Excerpt — Training Young Distance Runners-3rd Edition

Research shows that, pound for pound, normally active 6- to 8-year-olds have V\od\O2max values as high as, or sometimes even higher than, recreational adult runners who train 30 to 40 miles (about 48 to 64 km) a week.

Flexibility is the capacity to move the limbs through a range of motion for optimally performing a given activity. Mobility is the skill of making coordinated movements in various planes, such as forward, sideways, and diagonally.

Given the physical demands of distance running, a fine line separates peak performance and injury risk. Over a long career, despite following a sound training program, few runners will completely avoid getting hurt, so it’s important for coaches, parents, and runners to know the causes, symptoms, and approaches to treating and rehabilitating running injuries.