Guest Post By: Mark Crabtree, Fitfluential
In the sports medicine world there is a saying about runners- “Runners are either injured, recently recovered from injury or soon to be injured.” As an Athletic Trainer, I have found that to be the case. More often than not, I’d see most of the runners on a team come through my training room at some point for various aches and pains. If you are reading this, which category are you currently in?
Running injuries tend to sneak up on you. They might start as a mild ache, then progressively get worse until you can’t run at all. How quickly you react to them will determine how long the recovery time is.
Often times, running is the jumping off point for someone starting a fitness program. The barrier to entry is low cost and you can do it just about anywhere. Despite its easy access, running is hard on the body. Running is an advanced exercise. With every stride the impact on the body is anywhere between 4 and 8 times body-weight. Someone who weighs 100 pounds is imparting anywhere between 400 and 800 pounds of force on their joints with each step. The mile is approximately 750 steps per leg- that’s a lot of force. If the body isn’t prepared to handle that force, it has potential to break down.
Initially, when pain develops, the best approach is to take a step back and see if anything has changed. Have you bumped up the mileage significantly? Are you running on a different surface or terrain? Are your shoes worn out from too many miles? Do you have the proper shoe for your specific foot- flat foot, high arch, or normal arch? Examining these questions can help to some instant fixes and keep you on the pavement.
Assuming those questions all check out, most runners probably turn to bracing or taping in order to keep training. I’ve seen people running down the street who seem to be held together with more neoprene and Velcro than muscle, skin and bone. Braces may give relief for a short period of time but usually a new pain emerges somewhere else. Pain is a signal from your body that something is wrong, in the long term masking the signal won’t be the solution.
When to Rest?
Most running injuries tend to develop from repetitive overuse. If the pain occurs while running a good rule of thumb is to take a break from the road, give your joints a rest, but still move closer to your goal. Biking and swimming are a few alternatives that aren’t exactly the same as running but can be a temporary substitute that allows you to maintain your aerobic base while your body recovers.
If the pain occurs later in the day after a run, it may be the first sign that an injury is developing. If it happens once and goes away it might be nothing; more than once and a change of action is in order.
Running can be the exercise that defines what you do but doesn’t have to be the only exercise you do. Stretching, strength training and recovery work all contribute to faster times, longer careers, less pain and injury. Strength training is not meant to replace your runs or define who you are, but instead compliment them and make your performance better. Recently I began training a woman who had completed 5 marathons and previously never done any strength training. 1 month later she dropped 10 minutes off her personal best Marathon time. The only change was adding strength training twice a week. Her previous IT band pain also disappeared. Not surprisingly, strength training has become a regular staple in her routine.
Exercise choices should be pain free, trying to push through any discomfort is prolonging your recovery time.
Within a few weeks the pain should be significantly improved, or gone. If the level of pain hasn’t gotten noticeably better then it’s time to get checked out by an Orthopedic Surgeon, Physical Therapist or Certified Athletic Trainer. You probably can find a physical therapy clinic in your area that offers a free screening. The fastest path to “pain-free” is to have a plan, and the best plans come from those with experience getting people back in action.
Once the pain is gone, running can resume activity by backing off previous mileage and slowly working your way back. You will be tempted to dive back in at your previous mileage right away- practice patience and you will find yourself there in a few runs. The body remembers and bounces back quickly.
But what if you are ill?
If you are reading this it can be assumed that fitness is important to you. Missing a workout can do more damage to the mind than the body. Especially if you are riding a streak of consistency and good runs.
Exercise is a stress to your body, fortunately in most cases a positive one. Illness is a stress as well, this time a negative stress. When you are run down and under the weather your body is trying to use all its resources to fight off whatever is in your system. If you add additional stress in the form of exercise you potentially reduce the body’s ability to focus on fighting for recovery. Potentially this prolongs your illness. The old saying, “sweat it out,” doesn’t hold up. Rest and allow your body to focus its full efforts on feeling better.
When you genuinely feel better, you can lace up your shoes again. Be smart and ease back into it over a couple workouts. Don’t jump right back in at your full distance, but give it a run or two to build back up. Your body will thank you and it will seem like you haven’t missed a step.
Listen to the feedback your body gives you. If you are in-tune to what it tells you and respond accordingly, your workouts will be more productive and enjoyable and pain free. When you ignore those signs, a roadblock is in your future.
Mark Crabtree is the Founder and President of Ignite Fitness Inc. Mark has been in the fitness business for more than 18 years. Mark is a Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Certified with the Functional Movement Screen. Mark and his training methods have been featured on WGN Morning News, CLTV, in the Chicago Tribune and Suburban Life Newspaper.