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Advice on preventing injuries yet still building mileage (Read 2079 times)

    I am going to start with the back story before I get to the question.

     

    I started running in October, I have never been a runner, in fact I hated to run, just could never get the breathing down. I had two motivations: economics, I was not using the gym enough and we were spending far to much money on the membership and I compete in agility with my dogs. Once I had started training with my young dog, I realized his shear speed and the lack of mine, he was not going to slow down so I had to get faster. 

     

    I have worked my way through Cto5K, it has taken time, at the start I was taking 2 rest days (needed) and then the big gaps are New England weather related. Each time I restarted I stepped back a week and always felt stronger. Now I am comfortable running 30 min and each time I go out I am seeing small improvements in my fitness. I was hoping to start working towards OHR program BUT  body is not co-operating with the increased mileage I am starting to feel it in my knees. I am not bothered when running it is after that is the problem. During the build up to a full 30 minutes my knees did not bother me, all my muscles had issues, just not the knees.

     

    My knees have always been cranky, any time I have started a new sport, it has taken time for them to adapt. When I started ridding (horses)  again I was wearing braces for a year, same with tennis but I have always got to the point were there are no issues. I have tried braces, but as the problem is after the fact, I found them more of a hindrance than a help.

     

    So the question to the many experienced runners is what is the best way to continue to improve my fitness and stamina, yet still protect my knees. Ideas I had were to start running shorter runs, 2 day recoveries.

     

    Thanks

     

    They key is to run at an aerobic intensity for 95% of the time on your feet, and sometimes 100% for periods of time during the year (see Lydiard's aerobic periodization). The best way for a newbie to do this is to get a heart rate monitor and keep your heart rate in an aerobic zone. Research the various aerobic heart rate zones used out there, and make the best choice for yourself (some use 70% MHR, some 180-age, some 70% HRR, etc.). What you might find when you use the feedback from the heart rate monitor is that you will need to walk to stay in an easy zone. But if you stay in that zone for awhile, you will eventually be running everything as your aerobic system starts to develop. The idea is to develop the aerobic system, while keeping your training load at a level that doesn't get you injured. I have seen newbie after newbie build mileage too fast and run too fast in the first year, and they never get to their second year. A lot of them are overweight, and if they were to put a heart rate monitor on, they would see that when they are running, they are actually too close to their anaerobic threshold. This will break you down eventually, and sometimes very quickly. A heart rate monitor will slow you down at first, but then it will speed you up as your aerobic muscle fibers build up. In essence, your body will tell you when to go faster. In addition to a heart rate monitor, I suggest that you research how to keep the muscle around your knees strong, your core strong, and your feet strong. Keeping your feet strong is so important. Modern running shoes don't help at all, as they restrict the natural movement of your feet. In some people, this causes a muscle imbalance, and they get foot and achilles problems.  I suggest that you always take the day off when you feel tired. Don't become addicted to running or the idea that you can never miss a workout or a race--a sign of this addiction is when you keep running or racing when you are injured, feel anxiety at the idea of an unplanned off day or missing a race, or when running suddenly or gradually becomes more important than your relationships with people. Make rest and recovery the most important thing in your training, because it is. Especially at age 46. Your body needs time to heal and adapt from workouts. Your long-term health is more important than any workout or race. Good health to you!

      Run on soft surfaces.

       

      Easier said that done for some people Tongue What's the opinion on running on the beach? Good? Or too soft?

      Never forget the man who mistook his wife for a hat!

      Ποτέ δεν ξεχνά τον άνθρωπο που μπέρδεψε τη γυναίκα του για ένα καπέλο!

      xor


        It looked like big fun in Chariots of Fire, but beaches vary widely.  Some are ok for running, but many are not.

         

        Packed sand is way easier to run on than loose sand.

         

        Pay attention to the camber (tilt) of the beach.  Thanks to the laws of physics, nature, and Jobu, beaches tend to slant down into the water.  Running on slanty can cause knee and hip issues.

         

        Sand can hide pokey things.

         

        HermosaBoy


          It looked like big fun in Chariots of Fire, but beaches vary widely.  Some are ok for running, but many are not.

           

          Packed sand is way easier to run on than loose sand.

           

          Pay attention to the camber (tilt) of the beach.  Thanks to the laws of physics, nature, and Jobu, beaches tend to slant down into the water.  Running on slanty can cause knee and hip issues.

           

          Sand can hide pokey things.

           

          Jobu?

          And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

           

          Rob

            It looked like big fun in Chariots of Fire, but beaches vary widely.  Some are ok for running, but many are not.

             

            Packed sand is way easier to run on than loose sand.

             

            Pay attention to the camber (tilt) of the beach.  Thanks to the laws of physics, nature, and Jobu, beaches tend to slant down into the water.  Running on slanty can cause knee and hip issues.

             

            Sand can hide pokey things.

             

            Very descriptive you are today young SRL! Yeah, but I regularly run up on the cliffs, which also hide pointy things (mostly rocks), but I take the point. While I don't think it's particularly cambered, I also don't think it's very packed sand on the nearby beaches here, I may have to stray further a-field for such a beach. Anyway, my thanks to you!

            Never forget the man who mistook his wife for a hat!

            Ποτέ δεν ξεχνά τον άνθρωπο που μπέρδεψε τη γυναίκα του για ένα καπέλο!

            xor


              Very descriptive you are today young SRL!

               

              I guess that beats being Young MC.

               

              I am, in fact, Stone Cold Munchin.

               

                Easier said that done for some people Tongue What's the opinion on running on the beach? Good? Or too soft?

                 

                As others have said - beaches can be good or not - it depends.

                 

                But I do think that the surfaces you run on can make a difference to staying injury free. You don't have to do all your miles on soft surfaces, but it's worth the effort to do some.  Walk/cycle/drive to nearby trails, or parks where there's grass. Use treadmills at the gym (tedious for long runs, but mix it up with some weights, a swim, the rowing machine etc. and it's not so bad). Find a local running track that you can use. Even on suburban roads there's often a bit of grass verge next to the pavement (sidewalk) that can be used in some places.

                  As others have said - beaches can be good or not - it depends.

                   

                  But I do think that the surfaces you run on can make a difference to staying injury free. You don't have to do all your miles on soft surfaces, but it's worth the effort to do some.  Walk/cycle/drive to nearby trails, or parks where there's grass. Use treadmills at the gym (tedious for long runs, but mix it up with some weights, a swim, the rowing machine etc. and it's not so bad). Find a local running track that you can use. Even on suburban roads there's often a bit of grass verge next to the pavement (sidewalk) that can be used in some places.

                   

                  We don't have grass out here :P But yeah, treadmill, but my god to I find the treadmill excruciatingly boring! Especially as all there is, is to watch myself run in the mirror. They've positioned the treadmills against the mirrors. Useful, but mostly annoying. My variation is running on the cliffs, not particularly soft, or even ... BUT ... if I run far enough, it gets soft for a while Tongue

                  I guess I could probably take note of some of this advice and look in to 'softer' surfaces. I'm sure running on roads and cliffs isn't doing me too much good! That or I'll invest in some shock absorbers Wink

                  Never forget the man who mistook his wife for a hat!

                  Ποτέ δεν ξεχνά τον άνθρωπο που μπέρδεψε τη γυναίκα του για ένα καπέλο!

                    Run on soft surfaces.

                     

                    My variation is running on the cliffs, not particularly soft, or even ... BUT ... if I run far enough, it gets soft for a while Tongue

                    I guess I could probably take note of some of this advice and look in to 'softer' surfaces. I'm sure running on roads and cliffs isn't doing me too much good! That or I'll invest in some shock absorbers Wink

                     

                    It's okay if you don't know or quite understand but commonly misunderstood comments like these would very quickly spread the myth.  And when you think about it, all this; "Oh, if you have a weak spot, support it" idea came from the same concept.  You can support it all you want but that ain't gonna strengthen the weak sport and, therefore, not gonna solve the problem--it only "tamper" the problem. 

                     

                    Same thing; if you land so hard that hard surface will hurt you; running on a softer surface MIGHT aleviate a little but it's not going to be the solution.  You need to learn to land softly.  That's the same thing with barefoot running.  It's not running without shoes would help you but what running without shoes would teach you to do that would help and that is to land softly.  Many people misunderstood it and they focused merely the superficial side of it--running barefoot--and had gotten injured.  I see so many YouTube footage of some young idiot filming themselves running barefoot and still landing on their heel.  On the other hand, I have seen a clip, I believe it's a part of the original Leiberman research, of a runner running "correctly" with shoes.  I don't run barefoot but I do run in minimalistic shoes.  I've been running nearly 40 years now, mostly on roads, many years of 100MPW, and I'm waiting for the time when my knees gave in and I can't run any more.  At the age of 52 (almost), it hasn't happened yet and I don't think it's happening any time soon.

                     

                    Don't get me wrong either.  I love running on dirt path and some rugged cross countries.  I like it because it strengthens my legs better (and more fun).  But the fact that it's strengthening my legs means that I'm using all those small muscle groups in my legs more by running on softer ground simply because it's not as sturdy.  And that means, if your legs are not toned yet, the chance of getting injured actually goes UP by running on softer ground.  Don't be fooled by the sound of it--running on the softer surface is kinder to your knees.  When you are starting out to run, it is safer actually to run on sturdy surface, such as road or track.  If your knees get sore from running 15 minutes on the road, that most probably means your running form sucks and you should work on that first. 

                     

                    You know those Masai shoes or now even Sketcher has them too--the one with the round bottom.  Or those hip shape up shoes with a couple of pointy round areas on the bottom of the shoes.  Yeah, the commercial looks good because all they show is nice shapely butts.  They'll tone your hips alright....if you don't get injured first!!  I always thought about that until actually a physical therapist told me that so many people actually got hurt by wearing those shoes.  15-year-old kid can wear those with no problem.  If you're 15 and have a problem wearing those shoes, you really have an issue. 

                    daisymae25


                    Squidward Bike Rider

                      What helped me build a base was increasing only once every 3 weeks, per Pfitzinger...when you do increase, don't do it by more than 10%, and hold that mileage for 2-3 weeks.

                       

                      http://pfitzinger.com/labreports/safeincreasing.shtml

                         Don't be fooled by the sound of it--running on the softer surface is kinder to your knees.  When you are starting out to run, it is safer actually to run on sturdy surface, such as road or track.  If your knees get sore from running 15 minutes on the road, that most probably means your running form sucks and you should work on that first. 

                         

                         I have been wondering about this: I run on sidewalks, and have found the sections that are grass much harder to run on than the brick/cement/asphalt surfaces. It has only been in the last couple of weeks that the grass sections do not feel like they sucking the energy out of my legs!

                         

                        Thanks for everyones input: what I have taken away from all this information is the most important thing is to keep running, (obviously not while injured) it is ok to cut the distance back, add more easy short runs to the mix, basically just keep building mileage slowly and do not rush.

                         

                        To be honest some of the posts have got rather geeky for me... I can have some serious geeky tendencies I am just not there with running yet..... What I am enjoying about running is that I can pull on some clothes step out of the house with my dog and go for run, no planning, no equipment, no wasted gym membership etc. I think it is why I have been able to stick at, I am self employed with no regular schedule, so making a gym work has always been a challenge and a waste of money. But I can come home at 6pm and still fit a run in, downside being that when the weather is horrid there are no runs. Because of my odd schedule it is not possible to become obsessed about running, some days I can work 12-14 hours to get a job done. I am cake designer and those hours are all on my feet and after a long day the last thing I am up for is a run. 

                           I am cake designer... 

                           

                          This is cool! I think maybe I need to get into a new line of work Smile

                            I think it's hard for one mind to equally focus on a) building up fitness and b) preventing injuries (also, "preventing injuries" seems to be the primary goal in the thread title).  You have to get a hurt a little, like that saying about making an omelet.  How do you know what will really hurts you, unless you're willing to be a little hurt. How do you learn that? By running more and, occasionally, harder, accepting the possibility that you're going to get a little hurt. 

                            "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

                              I think it's hard for one mind to equally focus on a) building up fitness and b) preventing injuries (also, "preventing injuries" seems to be the primary goal in the thread title).  You have to get a hurt a little, like that saying about making an omelet.  How do you know what will really hurts you, unless you're willing to be a little hurt. How do you learn that? By running more and, occasionally, harder, accepting the possibility that you're going to get a little hurt. 

                               

                              I'm living my life by a very old adage:

                              No pain, no gain (or sometimes quoted as no pain, no game!)

                              Never forget the man who mistook his wife for a hat!

                              Ποτέ δεν ξεχνά τον άνθρωπο που μπέρδεψε τη γυναίκα του για ένα καπέλο!

                                Yes, but, that's a little different from what I was getting at.  I don't think pain is some kind of goal or indicator of good training. I just meant that you can't equally focus on injury prevention and building running fitness. 

                                "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

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