By David Horne
Running is one of the most heavily participated sports and recreational activities in the world. However, from a young age, we are told to go out on the streets and run until we are tired. This may be alright for a while but further on down the road you will be likely to sustain an overuse injury that takes away your passion for running.
In order to make running a lifetime activity you need to be aware of some of the contributing factors that lead to common running injuries. Once you acknowledge these injury-causing factors, then you can develop the right plan for you. This applies to both the recreational runner as well as the competitive runner.
To ensure that you gain the most out of your training sessions, while also reducing the risk of sustaining an injury, be sure to take note of the following mistakes made by many athletes and coaches.
Excessive hill running can often lead to excessive demands placed on the calf muscles (possible shin splints). Shin splints are an absolute nightmare for a runner. This type of injury can put you out of running for months.
Excessive downhill running can lead to increased stress on the quadriceps muscle. Most athletes say that running downhill is easier, however, it is just as tough on your body as running uphill.
Running in one direction all the time (track work or running around the tennis court, football field, etc.) can cause excessive pronation on the inside leg. Once again, this can be easily fixed by alternating directions in which you run.
Running on unforgiving surfaces/street running (high impact). Asphalt is not an appropriate running surface. This is one of the major causes of knee and hip injuries for runners. Roads are made for cars and not runners! If you must run on asphalt, add in some runs on a grass surface.
Lack of variety in your training sessions can lead to overuse injuries, as well as mental boredom. Select different workouts each week. Do you always run the same route, in the same direction, each time? If so, vary where you run, the distance you run, as well as the intensity of the run.
Running on an uneven surface, such as a grass field. Often athletes try to avoid the hard surface of the streets so they decide to run on uneven fields, which can lead to injuries of the feet. I love running on ovals as they are more friendly on my body. But I choose not to run on a football ground, as I know that the surface is likely to be uneven and full of holes. Most recreational parks are better.
Increasing training volume too quickly (allow for individual progression). This is a tough one for highly driven individuals who thrive on pushing themselves. Have a plan and follow it. Even if you feel that you can push yourself and run that extra mile, hold back!
Increasing the pace or speed at which you run too quickly (can be achieved slowly through Fartlek training). Try and stick with your plan and run at a similar speed before you get into your next phase. As we improve we often want to run faster. Increasing both the speed and distance of your run at the same time can lead to injury.
It is important to wear the proper footwear when you run. Encourage your athletes to change from their normal sports shoes (eg. tennis shoes, basketball shoes) to running shoes prior to starting their run. Wearing tennis or basketball shoes while running long distances will lead to injuries. They don't provide the required support for the feet.
Recognize that each individual will have their own pace and level of endurance, so set individual goals for each athlete. When running in a group at a set pace, that pace may be comfortable for some runners, but too fast for others. Divide your athletes into two even groups. This is often a big flaw for many coaches of sports teams. We have all been guilty of doing this in the past, but you must allow for the individual abilities of athletes.
Running long distances in extreme weather conditions, such as freezing temperatures, hot and humid conditions or even when there has been a high pollution alert level given by the weather bureau. My tennis coach in college would often make our team run at 7:00a.m. in the morning, in the middle of winter, in North Carolina. As you could imagine we would often suffer from bronchitis and other common respiratory ailments. Unfortunately, mine developed into pneumonia … so, make sure the environmental conditions are appropriate for running.
Be smart when you run and your body will thank you for it!
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net
