Forums >Running 101>What else do you recommend for staying injury free?
One thing I recommend is not always running on the concrete, It does help extremely try running on dirt, like others say, but when you do some of your speed work try running in the grass. Your not pounding on a hard surface when your speeding up and especially slowing down.
Another thing I do frequently is ice bathe. But its not for everybody, I am a high school athlete and out of season run nearly 50-80 miles a week depending on the race situations. But it helps for sure when your sore. I'd recommend about once a month or even longer. It can get expensive with buying the bags of ice, but it is very good with the recovery process.
One thing I recommend is not always running on the concrete, It does help extremely try running on dirt, like others say, but when you do some of your speed work try running in the grass. Your not pounding on a hard surface when your speeding up and especially slowing down. Another thing I do frequently is ice bathe. But its not for everybody, I am a high school athlete and out of season run nearly 50-80 miles a week depending on the race situations. But it helps for sure when your sore. I'd recommend about once a month or even longer. It can get expensive with buying the bags of ice, but it is very good with the recovery process.
Good advice!
Ice baths are good, but I don't think you need to go that extreme (or costly) to get the benefits. Simply sitting in a tub full of bath water at it's coldest temperature works too.
Linda
I love to hike, but, when I run more, I hike less, because it takes longer for me to recover from long hikes. I much prefer trail running, but when I train for a race, I do little to no trail running because, my knees hurt the next day. Whatever I do on the trail beats up my body more than street running, and it isn't about the hills. I run hills just about every time I run, because I live in a hilly area. I can't avoid it.
However, when I'm running on concrete and pass through a park and there is a dirt path, I can really tell the difference. It feels good to run on dirt. That leads me to think that I don't run the uneven terrain correctly.
The original post asked how to stay injury free. For me, I think the answer has been running less and cross training a little. Whenever I start running 40+ miles a week, an injury is soon to follow. Maybe with a little cross training I will be able to maintain low 40's--I am going to try.
Ice baths seem to help with my recovery.
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SheCan
Stay in the moment. Listen to your foot steps. Gauge how each foot lands, knee bends and leg responds. Try to keep your attention here the whole run. Not only is this calming and meditative, it also helps prevent injury.
Have you ever noticed if you're doing a project or something, you can be working so hard you don't notice yourself bleeding until blood is all over everything. In running, if you don't notice and continue running, it can get worse (often does.) Plus the more you pay attention as you move, the less chance of getting the injury in the first place.
Cherie
"We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. " ---- Shasta Nelson