It’s a common scenario. You start running and so the love affair begins. You’re feeling invincible but hear all these horror stories of potential injuries which can sideline you for weeks on end. But you’re fine. You train and do some 5Ks and 10Ks and are thrilled to escape injury. And so it goes. Then one day you aspire towards a half or even a marathon.
It’s when you start to push up the mileage that those little niggles start to kick in. The most common time to get injured is when your training reaches 15-20 miles at a time.
If you’re new to my blog then recently I’ve been sharing lessons from a fabulous runcamp I went to recently with some amazing runners including Olympic athletes Jo Pavey (such a lovely lady) and Mark Rohan. You can view the first two posts here and here.
Here we go…
Although you can’t avoid injury altogether, there are things you can do to minimise your risk. Here’s how…
Pre Workout
Get used to measuring your heart rate first thing in the morning for a couple of weeks so you can gauge your normal resting rate. If one morning you wake to find your heart rate is elevated, then don’t train. Drop whatever session you had planned and rest until your resting rate (first thing in the morning) is back to ‘your’ normal. A raised heart rate indicates that the body is under stress and if you continue to push it you’re dicing with injury or maybe some sort of infection (for me it’s always a throat and chest infection) which cuts into your training anyway. Heed the signs and REST.
If you’re feeling unusually tired it’s usually better to rest than continue your plan. In the end it’s enough to complete 80% of your planned training plan.
Your Workout
As you start your pre-workout warm up, constantly check your body-noticing any muscles that feel tight. Acting immediately-with some gentle stretches or a quick massage of the area can massively reduce an injury occurring in the following week or so.
Start your run with a 10-15 minute slow jog then go through your stretching routine. In the runcamp we started with some standard static stretches of the hamstrings, quads, calves etc and then followed this with some mobility drills-these were designed to mimic the movements we’d be using in the run to come.
As mentioned earlier, remember to continually take note of any sore bits or if you’re better one side than the other. A quick response to a potential niggle is crucial.
Let me attempt a quick video demo here!
When you’re running be light on your feet. Don’t push all your precious energy into the ground.
Visualisation in races is very important, especially when the finish line is in sight. When you want to give it your all, have a scenario pre-prepared in your head, ready to access. It could include the roar of the crowd, someone (a family member perhaps) screaming at you on the finish line to ‘GO, GO, GO!’ or a picture in your mind of who you’re doing this for. Whatever fires you up.
Post Workout
After a hard run Jo Pavey often has an ice bath for around 10 minutes. Jo freezes water in ice cream tubs to make giant cubes! (If your feet freeze (it’s often the feet that object first!) then wear some of those fabric beach shoes! Jo also favours regular massage, especially approx 3 days post race. If this isn’t possible try a foam roller… moving slowly over those tight muscles.
The day after a race Jo will go for a gentle jog/walk for around 30-40 mins. The day after that is OFF. You’ve earned it!
