4 Tips to Avoid Running Injuries When Starting Out
Preventing running injuries is the key to long-term fitness and progression as a runner.
As the old adage goes, the tortoise always beats the hare.
In the case of running, the runner who is able to stack together consistent weeks will invariably see better results than a runner that bounces between niggles and injuries that leave them sidelined.
For those Strava users, you want to have a straight curve (slightly up and to the right) curve in your training weeks that signals consistency. If your Strava curve looks more like your heart rate during a fartlek – then it’s a good time to check out these four tips to avoid common running injuries.
1. Follow a plan
It doesn’t matter whether you’re training for your local 5km Parkrun on a Saturday morning, or you’ve got a Marathon in the calendar, it’s important to have a plan. A running plan isn’t just for serious runners, it’s also an important way for new runners to build routine and – most importantly – prevent common running injuries.
By following a running plan, runners know when to run, when to recover, and how to space out intense efforts to give the body the best chance of recovery.
A rule of thumb for new and existing runners is that training progression should be no more than 10% per week. That means that mileage (the number of kilometres/miles that you run each week) as well as the intensity should not increase by more than 10% each week. If you start out by running 20km in your first week, your second week – using the 10% rule – shouldn’t exceed 22km.
There are, of course, plenty of online running plans available. However, it’s worth speaking to a physiotherapist or physiology professional to help you plan a specific, tailored approach that considers your specific goals and starting point.
2. Get the right footwear
Using the right footwear not only reduces your chance of injury, it also makes running a far more enjoyable experience.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of running shoe options on the market. Thanks largely to the running craze that is sweeping the world, it’s not hard to find high-quality footwear that is suited to your body type, your training goals, and your specific mechanics.
Depending on your goals, you might consider rotating between more than one pair of shoes. Doing so means that your shoes can recover between runs (foam compresses when you run) and ensures that you have a ‘high mileage’ as well as a ‘race day’ or ‘tempo day’ shoe that is a bit lighter.
For new runners, it’s worth seeing a physiotherapist or podiatrist who can recommend shoes that are going to be suitable for your goals and your mechanics.
3. Get enough rest
How you recover from your run is just as important as the run itself.
Taking the time to let your muscles recover, getting in the right nutrition, and ensuring a healthy sleep pattern are all important factors in peak performance. Rest can also help to prevent common injuries, reduce the risk factor of injuries occurring, and help to promote long-term improvements.
How much rest you get will be dependent on your experience as a runner. For highly-trained elite athletes, it may be a case of taking one day – or even simply not doing a double on some days – off each week.
For newer runners, the time between runs will be longer. After an intense running session, new runners may need as much as 24-48 hours to ‘recover’ before having an ‘easy day’. A running program helps to ensure that runners take adequate rest between intense running and mitigates the chance of common running injuries from occurring.
4. Separate hard and easy days
It doesn’t matter what level you run at, it’s important to have ‘hard’ and ‘easy’ days in your program.
Traditionally, a lot of the running advice that new runners would consume came from the legendary New Zealand running coach Arthur Lydiard who emphasised a ‘high-mileage’ approach to running at what he called a ‘steady-state’ for long slow distance runs.
Today, more runners tend to prefer a strong separation between ‘hard’ and ‘easy’ days while trying to avoid what is known as ‘grey’ running – where a runner is running too hard to properly recover, but too far below their threshold to see significant benefits.
To prevent common running injuries, it’s important to have a clear separation between your easy days and your hard days with intervals or fartlek training. Staying out of the ‘grey zone’ ensures that your body has adequate time to recover between intense efforts.