3 Tips to Avoid Running Injuries
It’s that time of year!
The weather starts to get a little warmer.
The sun starts to show itself a bit more.
And motivation begins to spike.
As someone who is NOT a runner by nature—but who has done plenty of running (I actually trained for and finished the Wineglass Marathon last year)—I don’t typically enjoy going out for a run. But on a sunny spring day, when you’ve been cooped up for months by a Rochester, NY winter, there’s really nothing better than getting out and stretching your legs out on a nice jog.
As a performance-based physical therapy clinic, we tend to see an influx in the number of runners coming to see us around this time every year. Some are training for events like the Flower City Challenge or various full and half marathons and others are just wanting to add running back into their fitness routine. Heck, some are picking up running for the first time in 20 years!
The injuries that we see with these clients vary as well, but some common running injuries we see are: plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis, shin splints, patellar tendinitis, IT band syndrome, groin strains, hamstring strains, gluteal tendinitis, and low back pain.
While runners that come to see us have various backgrounds, injuries, experiences, and training levels, there are some common tips that we are giving on a regular basis.
1) Manage Your Mileage
It’s a tale as old as time. Last summer you really got into running and were feeling great, and by the end of the summer you were going on 5-mile runs without any issues. You didn’t run all winter and now that the weather’s turning you grab your old running shoes and head out on a 5-mile run.
Suddenly your shins are on fire and your achilles is aching. Not to mention your lungs are burning. This isn’t quite what you remember from September!
As you set out to start your 2024 running journey, keep these things in mind:
Have a short memory when you consider your running history. Think less about what you were able to do last summer and more about what you’ve done in the past month when you’re figuring out your starting point. It’s typically better to undershoot your abilities at first, absolutely crush your runs, then progress from there.
Consider the mileage of each individual run as well as your weekly cumulative mileage. If you’ve trained for a half- or full-marathon, you’re likely familiar with doing this. If you haven’t, you should start, even if you only run for fun. Having an idea of your weekly mileage will allow you to dial things down or up appropriately based on injuries, improved performance, a hiatus during vacation, etc.
Gradually expose your body to more and more. “Progressive overload” is the basis of training, and it basically means that we want to expose your body to more and more over time. Longer runs, faster runs, more frequent runs, more weekly mileage, hill training. There are lots of ways to progress, so don’t get stuck trying to constantly push one parameter!
2) Strength Training
This is probably the single biggest piece of advice that we consistently give to runners at all levels.
You would just assume that more elite runners have their training dialed in, but you would be shocked by the lack of strength training even amongst the ultra-marathoners that we’ve worked with.
While the goal of strength training for a runner is NOT the same as the goal of strength training for a powerlifter, it does have tremendous overall value.
Strength training 2-3 days per week will:
Expose your body to different types of stress. Running stresses the body the same way over and over and over again. Strength training is a great way to add variability to your training.
Improve strength and stability. When we run, the forces coming up through your leg can be (depending on the source you read) 2-4x your bodyweight! We need to be strong to tolerate those forces without increasing our risk for injury. Make high load, low repetition training (1-6 reps) a part of your routine and you will certainly feel the difference in your running.
Improve your running performance. Aside from keeping you healthy and feeling good, strength training can actually improve your running performance. Consider that each step you take as you run, you are putting force into the ground to propel yourself forward. If you are stronger, you will put more force into the ground!
3) Plyometric Training
When we run, we are airborne then we land on one foot—hence the forces of up to 4x bodyweight that I mentioned above. While strength training can help to condition your muscles to handle higher forces, nothing will prepare your body for these repetitive landings more than actually landing. Plyometrics involve a landing and a take-off (so, technically box jumps aren’t a plyo exercise) with a relatively short ground contact time. Try to include a combination of:
Extensive Plyometrics. Picture somebody jumping rope. Are they jumping as high as they can? No. Are they only able to do a few reps because they are using max effort? No. They are working at a submaximal intensity that they can sustain for many, many repetitions. This is an example of an extensive plyometric. These can be performed in many ways—one or 2 foot take-offs, different body positions, different directions of movement, twisting in the air, etc—which will help prepare your body to handle various stresses. Extensive plyometrics can be done for many reps and do not require long periods of rest due to their submaximal intensity.
Intensive Plyometrics. Imagine a triple jumper trying to set a record. They do a hop, a skip, and a jump. 3 repetitions to get as far as they can. This is a significant contrast to the jump-roper above. Intensive plyometrics should be performed less frequently, for fewer repetitions, and with greater intent than extensive plyometrics. You may even use external loads, for example: 3 sets of 5 reps of Squat Jumps with dumbbells in each hand, and several minutes rest between sets.
One simple place to add some plyometrics is in your pre-run warm up. Check out this video for some ideas: Simple Plyometric Warm Up
Keep these tips in mind as you get back into your running routine and you’ll certainly be setting yourself up for success. If you have any questions, or are currently dealing with a running injury, reach out to us directly (info@rocptperformance.com) and we would be happy to help!
