This time of year it makes me happy to see more and more runners heading outdoors to work up a sweat running a few miles. It is something almost anyone can do, is not very expensive to get started, and you see big improvements very quickly after some consistent training. The one thing that is alarming to me is the frequency of injuries, especially overuse injuries, that I hear about on a daily basis. It seems to me that most people think that it is just part of the running program. Stick it out through the pain and it will get better over time. This type of thinking is very dangerous. Anytime you are experiencing pain, it is the sign that something is wrong or out of balance, and that takes us right into the topic today. Listen to your body.
One of the most useful skills that my years of martial arts training has provided is body awareness. This "listening to the body" has crept over into all aspects of my life, especially my running and triathlon training, and this important skill can be used by everyone. Runners, who are consistently challenging themselves and taxing their body's, will benefit greatly from even a little bit of awareness.
This awareness is the first step to becoming the best runner, and person you can, and being able to enjoy you fitness for years to come.
You can't train if you are injured..
We are going to break this down into three sections: 1)Body Feel, 2)Smart Training, 3)Active Recovery.
Body Feel
First up is body feel. Seems simple enough. If something hurts or is feeling off, stop whatever is causing the pain. It is not always that simple, as any runner or athlete will tell you. We have all experienced some level of discomfort while training and it takes awhile to know what is just body soreness, or training induced pain, and what is the more serious overuse or injury pain. Both types should be treated carefully and with serious pain you should stop training until you figure out what is causing the pain and have a plan in place to remedy the injury. For most novice runners, your goal should be pain free training. All throughout your runs, you should be keeping tabs on what is feeling good and what is feeling off. Mentally check your body. Feet, calves, knees, quads, hamstrings, hips, back, stomach, shoulders, chest, and neck. Make a note of anything that is consistently tight, sore, or painful. Don't ignore the pain! This is a message from your body: Something is off with your form or you have some overactive or under-active muscles, or both. What you do with this information is what separates a smart runner with an injured runner.
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| Couple of pics from yesterday's bike ride. |
Smart Training
Once you start to get the hang of listening to your body, you will be en gauged mentally on every run and constantly taking notes on how you feel. The next step is also simple. Run only what feels good for you. If the knees gets tight at 4 miles every run, keep it under 4 miles. Who cares if your program says 5. What is smarter? Your body, or the program you printed out of a running book? I think this is where a lot of people get tripped up. Us runners are a competitive bunch, and we like to push ourselves and reach goals that we once thought were unattainable, which is fantastic, but remember, you can't train if you are injured. So what is better, a few more miles this week and no training for months because of an injury, or a few less and a body that keeps on giving for years to come. I think the answer is simple but not everyone chooses the same. Training programs are great at keeping you motivated and consistent, but at the end of the day, it is just a piece of paper with numbers on it, so if you are hurting yourself just to get X amount of miles this week, or X amount of races this year, you need to ask yourself why you are running in the first place. My personal reason has always been to be a healthier and stronger person which means no time on the sidelines.
Active Recovery
So we are running smart and utilizing our body feel, but still have some aches and pains. Time for some active recovery. I'm surprised by how many runners I know that follow strict running programs, complete with hill sprints, track workouts, endurance runs, and cross training, and then I will ask about their recovery and stretching program and will get the same answer. "I try to stretch as much as I can", or a similar answer. It is no secret that running puts enormous stresses on the body, so without a proper recovery program, those stresses will add up overtime to become injuries. The workout is only half of the equation. Rest and recovery are the second half. You need to take time to stretch thoroughly after your workouts. Buy a foam roller and learn how to use it! The foam roller is great at getting a deep stretch/massage in the muscle groups that you can't stretch very well. ie low back, hips, glutes, IT band. Work your trouble spots on a daily basis and you will see a difference. Hydration and nutrition also play an important role in you recoveries. The more intense your training program gets the more focused your recovery program should be. If you feel like you aren't recovering very well from your workouts, you probably need more focus on either your stretching, hydration/nutrition, rest/sleep, or a combination of all of these.
Here is a good video to get you started with your foam roller:
Runners World Foam Roller Video
A little smart training will go a long way. Be kind to yourself and your body and you will be repaid with a lifetime of enjoying your fitness, and running injury free!!
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