“Imagine you had to wait for your car’s engine to blow up to know when you should add oil”( Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett). As runners, we have the ability to push past the pain and dive into a deeper space for the sake of stepping across that finish line. However, when our body gives us the red flag of pain ( the engine blowing up) that seems to be the first instance of maintenance taken. By practicing these 5 preventative steps, we can not only maintain our best running health but also improve our overall performance and avoid that red flag, season-ending moment. Without further ado, here are 5 ways to help you have an injury-free running season!
These 5 Steps Are:
- Mobilizing
- The Warmup
- Practice Running Form Drills
- Cool Down
- Education
Mobilizing: Preparing/ Restoring Tissue and Joint Health
While running, we should be free of any hot spots of pain. Our tissues should be sliding surfaces that allow our joints, such as ankle and knee, to move at a full range of motion with 0 pain or restriction.
“ By freeing up the movement potential of our joints, we can improve the functional mobility, allowing us to move in more ranges of motion.” (The Running Revolution, Nicholas Romanov).
For example, if we spend the majority of your day sitting, the front of our hips can become tight and will conform to this new “normal” closed position. They will be unable to fully open and stabilize movement during a run and our body will compensate for stability from other muscles not intended for that movement or longevity of motion = injury.
Every workout/run should begin and end with mobility work in order to prepare the tissue for movement and starve off possible injuries.. This can be performed by “smashing” of the tissue, working out the restrictions aka knots by use of a lacrosse ball, or a firm foam roller. Another method includes banded distractions. By using a jump stretch band we distract the joint into its proper position. We then create a movement around the joint to ensure the surrounding tissue is able to freely move to promote injury-free running.
Our tissues move in the direction of where the joints tell them to go, like cars are to roads. By getting the joints open and moving correctly, connective tissue and muscles will work more efficiently aiding in improved movement patterns. Runners should spend 5-10 minutes mobilizing the tissues and joints of the lower body before and after each workout. For information on how to implement this practice check out Kelly Starret’s The Ready State or his free videos on his Youtube channel.
The Warmup
A proper warmup should comprise 10-15 minutes of pulmonary exercises such as jump roping, breathing drills, agility drills, and/or any activity that raises the temperature of our body. By adding a jump rope warm-up, not only can we increase tissue temperature but also add focus to footwork by means of strengthening our feet (try barefoot), and preparing the tendon and tissues in our ankle for movement. For example, jump rope drill warmup check out my video Tabata Running Jump Rope Drills.
The Cool Down
This step is more so about increasing productivity in the following workout by improving the process in which our body recovers. By allowing our body heat to gradually reduce, as well as increasing the removal rate of lactic acid from our muscles, we can approach our next run or workout quicker and better. Recovery can be enhanced by walking after running, jumping on the bike (road or stationary) until normal breathing is regained, and/or performing bodyweight movements such as slow lunges, or leg circles following the conclusion of the running workout. All this would be followed by tissue work/mobility, discussed above to aid in tissue repair. Allowing your muscles and joints to cool down slowly will set you up for injury-free running the next time you head out!
PRACTICING FORM DRILLS
Like other sports, there are certain positions and form to running that aid in injury prevention. I’m here to say that there is no magic shoe or compression sock that will do the same. As runners, it is our responsibility to perform daily maintenance on ourselves by tissue work (mobility) as well as performance work (not just mileage or speed work). By performing foot placement, foot movement, and body awareness drills you will enhance the overall quality of movement thus reducing injuries common to runners that lead to knee injuries, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis. All of these can be prevented by movement perception and proper movement practice. Maintaining good form throughout your runs will minimize the damage that comes naturally from impact and will support consistent, injury-free running. Find more about this forming method at the homepage of Pose Method.
EDUCATION
As previously mentioned, it’s our responsibility, as athletes, to perform daily maintenance on our bodies. By searching out highly educated sources we can prevent injuries by putting the knowledge of those who see holes in injuries and performance, into our software (brain) and apply it to our hardware (body). Reputable sources include:
- The Foot Collective
- Nicholas Romanov’s The Running Revolution
- Kelly Starrett’s Ready To Run
- Brian Mackenzie’s Unbreakable Runner & Power, Speed, and Endurance
- Jay Dicharry’s Running Rewired
By applying these 5 steps to your run training we can enhance our overall performance and most importantly stay a step ahead of those injuries that keep us off the roads and trails that we love. We have only one body, why not treat it the way it’s deserved. To keep reading, check out another article related to fitness, Is Your Fitness Routine Broken? Tips To Reset When Exercising Feels Harder Than Ever.
