"Steady as you go" Key To Running Success
As winter yields to spring, it seems even for the experienced runner, the urge to ramp up mileage is strong. The joy of the new season can give way to disappointment though, if this zealousness results in overuse injuries. Although anatomical factors like leg-length discrepancies and ones’ gait and foot strike can determine susceptibility to overuse injuries, their occurrence can often be avoided by attention to certain training rules, and a disciplined approach to the sport.
When embarking upon a walking or running program, your structure needs time to adapt to the repeated impact placed on them. If this impact stress reaches a certain point, and time allowed for repair is too short, an overuse injury results. Most commonly, the injuries manifest as Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and stress fractures. As well, shin splints are most common when breaking into the sport, yet often with consistent icing and watching your distance covered until symptoms are gone, this is a condition you can run through.
The logical question becomes: How much is too much? My approach has always been to test my limits periodically, and if no repercussions occur other than handled with normal recovery, try another-yet different-challenge, but be careful to intensify the workouts gradually. In other words, respect your physiological boundaries, while methodically attempting to change them. This doesn’t mean you must take an overly “scientific” approach to the sport; mileage and intensity that works for one may be unsuitable for another. There are, though, a few golden rules of training that will lessen the chances of an overuse injury.
It seems a paradox when considering that while we want to avoid placing too much stress on our joints, muscles, and bone structure, it is this stepped-up training that raises the threshold for injury, as these structures strengthen.
Proper form is the first line of defense. If you suponate or pronate (land inward or outward when you foot-strike) too drastically, custom-made orthotics may be useful to diffuse the stress of impact over a greater surface area. Running stores have stride analysis machines or usually trained staff that can determine if this is an issue. Surfaces you run on influence your force of impact, and obviously concrete is the least forgiving. Many of us do 80% or more of our miles on concrete; it’s usually smooth, and you don’t have to focus so much on your steps. However, if you can do as little as 25% of your mileage on asphalt, smooth grass, dirt or a track, your odds of repetitive-motion injury are reduced dramatically. To accomplish this, you don’t have to scurry around to find these various surfaces within a single run. Try to devote one day a week to an alternate location that is kinder to your joints, and it’s a nice mental break as well.
When you hear of elite athletes running 80-100 miles a week, remember that’s exactly what they are: highly-trained gazelles for whom running often serves as their livelihood. So don’t assume you can approach even half that mileage without a very gradual buildup. Considering a base has been built of some 20-30 miles a week without hindrance, if your desire is to raise the bar, add mileage at a pace no greater than 10% total per week, and stay at that distance at least two weeks.
Probably the single greatest culprit in terms of causing inury, yet one you have control over, is how fast you run, and how often you lend yourself to such intensity. A speed workout each week or two (or a race) will over time result in faster times, no question. But if you don’t take the next day easy, you’ll usually end up paying. One proven way is an alternating hard day, easy day approach, giving the body a chance to recover and repair between bouts of harder effort. Don’t take the hard/easy description literally; hard can also indicate more miles, or a TEMPO run (a great way to enhance speed through better leg turnover by doing “speed-ups” within the course of a run, and slowing to regular pace between intervals.)
Finally, approach flexibility with some diligence. It can’t be overstated how important to running healthy and hard your degree of flexibility is. If your torso is nimble, your body is young, plain and simple. A bit of yoga or pilates can pay dividends quickly, in terms of knowing your body, and keeping it in balance. This plays into form in a big way: when your form is good, and core (abdominal, lower back region) strength is solid, you push back the “breakdown” that occurs with enduring efforts, and also diffuse the workload to your entire body, another benefit in fending off overuse injuries.
Don’t compare yourself to others, even of like age and size. It’s a very individual sport, and trying to emulate someone else’s approach might not be prudent for you, plus it can take the fun out of the sport.
To recap, these ground rules should serve you well in running injury and pain free this spring:
1) Don’t increase weekly mileage more than 10%, and listen to how your body reacts
2) The “hard/easy” approach is easy on the body, and the mind
3) Attention to core strength and enhanced flexibility is key to a well-balanced runner
MARATHON UPDATE:
I think it’s quite important to once a week add some increased leg turnover to your training repertoire. Even if “just finishing” the half or full marathon is your goal, running a stepped-up pace intermittently within a training run builds leg strength and endurance, and gets more comfortable being a little bit outside your comfort zone. Aim for 180 steps (90/leg) in a minute when stepping the pace up, and you’ll find this regimen (whether a specific distance like half-mile or mile repeats or excerpts of 2-4 mins. of enhanced speed) not only lends to more efficient form, but ramps up your confidence exponentially. Don’t do anything but short stride-outs within the final 10 days preceding the marathon though, and be sure your last long run is at least two weeks prior to raceday.
Erring toward caution just before your race never hurts, and as long as you stay loose the week prior, take literally the term “taper”. You’ll have done the work, and it will show.
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