Training Tip #13 - Running To Avoid Injury

(The following information was compiled from an article by TNT National Advisory Coach, Jack Daniels)

There is no doubt that one of the biggest enemies of runners is injury; primarily injury brought on by the act of running itself. When you realize that each time your foot hits the ground while running, you are hitting the ground with a force that is about 2-1/2 times your body weight.  This means that if you weigh 150 pounds, you hit the ground with about 375 pounds of force.  Not quite the same as jumping down a flight of stairs, but certainly it approaches that type of stress on your feet, ankles, knees and hips, not to mention all the tendons and muscles surrounding those critical areas.

Consider Your Stride Rate:

It is recommended that you try to run with a stride rate that is around 180 steps per minute.  Try counting your strides the next time you run.  It is easiest to count only one foot, and multiply by two.  You will likely find that your stride rate is slower than 180.  Running at a stride rate of 180 steps per minute will force you to take small steps with a quick turnover.  Small steps, with a faster leg turnover, causes you to elimiminate vertical movement, or bouncing, from your stride.  With a slow leg turnover rate, you spend more time bouncing in the air.  As a result you are elevating your body mass to greater degree.  The higher you elevate your body mass, the harder you hit the ground opon landing.  It’s the impact associated with hitting the ground that results in injuries.

Minimize Impact:

So, how do you minimize landing shock when running?   Try to pretend you are rolling over the ground rather than bounding from foot to foot over the ground.  Try to avoid placing each foot out in front of yourself, which often acts as a breaking action, increasing the impact force as you go from one foot to the other.  Try to have your feet land closer back, toward your center of gravity, so your body is floating (or rolling) over your feet.

Consider Your Footstike:

Consider your foot-strike - Where you strike the ground (relative to your center of gravity) is one issue and another is how do your feet strike the ground, or how should they strike the ground? 

Foot strike tends to vary, not only among individuals, but also based on the event for which you are training.  It is most common for runners who are racing in short events (as are sprinters and even some middle-distance runners), to hit the ground on the balls of their feet, almost like they are running on their toes.  On the other hand, many longer-distance runners, which certainly includes those who are running a marathon, tend to strike the ground with a heel-first landing, or in some cases, a mid-foot landing.

A big advantage of mid- or rear-foot landing is that it reduces the stress placed on the calf muscles and shifts the landing stress more to the larger thigh muscles.  It is not uncommon for beginner runners to develop calf pain, and fore-foot landings add to that possibility.  If using a heel-first landing, try to imagine you are rolling over your feet as your body moves forward following each landing.  You start with your heel strike and then your body weight rolls forward over that foot (typically along the outer side of the foot) to the ball of the foot and the eventual to departure from the ground for another stride.  This, rolling over each foot action, gives you that feeling of rolling over the ground and minimizes the landing shock, as referred to earlier.

Over the years of testing many runners of all ability levels, it has become apparent that some people are more comfortable using one type of foot strike while other runners are more comfortable with a different foot-strike technique.  However, as a beginner, runners should experiment with different foot-strike techniques, and use the one that is most comfortable, least fatiguing and allows for a good, light quick turnover rate of about 180 steps per minute.  In particular, if experiencing calf or shin discomfort, try to concentrate on a mid- or rear-foot landing technique for a few weeks and see if that solves your problem.  Very often, just focusing on taking 180 steps each minute will result in mid- or rear-foot landing and you won’t have to think about how you are striking the ground.

One final thought about foot strike and that is to try to avoid turning your toes outward as you land.  Have someone watch you from the front, as you run toward them, and have them look to see if your feet are striking the ground with the toes pointing straight forward, rather than to the side.  A turned-out foot landing often leads to shin pain along the inside of the lower leg.

Go for 180 steps a minute and learn to roll over the ground with as little effort as possible and running should be much more enjoyable and leave you more injury free.

Training Tip #12 - Hill Training

Basic suggestions for running hills...

Uphill

1. Maintain the successful rhythm (not speed) you have established on the flat.
2. Maintain the same effort level. Don't try to keep up the same pace on hills as on flats or you'll soon wear out. A good check on this is your breathing. Try to keep it even and not struggling. If the effort feels too tough, it is okay to slow your pace up the hill. Try to start picking up the pace once you get over the hill top.
3. Focus your eyes directly in front of you, not down at your feet.
4. Use your hips. Press them forward, leaning into the hill to avoid bending at your waist.  
5. Push your legs off and up, not into the hill (a knee lift of sorts). Shorten your stride and let yourself slow down gradually as you ascend. Keep feet low to the ground, treading lightly.
6. Increase your arm swing as if you are pulling yourself up with a rope. 
7. Keep your arms at your sides, slightly lower than waist level. Let your arms gently help pull you up. 
8. Think of running over the top-you don't want to let down there.  

 

Downhill

1. Let gravity do the work. Gravity and increased rhythm should pull you downhill, with little energy required.
2. Don't let stride length get too long. If it becomes too long, you can loose control, expending energy to slow down. Too long of a stride can really be hard pounding on your feet and knees.
3. Keep feet low to the ground, with a light touch. Keep your arms slightly above waist level.
4. Experiment with stride length going down. Practice will show you the length that lets you take maximum advantage of gravity, yet be controlled.
5. Lean slightly forward if you are going down a slight incline.

 

Specific hill work suggestions:

Hill workouts can be hard on your body, so you don't want it too close to your long mileage on the weekend. Tuesdays or Wednesdays are the best. Monday and Thursday may be a bit close to the weekend long miles.

 

There are two types I recommend starting out with.

 

1. Hill repeats: Run a mile or so easy to warm up. Then, find a hill that is 100 to 200 meters long (or one to two minutes in duration to climb) on a sidewalk or wide road in an area that doesn't have much traffic. (You don't want to be worried about cars while you are doing hills.) On the first day of hill repeats, do just 2 to 3. Run the hill at a strong, steady pace, but don't try to sprint. At the top of the hill, turn and jog very slowly or walk to the bottom, being careful about the impact force. Then, repeat. End your training with about a mile cool down. Do this workout once a week on a scheduled day, adding one more uphill repeat every week. You can do hill repeats on a treadmill, too. Just increase the incline to a number that feels comfortably hard and run at that incline for 1-2 minutes, lower incline to recover, then repeat.
2. Run a course that is rolling to very hilly. This is probably more enjoyable than the hill repeats. It is not quite so hard on your body and can be a bit more flexible with when you schedule it in your training. Try to map out a 3-5 mile route with some hills and run this on your hill work day.

 

General overview

Hills should be approached with the same effort as on the flat, so it will be slightly slower pace. On the uphill, run with a strong and steady pace reducing stride length. Don't sprint the hill--maintain a steady effort. Gently pump your arms to help drive yourself forward and upward. Try to run with a light touch of your feet. Keep your head/eyes focused upward, not at your feet. On the downhill, increase stride length somewhat (in response to the down slope), but don't over stride. Keep your stride under control by keeping your feet low to the ground.

 

If you have had a recent injury or are suffering from some unfamiliar aches or pains that you are currently working through, I recommend easing into the hill work VERY slowly or waiting until your aches and pains are gone.

 

Check out some more info on hill training at: http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-263-264-0,00.html

Training Tip #11 - Flexibility and Injury Prevention Part 2

Cool Down

Cooling down after training is important and aids in your recovery.  Do a slow jog or easy walk the last 5-8 minutes. This allows you to properly remove the metabolic waste products that have accumulated in the muscles during your run/walk (such as lactic acid). The goal is to reduce soreness and prepare the muscles for the next workout.

Core Strengthening Is Important

One of the best things you can do to prevent injuries is to begin a core strengthening routine.  Core muscles are the abs, obliques, and lower back. Core muscles are important for maintaining proper form when tired. Building bulk is not important – building strength and balancing muscle groups is. Many overuse injuries are the result of muscle imbalances.

Many things can be done just using your own body as resistance. For example:

v     Crunches

v     Planks

v     Pushups

v     Lunges

v     Squats

Completing a core strengthening routine just 1-2 times a week will be beneficial. 

Check out the videos on the Runners World website for core strengthening workout ideas:

http://www.runnersworld.com/video/0,8052,s6-6-0-2,00.html?bcpid=772559539001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAABjSC4E~,YBF36HfcFnZ0DMuflCF1N9kh1JfY7-po&bclid=6520547001&bctid=6541535001

Get Proper Sleep

Proper sleep is very important in providing adequate recovery during your training.

Lack of adequate sleep will reduce the effectiveness of your training.  It sends a decreased amount of energy to your cells and decreases your immunity.  Quite simply, if you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t have as much energy to put toward training and your motivation will lag.

Overuse Injury or Just Sore

It’s important to recognize what’s simply normal muscle soreness due to training and what’s the start of an overuse injury. Limited muscle soreness is to be expected, however this should last a few days at most and should diminish with time.

Pain will generally worsen with continued running. No Pain – No Gain should not be taken literally when it comes to injuries. 

When trying to determine whether it’s routine soreness or the start of an injury ask yourself if you can explain it?  The day after a long run is a good reason to be sore. Pain should not be ignored – don’t push through it – result may be worse.

Catch injuries early!

Rest is the first order of business when you suspect an overuse injury.  Take several days off immediately.  It is better to lose a few days to a week early rather than 3-6 weeks later.

Don’t overcompensate

Try not to compensate for pain. For example, if your right knee starts to hurt, don't compensate by trying to put more weight on your left leg. This can only make things worse. You may find that if you just continue on with your natural stride, the pain may dissipate

Acute Injuries

Be aware of these – such as twisting an ankle or taking a misstep off a curb.  These can become chronic injuries if you attempt to run through them.

Consider Your Shoes

One of the most important aspects of injury prevention is your shoes.  Hopefully everyone purchased new shoes from a specialty running store at the beginning of training.  The proper footwear for your type of foot and its range of motion will help prevent injury. 

When you go to a specialty running store, they should check your stride to determine what kind of foot strike you have:

1. Normal pronation: your foot rolls inward slightly.

2. Overpronation: your foot rolls inward a lot. This requires motion control or stability shoes.

2. Supination (Underpronate): your foot rolls outward slightly

One of the unfortunate realities with specialty running stores is that they don’t always diagnose your foot strike correctly the first time. Thus, if you’re having injury problems, it’s a good idea to go back to Big River (or wherever you purchased shoes) and discuss your problems with them. They may be able to put you in a different type of shoe, which may help.

Replace Worn Shoes

Also, track the mileage on your shoes.  The cushioning within the sole of your shoes will lose its effectiveness over time.  It is generally recommended to replace shoes after 300-500 miles.

 

Consider Different Surfaces

It’s a good idea to vary the surface that you train on. Constantly running or walking on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt is hard on your body.  Consider training on a crushed stone surface such as the Katy Trail.  Or train on a rubberized track one a week. Many public high schools have a track with an all weather rubber surface, which is easy on the body.  (Heading into the school season, most high school tracks will soon be busy after school – you may have to wait until later in the evening until the lanes are free.)

Rest or Cross Train

If you’re concerned about an overuse injury, consider cross training, however limit this to low impact activities such as cycling or pool running/walking.

Treat with Ice

Ice is the best all-around treatment for reducing swelling and pain associated with soreness or an overuse injury. For small painful areas, hold a few chopped-up ice cubes in a cloth and massage directly over the injured area for 10-15 minutes. When a large area such as the knee or hamstring muscle is injured, holding an ice bag directly over the area, rather than ice massage, yields the best results.

Treat with ice three times daily.  One Treatment = Ice for 15 minutes, stop for 10 minutes; Ice for 15 minutes, stop for 10 minutes; Ice for 15 minutes, stop for 10 minutes

Heat may be used, but it is more difficult to monitor. Applying heat to a sore area may do as much harm as good, especially if swelling is present.

Consider an Ice Bath (for recovery)

An ice bath is the best way to help muscles recover from a long training session.  Cold water invigorates the legs and stimulates blood flow for healing. A temperate of 45-50 degrees is ideal temperature - not freezing.

Exercises for flexibility and range-of-motion can be helpful as therapy, especially after the first days of pain have passed and swelling has subsided. When using exercises as part of therapy, extra caution must be paid to stretching just to the point of discomfort and no further.

Take an Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID)

For muscle soreness or pain take, take an anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) such as Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin Aleve) or Aspirin.  However, do not take an NSAID between 24 hours prior to 6 hours after a long run or walk.  Doing this can worsen a Hyponatremia and result in damage to the kidneys.  Hyponatremia, (as you may recall) is caused by low blood sodium levels and is typically the result of drinking too much water without replacing electrolytes.

Finally Seek Help

If you have a nagging ache or pain that does not get better with stretching or after a week of rest, make a visit to a sports related physician. The longer you try to push yourself through pain, the worse it can get and the longer the healing time. Seek out a competent sports physician.

Training Tip #10 - Flexibility and Injury Prevention Part 1

Importance of Flexibility

Continued long distance running or walking results in tight muscles and loss of flexibility.  The two areas that are typically problems are the hamstrings and the hip flexors.  Tight hamstrings and hip flexors will lead to a reduced stride length. Improved flexibility through stretching will offset this tendency and improve your range of motion and stride length.

Goal of stretching:

Is to lengthen a muscle and move the corresponding joints through the full range of motion.

How to Stretch

Stretching is personal. There are many opinions on whether or not you should stretch and when you should stretch. The best way to decide what is good for your body is to experiment. While it may be a benefit to your training if you do some gentle, light stretching, there is little research to support that conclusion. 

Some really good stretches info can be found here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/topic/0,7122,s6-241-287-0-0,00.html

Also, I have attached some stretches that you may find useful.

The best time to stretch is going to be after your training and you have had a good cool down period. Once you are no longer feeling hot and sweaty from your training session and/or you have showered, go ahead and stretch. It is also good to stretch gently throughout the day.

Try to do one or two 30-minute sessions each week.  It is preferred that you stretch after running, because a warm muscle is more flexible and less likely to become injured.  One negative to stretching is that it can lead to injury if done incorrectly.

Stretching should be firm enough to put the muscle in tension, yet still be relaxed.  Stretching should not hurt. Do not stretch aggressively or forcefully and do not bounce. Do not hold your breath while stretching. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds and repeat.  The first stretch should be gentle intensity and the second should be moderate intensity.

Benefits of stretching

v     Relieves muscle tension

v     Keeps muscles flexible, which can help your posture and balance

v     Lengthens muscles and increase range of motion, which helps lengthen your stride

v     Helps prevent muscle and joint injuries by elongating and relaxing muscles

v     Flushes lactic acid out of your muscles.

Be careful

v     Stretching cold, tight muscles can result in strains and possibly tears.

v     Stretching with bad form or tight muscles is a leading cause of injury.

v     When stretching exercises cause injury, it is usually because the muscles are tight or cold, though occasionally it is because the stretcher is doing too much too fast.

 

Warm Up First Prior to Stretching or (Training)

You should always have a period of warm up, whether you stretch or do not stretch before training. Do an easy walk or slow jog for 5-10 minutes, then stretch if you want.  Warming up muscles gradually will help blood and oxygen flow. If you prefer, just jump straight from the warm up into your workout and stretch after the completion of your training.

Stretching Summary

Do’s

v     Warm up thoroughly first

v     Ease into a stretching routine

v     Only static stretches (slow, rhythmic movement)

v     Pay attention to your breathing (take deep belly breaths)

v     Make stretching a habit

v     Relax

v     Listen to your body

Don’ts

v     Hold your breath

v     Bounce

v     Force a stretch

v     Hold painful stretches or stretch to the point of pain

v     Stretch injured muscles

v     Hurry through your routine

A good alternative to stretching is to cross train with an activity that stretches your running/walking muscles, like yoga or swimming.