Earned Runs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Request Bibs/Contact
  • GEAR LOVE
  • FAQ
  • Starter Checklist
  • RESOURCES*
  • Oh the Places You'll Go!
  • Generosity
  • THE HONOR SERIES
  • BONE STRENGTH FOR ATHLETES
  • About

SATURDAY IS RACE DAY: MINIMIZE RUNNING INJURY RISK before starting to train

9/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Beach fun.Taken by PKSeangore August 22, 2018. All rights reserved.
FALL IS RACING SEASON. MANY RUNNER AND SOME WALKERS WILL PICK A GOAL RACE, possibly a marathon or half marathon, and begin training.  The best ending for this scenario is that all goes as planned and everyone arrives at their event healthy and ready to achieve a personal best. Unfortunately, some will be sidelined by an injury before making it to the start line, and some may encounter a problem during or after the competition.
 
The time to worry about injury prevention is before training, before racing.
 
MATT FITZGERALD’S ARTICLE “Are Shoes Really to Blame for Running Injuries” for running.competitor.com draws attention to the fact that the sport is associated with a greater risk of injury than sports like swimming and cycling. He refers to a 1998 scientific study that investigated the occurrence of injuries among elite triathletes and found that “62.1percent of injuries suffered during a five year period were caused by running, 34.5 percent by cycling and only 3.4 percent by swimming.”
 
Fitzgerald goes on to discuss evidence that “overbuilt” shoes contribute to the problem by relating the experience of the meagerly shod Tarahurmara tribe of Mexico, made famous in the book Born to Run by author Christopher McDougall. And then the other factors that may play a role in injury: excess body weight, “sedentariness”, and running on hard surfaces.
 
It’s worth thinking about which of the factors is likely to influence our individual risk for injury.  I know, because I’ve had some soft tissue injuries over the years, which tended to occur when I was training particularly hard. My finish times were decreasing and I was thrilled to be in the hunt for a decent place in my age group for each upcoming race.  What I did not realize at the time is that, because of the high impact nature of running, it would have been better to limit running time to high-yield workouts (speed, hills, intervals) rather than to ‘just run’ for the sake of running each and every day of the week. 
 
If you read Fitzgerald, pay attention to the part about sedentariness: “Being active in diverse ways outside of running actually encourages healthier running. An active lifestyle outside of running helps prevent most of the muscular and postural imbalances that are so common in our society and that contribute to injuries because e of reduced joint stability.” In this regard Fitzgerald again points to the Tarahumara as examples of a high-mileage running people for whom physical activity is not confined to 45 minutes of scheduled high-impact exercise.
 
With his advice in mind, consider confining training runs to 3-4 days a week and using 1-3 days to enjoy another sport or to significantly increase the amount of time spent at non-exercise physical activity. These are the activities of daily living that we try to avoid at our homes and work; chores that we gladly give up or pay a premium to others to perform for us in the name of convenience. Maybe it best to take-back the chores!
 
Overbuilt shoes may play a role in causing running injuries, but Fitzgerald indicates It is too easy to blame equipment and ignore how we use it.

If you want to enjoy making it to a Fall race day event without being sidelined by injury, think about taking steps to remain healthy before training begins.  Plan to run/walk some sessions on softer surfaces, and to stay physically active for a greater percent of each day in ways that don't involve just running/walking. A Runnersworld.com piece also discusses ways in which joint damage may be avoided. In addition to managing bodyweight issues, it recommends stretching more and in a gentle manner.

Re-think your shoe strategy too. Instead of purchasing the 'go-to' shoe brand and model you've been wearing for years, put extra time into researching what's new. Perhaps a 'less-is-more' approach to footwear may work for you.

RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2018/08/injury-prevention/are-shoes-really-to-blame-for-running-injuries_12779

https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/g20829249/4-ways-you-may-be-ruining-your-joints/
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
    Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device.
    Picture
    Finished my first 50K challenge, a virtual but real effort April 6, 2021. Qualifies me as an ultra-marathoner! All rights reserved.

    Author

    EARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder.  I began participating in road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology.  I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health.

    Archives

    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All
    Greeting
    Image Only

    RSS Feed

    New! Search Box

    Earned Runs is now searchable! Check it out...
EARNED RUNS LLC                                                                                                                                                                                                    Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Request Bibs/Contact
  • GEAR LOVE
  • FAQ
  • Starter Checklist
  • RESOURCES*
  • Oh the Places You'll Go!
  • Generosity
  • THE HONOR SERIES
  • BONE STRENGTH FOR ATHLETES
  • About