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10 Simple Ways to Avoid Injuries
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10 Simple Ways to Avoid Injuries
Injuries are a fact of the running life. Either because of training errors, poor biomechanics, improper shoe selection and numerous other variables, injuries can only impede your progress.As you train for the first Haile Gebrselassie Marathon, the key is to avoid injuries. Fortunately, most of the common running injuries that plague runners are minor—and avoidable. Here are 10 ways you can avoid getting injured:
1. Walk in, walk out. Start every run with a few minutes of walking. And finish that way too. This will allow your muscles to warm up before the run and cool down following it. When you start the actual running, start slowly and gradually ease your way into the run. Hold yourself back for the first 5-10 minutes and eventually you will find your natural pace.
2. Progress slowly. When you feel it’s time to boost your training, only add small amounts of mileage, speed training or hills. Don’t add more than five miles a week or five minutes of speed work or more than an extra one or two sets of hills. Allow your body the time it needs to gradually adapt to the added load.
3. Don’t try to make up missed workouts. If you should miss a scheduled key workout (such as a long run), let it go and don’t try to make it up the next day. If you do try to squeeze a key workout in that you’ve missed, it will mess up your entire schedule and force you to run hard too many days. Missing one workout—even a key one—isn’t going to hurt you in the long run. Trying to squeeze it in, can only hurt you.
4. Go soft once or twice a week. If almost all of your running is on roads, seek out a trail or grass surface for at least a couple of easy runs every week. Doing so will give your legs (and head) a much needed break.
5. When in doubt, sit out. If a minor strain, tenderness or muscle soreness crops up or you can’t run without limping even just a little, pass on the scheduled workout. Maybe go for a walk instead or do some form of cross-training. Better to rest a tender area now, rather than push it and pay the consequences later.
6. R&R all year. Take at least one rest day per week, but also plan for one easy week of light running per month and one easy month per year. Cut yourself a break and ease off on the throttle and give your body a chance to bounce back.
7. Stretch after running. There shouldn’t be any debate whether you stretch or when you stretch. Don’t bother stretching cold muscles before you run; stretch within 10 minutes after each and every run. If you don’t know how to stretch, learn.
8. Ice, ice, ice. Whenever any muscle or tendon is tender to the touch after running, ice it. Cool the inflamed muscle by applying some form of ice. Never heat an injured or sore muscle after running.
9. Monitor shoe wear. Obviously, you should wear a good pair of running shoes when you run and not any other type of athletic shoes. Also monitor the amount of wear you have on your shoes. Even the best running shoes will wear out eventually and lose its ability to cushion and protect your feet. How do you know? When an easy run results in abnormal soreness, is always a good time to check your shoes for wear. A good pair of shoes will last anywhere from 350 to 500 miles.
10. Never run through pain. Never. Whoever said no pain, no gain doesn’t know running. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Pain should be respected. If there is pain, stop running. Always err on the side of caution.