Top Ten Ways To Avoid Running Injuries

I could list 100 ways too minimize your risk of injury, but in todays blog I will try and give you my top 10. The majority of running injuries occur from overtraining or improper training. With a careful and gradual increase in your running you should be able to avoid many overtraining injuries. It is important to pay attention to your body and to avoid the "terrible too's": to much, too soon, too fast, too hard combined with too little rest. The key is to: "avoid doing too much too soon." Your progress in mileage and speed should be a gradual one. An unrelenting increase in mileage from one week to the next will ultimately result in a breakdown. It is important to keep in mind the principle of hard days and easy days being interspersed and also hard and easy weeks. Mileage should usually only be increased approximately 10% per week. For most runners somewhere between one and three days a week, should be devoted to rest or non-running activities. This gives your body a chance to recover and strengthen itself. It is helpful to maintain a running diary. This should contain your mileage, course and brief note on how you felt. It may help trace the origin of problems related to overtraining.

You should always ease into speed work. One way to ease into speed work would be by throwing in a few short distance surges into your normal runs. Gentle hill work, prior to speed work has also been recommended by some coaches. Fartlak runs may also be used. Track workouts should occur after you have accomplished some faster paced running during the course of your routine runs and should not be overly ambitious at first.

Replace your running shoes frequently. Shock absorbing capability will diminish gradually and may be inadequate after 350 to 550 miles. The upper of the shoe may not show much wear, but the shock absorption may still be gone. If you are running 20 miles per week, you should be replacing your shoes between 4 and 8 months depending upon your shock absorption needs. It is always cheaper to replace your shoes than to make a visit to the doctors office.

Make sure that you eat a healthy diet. Avoid fad diets and unbalanced approaches to weight loss. Be certain to take in an adequate amount of calcium and that your vitamin requirements are met. Many young, active professional runners add calcium supplements to their diet to make certain that their calcium needs are achieved. To assist in dieting, strength training is often helpful.

Regular stretching, after running, may also help reduce injuries. Runners frequently develop tightness in the posterior muscle groups. This includes the hamstrings and the calf muscles. The quadriceps and anterior shin muscles may become relatively weak, due to musclar imbalance. The abdominal muscles also tend to be weak on runners who do not exercise them.

Ok now here is my 'Top Ten Ways to Avoid Injury" ...

1. Pay attention to your body

Don't ignore what your body is telling you. If something is hurting pay attention to it, find out why, and change what is making it hurt. Rest if necessary, but if the pain doesn't fade, don't forget a visit to the doctor's office if necessary.

2. Avoid the terrible "too's".

Don't do too much, too soon, too often, too fast, too hard, with too little rest.

3. Don't change things that are working.
Don't look for the latest and greatest running shoe or even training method. Don't switch from slow to steady to suddenly doing an all interval workout because someone says you will lose weight quicker and with only 20 minutes of "cardio". Shoes may be cautiously changed and training should be gradually and sensibly changed. Of course slow and steady is not the only way to train, and for most runners it will not be.

4. Increase training slowly.
The 10% rule for most people is the maximum increase per week, not the minimum. Every third week drop your mileage significantly before moving ahead again from the previous week. The recovery week will allow your body to repair while having a "relative" rest week.

5. Wear running shoes (sport specific shoes) and change them frequently.
Don't run in tennis or cross trainer shoes. Some people like to alternate pairs of shoes to retain their shock absorbing capabilities. But whatever you do, make certain to replace your running shoes every 350 - 450 miles of running. If you run over 30 miles per week, and perhaps even less, make sure you use your shoes exclusively for running, so that you do not waste them with walking miles. The walking is admittedly easier on the shoe than running, but still creates wear and tear.

6. Eat healthy: Not too much, not too little, and a bit less junk.
Don't forget to eat enough healthy foods. Make certain to have adequate calcium and healthy fats (such as the omega fats found in certain fish and fish oil capsules). Don't forget vegtable and protein sources. Check the origin of your food, particularly check farmed fish which may come from countries which have significant issues of safety with their food supply. (In actually there are some problems, although different problems with farmed fish from all countries and certain safety issues with fish at sea.) Make sure you don't cut your caloric level too drastically while dieting. You need fuel to exercise.

7. Strength train two to three days per week.
Musculoskeletal fitness is one of the pillars of fitness. Strength training can be helpful for a variety of reasons. Core strengthening helps many people. And improving lean body weight by increasing muscle helps dieting indirectly and is good for your overall health. If you are a serious, competitive, long distance runner be extremely careful with lower extremity weights, and make sure to stop several weeks before a race. Carefully observe how your training sessions go, and make sure they are not slowing down, or that fatigue from your strength training sessions are not limiting your long runs. It is probably best to do them before a rest day or an easy day. On days where you may be doing both running and strength training, run first, if you are primarily a runner.

8. Warm up gently before running, Stretch gently when finished.
Stretching is not a warm up. It is flexibility exercise. Evidence is mixed on whether it helps avoid injury, but studies of stretching before running do not show any benefit. Stretching works better after you are warmed up. Run easy for your first 10 minutes of running. Take short steps, move slowly, let your body gradually warm up and adapt to the stresses you are about to place on it. There are many changes that your body will be making to help your run go smooth, efficient, and easy. Give it a chance to get prepared. If you are doing speed work, this 10 minutes will not be enough. You"ll need a longer and more complex warm up.

9. Use a Carb/Protein mix after long runs and after hard runs or workouts. My favorite protein mix would probably be Six Star Muscle Milk. You can get that at your local Walmart, or GNC.

10. Enjoy your runs and workouts.

This should ultimately be a fun time, and something you look forward to. Find new paths if you need them, use old favorites if you prefer. Find something to enjoy on each run. Even the accomplishment of getting through a run on an extreme weather day (cold, rainy, not a code orange day) can feel great.

Stretching Notes:
The calf (achilles) and hamstrings should be gently stretched. The best stretch for the calf muscles is the "wall stretch". I recommend stretching one set of leg muscles at a time. One leg is back, knee straight, the other leg is forward with the knee bent. The leg that is back is being stretched. Ten repetitions holding for 10 seconds each is ideal. There are several different stretches to choose frmo for the hamstrings: Forward bends with the knees slightly bent, knee to chest or leaning forward with the leg out straight in front of you all work. It is important to not aggravate your back while performing hamstring stretches.

Magic Six, Plus Two

    

- Wall Push-Up: This is basically the calf stretch described above. My version stretches one leg at a time. Stand with the rear foot approximately two to three feet from the wall. The rear leg should be straight, the front leg is bent and your hands touch the wall. Feet point straight ahead, heels are on the ground. Hold for 10 seconds, switch legs, repeat 10 times.

- Hamstring Stretch: Straighten one leg, place it, with the knee locked, on a foot stool. Bend your body and bring your head towards the leg. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Switch sides, repeat 10 times.

- Knee Clasp: Lie on a firm surface. A carpeted floor or grass is best. Bring both knees to your chest. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times. This stretches the hamstrings and lower back.

- Chest Push-Up: Lie on the floor with your abdomen pressed flat on the floor. Place your hands flat on the floor, beneath your shoulders. Push your chest up with your arms and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

- Backward Stretch:  While standing straight, place the palms of your hands against the small of your back. Tighten your buttocks and bend backwards. Hold for 10 seconds, relax, repeat 5 times.

- Shin Splinter: This is performed to strengthen the shins. Sit on a table with your legs dangling over the side. Place a 3 to 5 pound weight over your toes. Flex your foot at the ankle (bend it up). Hold for 6 seconds, repeat 5 times.

- Straight Leg Lifts: This is performed to strengthen the quadriceps. Lying on the floor. Flex one knee to approximately a right angle. Lift the other leg to rapidly, between 30 and 60 degrees. Lower and repeat 10 times. Switch legs, repeat 5 times and work up to 10 sets of 10 repititions. This is best performed while watching the evening news or "sports extra."