Almost everyone loves the idea of running. The feeling of being free and able, running across a variety of terrains never requiring to pay an entry fee. Breathing in the fresh air whilst exploring new paths and being surprised with the speed or distance covered. The joy of running nonetheless can be hampered by injury; and even though the spirit may be willing the body is sometimes not.

This article outlines a few simple ways that an athlete can keep running without succumbing to injury.

Speed

1. Run at a pace that is comfortable. In particular keep strenuous running to a minimum – to the point where you can still have a conversation whilst getting through your distance. Nonetheless if you want to improve your fitness, 15-20% of your run should be at a higher frequency

Slow increase

2. Slowly increase your amount of training. Your joints and tendons will endure a lot of stress as your mileage increases. In fact, each stride you take sends 3 x your body weight through that limb. Increasing your amount of running too quickly is a recipe for break down. A 10% increase per week is a good guide to follow.

Sleep

3. Sleep well and sleep a lot! Sleep is the best tool for recovery, whilst lack of sleep is often a precursor to injury break down. This must be as big a priority as scheduling in regular runs

Rest

4. Make sure you have days off running. In particular, make sure you have at least 2 days of no running per week. Running alternate days is a good starting point whilst those who run regularly could have their days off after a more intense training session. These days off can be substituted by days of cross training, such as swimming, where your fitness will continue to improve without increasing stress in the joints.

Surface

5. Change the surface and the terrain that you regularly run on. Choose grass, or gravel, or purely flat tracks to run on. Mix this with a session of hills or cambered surfaces. The variety of surfaces will help with shock absorption injuries, as the variety of hills/flats will influence your stride length and speed

If you feel you would benefit from an in depth running assessment, please make a time to see one of our physio’s or podiatrists