July 8
How to avoid and treat injuries
1)Most injuries are the result of the doing too much, too hard, too soon. In other words the best approach to avoiding injuries is to add to your training volume and intensity over a longer period of time. The rule of thumb is to add no more than 10% to your mileage each week.
-Suggested starting points for runners:
. beginner 15-20 miles per week
. intermediate high school runner 20-25 miles per week
. advanced high school runner 25-35 miles per week
-These are guidelines and you must remember that if there is a unique feature for any individual that must be accounted for then these numbers might need adjustment.
-Summer training allows you a longer period of time to slowly increase your training mileage.
-After putting in “base” runs and when you want to incorporate some more challenging training such as hills/intervals/fartlek, then do only one of these per week for the first two weeks. Later you can add a second workout.
2)Injuries also are the result of improper shoes so it is always best to go to a running specialist to determine what shoe is best for you.
-Running shoes usually are good for about 250-400 miles and should be changed out after this point to avoid injuries
3)Injuries can be the result of training on difficult surfaces such as concrete and/or on sloped surfaces such as the side of a road that has a crest in the middle. This forces you to be on a slight side slope and can result in injuries to compensate for this slight slope.
4)Injuries can be the result of an improper warm up. A good warm up can increase joint mobility so that you don’t overcompensate to adapt to poor flexability.
5)There is a difference between injury and general soreness. Try to determine the difference and make sure you contact your coach if you have questions. General soreness is something that is not usually pinpointed to a specific, individual site such as the lower left leg, specific spot on a bone, etc. General soreness is usually more spread out across an area or muscle group such as my quads are sore (both legs).
6)General approach and questions to ask if you think you are injured:
- When did it start? If it started after a specific workout that might give hints as to what it is.
- Is it getting better or worse each day?
- On a scale of 1-10 with a 1 being only slight pain and a 10 being lots of pain all the time you should rate your injury.
- Does it hurt all the time or only when you run? Does it hurt when you walk?
Common Running Injuries
1)Blisters on the foot – always recommend to wear proper fitting shoes and socks to prevent blisters. Not recommended to run a race in brand new spikes without testing them out a bit prior to race. Follow basic blister treatment procedures: use bandaid to protect any open blisters and make sure it is clean and disinfected. It is ok to pop blisters if they are painful. Use sterilized pin to puncture and allow to drain. Make sure to disinfect blister and use band aid.
2)Shin splints –basically a muscle issue in the lower front part of the leg. Aching or throbbing feeling due to swollen muscles and tendon issues in the area. Treatment is to ice (20 minutes, three times a day) to reduce swelling. Anti-inflammatory medicine can help. Rest is another option, supporting the area with taping or other supportive sleeve. Strengthing calf area and flexability exercises in the area can help prevent. Sometimes orthodics are recommended to provide proper support in foot.
3)Stress Fracture – most of these happen in lower leg (front shin area) and the foot. On occasion these can happen in pelvic area or femur. The pain can be determined by touching a specific site on the bone and not a general area. These are difficult to diagnose as don’t often show up on xray until weeks after the healing has begun. It is important to address these pains immediately when you feel them as rest is required and often no running for 6-8 weeks. Depending on area bone stimulation through ultrasound bone stimular can speed recovery a bit. You really need to let bone heal. Do not begin running until pain is gone for several days to a week and then begin slow running on reduced mileage. When you have a stress fracture you should do alternative training when possible (swim, aqua jog, biking). Sometimes alter-g treatmill will allow you to do training (running).
4)IT band syndrome- pain on outside of knee or outside/back of knee. Basically an inflammation of Iliotibial tendon. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE) is the usual treatment for this injury. Sometimes anti-inflamatory medicine can provide short term minor relief. The pain is often the result of imbalances in muscles in glutes, hamstring, quads, and lower back area. Proper flexability exercises in those areas can help in prevention. Usually best to see doctor when suspecting IT band syndrome.
5)Anemia/Iron- Please see attached.