It's about this time each year we start to get a last minute influx of niggles as people ramp their training up for either the 1/2 or full Auckland Marathon on 1 November.
Niggles are very common in marathon training. Studies vary widely depending on how injury is defined, but somewhere between about a fifth and four-fifths of runners are injured each year.
We have always specialised in running injuries (we are runners too) and every year we see a last minute influx of injuries as people tend to rush their training leading up to the big day.
So a few quick tips:
Train Smart and include rest – learning when to rest is a key part of running, especially when training for an event. Sometimes it’s harder to rest than to run but it’s essential for your body to repair.
Take breaks- A lot of conditions, especially tendon problems, seem to adapt better with some recovery time between harder runs and strengthen the tissue. The body is in a constant balance of tissue breakdown and tissue strengthening, if you run without allowing adequate rest it tips this balance towards breakdown.
Add new workouts gradually- especially hills and speed work where the risk of injury is higher.
Overloading = injury time- Easy does it, a key mistake is jumping up your mileage, speed or frequency of running too much, too quickly.
Footwear – having appropriate footwear is an important part of your running. Old, worn out shoes will offer little support and it’s recommended you change your running shoes after approx. 6-800 Km. Choose the right shoe for your foot shape, generally this means choose a shoe that feels comfortable for you. Research hasn't shown that matching shoes to foot type, such as 'over-pronation', reduces injury for most runners. The key though is to make the change gradually. If you are unsure about what footwear is best then arranging gait analysis through a good shoe shop like Shoe Science or Shoe Clinic can be very helpful.
Cross train- to mix it up and help unload the compressive loads on the muscles, tendon and joints- try a cross trainer, bike or a swim instead.
Strengthening and stretching- the lower limb key muscle groups is vital. Especially gluts, thighs and calf muscles.
Preparation is key- prepare as you intend to run on the day- don't try new or special things on race day!!. Eat the same breakfast, same gels (if you use them), same electrolyte drinks etc as your body will be used to these.
Get your niggles sorted - early! Runners often seem reluctant to ask for help until it's almost too late. There are several reasons for this, one is they worry they will be told not to run, the other is that some health professionals seem to know very little about running or have a very negative attitude towards it. Here at Urban Athlete we are runners ourselves and understand running injuries.
If you're having any issues- give us a call and we'll do all we can to get you through it!
