Reducing Your Risk for Running Injuries

Once upon a time, about twenty years ago, to be precise, runners believed that they didn’t have to do anything but run. ~Amby Burfoot
1968 Boston Marathon Champion and former editor of Runner’s World magazine

It’s never fun to be injured! The sport of running does involve some risk of injury. Fortunately,however, there are some things we can proactively do to reduce that risk. You have already done a good thing in joining FSR Marathon Training. Following a training program is a good way to prevent training errors, such as doing too much too soon or going too hard too quickly. Any changes you make in your running program should be gradual. Some runners follow the 10% Rule, which suggests to never make more than a 10% change in distance run or duration spent on speed training. Another preventative measure we already talked about is choosing proper footwear. So I hope you have all found the right shoe. In fact, now is a good time to start breaking in your spring shoes or the shoes you plan to wear during your race.

Running form is unique to each person. “Best” running form continues to be a debatable topic. However, there is some agreement that a few simple changes in form can help reduce injury. These suggestions are to try to land softly or quietly. Try to land midfoot, rather than on your heel or toes. Shorten your stride and strive for a cadence of 160-180 footstrikes per
minute. A great way to measure your cadence is to count how many times your left foot lands in a fifteen second interval. Then multiply that number by 4 to get your single leg cadence for a minute. Hopefully, your single leg cadence falls between 80-90 foot strikes per minute.

Properly feeding and hydrating yourself before, during and after runs is also critical to prevent injury. We have already talked
about the importance of carbohydrates and proteins in providing energy for and aiding in the recovery after runs. As our runs get longer, and the weather potentially gets warmer, we will also talk about hydrating for our runs. I wont go into depth here,
but it is important to remember that replacing water loss through sweat is only part of the issue. Our body also needs to replace electrolytes and carbohydrates in order to function over the long run!

Now this next preventative measure may seem somewhat obvious, but runners can be a pretty tough bunch! If you are experiencing any pain, don’t just ignore it or try to “run” through it. Many running injuries if addressed early can be healed reasonably quickly or at least maintained to prevent worse injury. Each newsletter has been featuring one of the seven most common running injuries. There are many others, so see a sports medicine professional, if you are unsure what you are experiencing, if your pain is severe, or if your pain persists longer than a week.

One of the most beneficial steps you can take to prevent injury is to add a strength and flexibility routine to your training. This
routine is ideally done 2-3 times per week for 30-60 minutes. It doesn’t have to involve heavy weights or fancy equipment, often used in traditional weight training programs. Your own body weight works great for most of the exercises. Resistance bands, dumbbells or kettlebells, and a step can be incorporated, but are not necessary. All over body conditioning is healthy, but to prevent injury focus on strengthening your glutes, hip stabilizing muscles or core, and leg muscles. Stretching to increase flexibility in the calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip, and groin muscles is also important. Always warm up your muscles, before stretching them. A good time to stretch is at the end your run for 10-15 minutes.

A Few Favorite Exercises:

1. Squats or squat jumps
2. Single leg squat or heel tap off step
3. Walking or single leg lunges
4. Side lunges
5. Skaters
6. Eccentric toe raisers
7. Push ups
8. Planks – front and sides
9. Side lifts
10. Russian twists
11. V-sits or In-and-Outs
12. Metronome
13. Superman
14. Donkey kicks
15.  Resistant band exercises

Strive to do a combination of these exercises 2-3 times per week. If you are new to strength training, some muscle soreness is normal and expected for a day or 2 after you get started. Form is very important. You can get injured, ifyou do not perform the exercises correctly. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the correctway to execute the exercise.Practice them in front of a mirror or with a friend, until you are confident that you are performing them safely. The internet is awonderful resource for workout routines as well as video demonstrations for these exercises. Runner’s World has a great website. I have also found several routines on Pinterest. Below is a list of some wonderful books on injuries and strength training for runners. You can do these exercises on your own, but in FSR Endurance, we do all of these exercises and more!

Registration for the Spring Session is open!!!