to link other web sites now?

Yea it's ego

I joined a track club in high school years ago. I noticed the fast guys ran a warmup on the roads near the track, and then ran their cooldown clockwise, in lane 8. While chatting and reviewing their own workout, they would interrupt their banter to cheer on slower runners who were still churning out laps. It always felt good to hear encouragement from the cool fast guys. When I was fast enough to join them, I also ran cooldowns, clockwise in lane 8. Never even thought about muscle imbalance or any other bull. I just thought we ran backwards so we could see who was coming and yell some encouragement. And check out the cute girls who were finishing up their workout. Many reasons unrelated to any sort of science.

Long-time physical therapists who have mainly worked on distance runners for years will tell you most asymmetrical injuries are directly tied to always turning the same direction on the track. It's just physics, man.

I'm not saying you need to "even things out", but I AM saying we'd see less injuries if, during track season, we paid more attention to the asymmetrical strain put on our legs by running thousands and thousands of laps (MILLIONS of steps on turns alone) in the same direction.

The easiest way for regular runners to relate to this is if you've ever had to do a 9+ mile workout on an indoor, 200m or 300m track. Double if it's unbanked. you'll find specific muscles get fatigued more in your hips and feet depending on which way you were running.

Most runners do most of their running off the track.

Road camber, hard surfaces, and uneven surfaces lead to a lot more injuries that running in circles.