5 things to do to avoid running niggles
As a runner in my 40’s I’ve started to notice that although I can be as fast over some distances as I was in my 30’s (forgive me, I was never a runner in my 20’s so can’t really compare to then), there are a couple of things that are different about how I am able to train, and have affected my training schedules.
If you’re getting toward, or indeed past that age, you might have noticed an increase in injury and a subsequent decline in your ability to train hard. What can you do about it? Giving up generally isn’t an option, however, some of us end up doing so, and really regretting it later on.
So what can you do?
- Don’t be a slave to the numbers. Just because a programme says you MUST do 50 miles this week- (or even worse, your ego says you must), doesn’t mean it is good for you. LISTEN to what your body is telling you. If you think you might end the run in a more injured state than you are in, have second thoughts
- Think long term, not short. It isn’t about “I have to do THIS this week”- it is “If I do this amount of running this week, will I be able to run next week? It is the cumulative load that can be the problem. Don’t be afraid to have some recovery.
- Think Strong– mileage used to be king- we’ve all been a part of that merry-go-round. To a point, getting out there to do the distance through the week can still be useful, but as we age, it is our strength that is equally, if not more important. Lifting heavy stuff- even if only for 10-20 mins twice a week is absolutely key.
- REST and recovery. You don’t get stronger or faster by doing the work…. That is the stimulus. You get stronger and faster by RECOVERING from the stimulus provided. Take time to rest. As you get older, it takes more time to recover from hard efforts. Embrace it. You’ll gain more from recovery than you will from chasing miles and injuring yourself.
- Injury Predictor: Realise that the only thing that predicts if you are going to get injured is if you have been injured in the last 6 months. We often try to build back to fitness too fast, and end up with another injury, setting us back another few weeks- and so on and so forth. There are VERY few things that can heal humans faster, but a LOT of things that delay the healing process.
Do you keep getting injured? Are you struggling to string together multiple runs or training sessions? Are you getting frustrated with constant and consistent niggles? Give us a shout- book in with Tim the Physio at Global Therapies today.