Listen to YOUR body!!!
I was being really creative when I finally decided what to title this post! I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m the worst listener when it comes to listening to body, especially when I’m injured. No worries, I’m not currently injured, but I’ve been there before.
Too many runners run through injuries! This is only making it worse people! What to do:
Listen to Your Body!
Sure, I can give you advice on what to do, but I’m not in your body and therefore I don’t know what the injury feels like. Like I said, I’m my own worse enemy when it comes to injury.
I receive emails and see posts all the time on FB that say (i copied these directly from FB) “my leg hurts so I did 8 miles instead of 10″ or “my achilles is killing me so I took two days off and did my long run today and now my foot is on fire”
Ask yourself: Are you hurting? tired legs? aches and pains? running not getting any easier?
For some, its simply burnout. Maybe you don’t have any injury but your workouts are definitely lacking. If you are really struggling on a long run how about a walk break after each mile? Do you vary your training with easy runs, intervals, long slow runs, and cross training? Still not feeling it…..then I would say you are clearly in need of a rest.
By the way, walking breaks in your long runs are OK! Walking allows you to stay on your feet for longer periods of time, which is the point of adding distance, and it also means you’ll have the best chance of completing the effort without overdoing it.
Have an annoying or lingering pain that is not going away? DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF FROM RUNNING! start with 3 days off then return with a short, easy run (3-4 miles). Just listen to your body and get back into it as your body allows!
And, don’t be afraid to try a new exercise. For many injuries, biking or swimming offer a great alternative. When I strained my hamstring I kept in shape with biking and swimming for 3 weeks. My running fitness was right back where I left it when I returned to running. So, don’t feel like you need to RUN to stay in RUNNING shape.
Do your legs hurt too much after a long run?
Try an ice bath within 20 minutes of finishing your long run. The theory behind ice bath is related to the fact that long duration exercise actually causes microtrauma, or tiny tears in muscle fibers. This muscle damage not only stimulates muscle cell activity and helps repair the damage and strengthen the muscles, but it is also linked with delayed onset muscle pain and soreness, which occurs between 24 and 72 hours after exercise.
The ice bath is thought to constrict blood vessels and flush waste products, like lactic acid, out of the affected tissues. Recover faster and reduce muscle pain and inflammation with an ice bath.
Or, if you’re lucky enough to live across the street from the Puget Sound (like me) then you can kick off your shoes and walk in up to your hips.
Lastly, if you are out running and suspect an injury, stop! If pain causes you to alter your form, don’t forge ahead. Compensating can do more harm or hurt other parts of your body. It’s up to you to not dismiss the signals and take appropriate action.
Also, don’t take advice from this guy: “”I’ll take it easy when I’m dead.” Spongebob Squarepants
Posted by admin | in Fitness, Marathon, Run Training, Uncategorized | 6 Comments
Great post Jill. I had one of those days yesterday where I just knew my body needed a day off. Instead, I went home, took a nap and then went to bed early and I feel great today. Recovery is the only way to get better!
Good advice! Unfortunately most runners have to learn the hard way that every injury progresses through 3 stages: Stage #1 you know it is there but it doesn’t affect your running; pain often goes away during run; Stage #2 when it starts to interfere with running, such as forcing shorter or fewer runs and Stage #3 when it is so severe you cannot run at all. If you REALLY listen to your body no injury should progress past stage 1.
Well said Bert. I agree. I think most times I’m in denial when I start feeling pain and just run through it. I learned my lesson once this way and now am sure to rest or cross train at the first sign of pain
Chuck, I had one of those days about a week ago. I stayed in bed longer than usual and hardly moved from the couch. My body thanked me the following day
Throw Sponge Bob into the ocean and then see if he takes his own advice!
Great post, Jill!
I’m wondering if anyone has advise on hamstring injury. I ran a 1/2 marathon in September, took 2-months off after the race for personal issues (and a weight gain of 10 lbs). Went back to running; I started slow with 2k runs and increased 10% a week for the last couple of months , my right hamstring gave me a niggly little pain by the end of a 10k run and now I have annoying (not debilitating) pain in both hamstrings. I was up to 16K but now find I need to stop at 10. Any ideas? I thought maybe it was the weight I gained; I’m currently 128 lbs. Also, I’ve always run in Asics since I started running 5 years ago and change them regularly with a good break-in period. I am suppose to do the Calgary Marathon at the end of May, however, I can’t seem to get past the 10k mark. I would really appreciate any advise.
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Thank you, Iris