retro running

I have recently started my off season training.  Being a track runner, the season runs from December until September and sometimes October.  For your health and sanity you pick your battles, I normally race from December until July.  So the off season is July and August and preseason is September, October, November.  The off season is fun, first I get to sit around for 4 weeks then I put on the milage.  I run 30 plus miles a week in the off season in order to run .5 or .25 miles (800 or 400 meters) really fast during the season.  Along with running mileage I also get to try out new things that will test my body and improve my skills. 

Monday I saw some high school cross country kids walking up stairs backwards so I asked their coach the purpose.  She explained that walking up backwards isolated muscles, worked on your hamstrings, and improved your balance.  So, on Tuesday, after a tempo run, I tried it.  I felt how it could benefit your running form.   That night, unable to sleep because I consumed 2 mugs of caffinated tea before bed, I tried to do some research on walking up stairs backward.  I could not find any information on this subject but was turned to retro running, or running backward.  I read 3 websites and a research paper and I am hooked. The benefits seem endless. (http://www.backward-running-backward.com/UNDERSTANDPDFENGLISH.pdf).

After an hour of looking up different websites I decided that I would try it today.  So this morning I went out and walked up stadium steps 10 times backwards the ran 8x100 meters backward barefoot.  While I was running I felt imbalances that I do not feel when I am going forward (I lean to my right a little) and I felt things fire that have not fired in a long time.

At the end of the workout it felt weird going forward again.  I loved it though and plan on adding retro running to my training.  Does anyone else include this in their training?

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