Running: You Need to Be More Prepared Than You Think
How running should be thought about, and what you can do to prevent injuries
I never was a big sports person. I was happier in the stand clapping for my sister, my book on my lap. But when I started running, it was instant love.
I loved everything about it.
I loved how it required almost no material and no preparation. How I could grab my shoes, leave my house, and just run.
I loved the places running took me, I loved being able to go for runs in the forest every day, how it made me connect with nature all over again.
I loved making up a playlist for my runs, I loved the fast music that I could listen to in no other circumstances, the aggressive beats that made me want to go faster, longer.
I loved that it was such a personal time. I was by myself, I could go as long or as short as I wanted. No one was talking to me, no one was watching me.
I loved the effort. The physical pain to go through, the sweat in my back, the burning in my legs.
I loved to watch my performances improve. I could go longer, faster, easier.
I loved the relief at the end of a good run. The quiet feeling of welcomed exhaustion. Peace and muscle ache.
I loved it all and loved it so much that it’s been 7 months that I’m grounded, not allowed to run anymore, and obliged to do daily reeducation exercises.
I loved it so much that it broke me.
And worse of all, I love it so much that I want to go back, no matter what I’m going through because of it, no matter the pain, I want it all back. The quiet time, the even breathing, the cold air in my lungs, the burning in my legs, the relief.
Running seems easy. It seems like anyone can do it anywhere.
I’m here to tell you how incredibly wrong those ideas are. I’m here to tell you to run, please, RUN, but do it in a conscious way, do it with all it entails, do it seriously.
Don’t skip the warm-up
I remember my glorious running days. Putting my technical clothes on top of each other, lacing up my Asics, going down my three flights of stairs, and running right out of the door. I had a huge park 2 minutes from my house, and I would run down 100 stairs to get there, already excited. First mistake.
The ideal warm-up should be about half the time you intend to be running
“Runners usually start running right outside of their houses, without any warmups. That’s a BIG mistake. They should warm-up every time they go for a run, and it should be at least 10 minutes. The ideal warm-up should be about half the time you intend to be running. But hardly anyone takes the time for that” observes Florie Sansen, physiotherapist.
You also need to be conscious about where you are at in terms of physical form, and in terms of running practice. You won’t need the same warm-up, and you won’t be able to achieve the same performance if you are a newbie or a veteran runner.
“The most common running injuries that we treat are iliotibial band strains, patellofemoral injuries (knees and knee caps), lower back pain, and interestingly upper back or neck pain as well” explain the women at Sharne Raath Biokinetics. “These particular injuries are due to repetitive movement and compensatory patterns that create a breakdown of efficient biomechanics. An overload and over-pressurization on areas of the moving body that create an irritation to movement and manifests as an injury. This is particularly apparent in novice runners/athletes embarking on either a new sport or a new volume of activity (too much too soon) or compromised posture and/or incorrect technique”.
Don’t be cheap
Like every runner out there, I started with the first price shoes and old washed up t-shirts, not willing to invest in anything before I was sure I liked it. Not the best bet. Running doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Sure you can have the phone holding thing, the neo-t-shirt, the technical leggings worth a fortune at Nike, but all of this is superfluous. What you REALLY need though, is a very good pair of shoes. Don’t be cheap. It will save you.
The shocks of running go directly into your knees, into your spine. You need shoes to absorb some of it
“Invest in shoes. Amortization is essential, no matter what kind of ground you are running on. Running is a very violent sport for your body. The shocks of running go directly into your knees, into your spine. You need shoes to absorb some of it. You need to have a very good posture while you run, back straight, not leaning on one side or the other. Good shoes will help you with that. And if you have some balance or posture problem, go the extra mile and go for orthopedic insoles to rectify it” advises Florie.
After the first couple of months running with cheap, weak shoes, I decided that if I wanted to be serious, I needed to invest. I went for the Asics one, better shaped for my feet. I asked for the advice of the salesman, regarding how often and how long I was running, and on what kind of ground. It was a game-changer. The comfort of real, specialized shoes is really something that changed my running experience.
Be regular, and don’t skip rest days
Like every runner out there, I developed some kind of minor addiction. I was running a LOT. It started with a healthy 3 times a week, for about half an hour, but very soon it developed into 10k runs 5 times a week. When I could spare time from work and social life, I was on the track. And then with all the apps, smartwatches, social networks with goals, it became a “longer, faster, more often” kind of mentality. Which is good, to a certain extent. Sport is about performing, competition, and improving. But all in a measured way.
It’s better to run 3 times a week for 20 minutes that once in a while for 1 hour
There are two extremes. The people who run too much. And, paradoxically, the people who don’t run enough.
“The problem with what I call the “Sunday runners”, is that they have no regularity and want to do too much. They will run once every three weeks but it will be 12k, without warming-up. That’s when you injure yourself” warns Florie. “It’s better to run 3 times a week for 20 minutes that once in a while for 1 hour”. Regularity is key to preventing injuries, and it’s better for your body in terms of health anyway.
And for the people like me, she tempers as well “between one and three runs a week is ideal. Preferably, you should leave a day of rest between two runs. Now, maybe you can do another sport on that day, it’s good to not always do the same effort” she says. The repetition of the same effort tends to fragilize the muscles and make them ripe for an injury. Moreover, if your body is too used to the same effort, the same cardio, it will stop improving. So whether your goal is safe training or performance improvement, rest days are a good idea. “Doing 4 to 5 times sports sessions a week is a VERY good rhythm, but not always the same, and your body needs rest”.
Now of course you will improve with time, you might switch from one category to the other, you just need to be able to place yourself and define what is good for you. “Alternating days within the week for a beginner runner automatically creates rest days between runs. The stronger one becomes the more frequently one can run. Be wise and mindful however to include rest days and alternate days to do varied activities that incorporate strength training, flexibility, and overall balancing” advice the Sharne Raath Biokinetics.
Know yourself
Now, running, like any other sport, is about listening to your body. If you feel tired, if you feel pain, do not absolutely finish your 10k. If your body is telling you it is on the verge of breaking, listen. Pushing yourself is good, until it’s not.
“You need to find what kind of ground your body prefers. Hard pavement, macadam, earth …” explains Florie. “And you need to be aware of your history. Some old injuries or weaknesses can really be heightened by running. People with fragile backs, with repeating tendonitis, need to be extra careful and extra aware. Running can be a risk” she warns.
“You need to look after the areas that receive the majority of impact and force” underline the Sharne Raath Biokinetics. “This is especially true in the case of downhill running. Think of your muscles as shock absorbers and springs. Quadriceps (thigh), the gluteal group (buttocks), hamstrings, and calves are the go-to muscles, but one may need to pay strict attention to upper body muscles as well as one’s core to ensure an effective running posture to limit the risk of injury and even to optimize one’s performance”.
You just need to listen. If your ankle feels weird, maybe skip the Wednesday run. If your left leg still feels tights, do extra warm-ups, take it easy. Your body is like a machine, it needs care, oil in the right place, it can be overrun. “Moderation is key and listening to your body is imperative” confirm the Sharne Raath Biokinetics.
My biggest advice: prepare your body
Retrospectively, this was my biggest mistake. And you don’t want to do the same. It’s been 7 months that I’ve been grounded, doing reeducation every week, strengthening my back, watching runners passing me by with jealousy in my gut.
I am, or at least I was, a pretty good runner. I had good shoes, I warmed-up (even so briefly) before going for long runs. I ran a bit too much, but I never did more than 5 times a week. And yet.
Runners need to understand that everything is connected.
All I did was run. And that was, by far, my biggest mistake.
“Runners need to understand that everything is connected. They need to do strengthening sessions on top of the runs. They need to prepare their bodies for running. Strengthening the legs, core training, are very important for a runner” explains Florie.
And that right here is the reason I’m grounded. I just ran. And did no core training. And now, my biokinetic explains to me that my legs are too strong from my lower back and back and that my spine is just weak. I’m doing strength and core exercises every day, plus 20 minutes of back stretching. It feels like I’m paying for all those stretching sessions that I’ve skipped because I didn’t have enough time. And with interest.
“Proper rest and recovery, nutrition and conditioning” list the Sharne Raath Biokinetics.“It is all this background preparation work that is key to ensure an enjoyable and long-lasting running career. Putting the right fuel in your body and allowing it to rest will aid reparation of muscle trauma, reduce inflammatory responses, and restore the body. Cross-training and conditioning are recommended as this helps to deter the risk of overuse injuries and ensure that one’s running biomechanics stay in form”.
Believe me. Stretch. Strengthen your core. Do push-ups, work on your abs, on your glutes, on your back. And THEN run.
Post-run stretches
Now, these ones I did every time. But it was more to prevent the aches the next day so that I could go run again. Not sure if it was the right mindset…
Take 5 minutes at the end of your run to stretch your legs, your arms, your buttocks. Count to 30 before releasing the stretch, at least.
“Target stretches that focus on achieving a better running posture and better freedom of movement in the hips, ankles and thoracic spine” advice the Sharne Raath Biokinetics. “Do gluteal stretches, such as figure 4, cross-over stretch or pigeon stretch. Do some thoracic mobility stretches, such as the child pose”
Here are examples of the top 3 short exercises you can do after a run:
Don’t worry, running is still good for you
Now, despite all those foreboding and warnings, don’t be fooled. Running is a great sport.
We are designed to move. Any form of exercise to the human body is positive
“Running is good for your body. It mixes cardio, strength training, it works different body parts while doing one single effort. It works a lot of muscles, it’s good for posture. The problem, like with many things, is in execs. Excess is never good. I’m not a big fan of marathon running for example. Now, a lot of people will tell you that if the body is prepared properly, it’s fine. And it probably is. But this kind of effort is not healthy for the body. Everything should be done in balance” advocates Florie.
The Sharne Raath Biokinetics agree: “We are designed to move. Any form of exercise to the human body is positive. Provided that it is done in a pain-free manner, and with relative fitness experience. A challenge is good to push physical goals, but not to overexert if there’s potential injury and fatigue”.
It’s been 7 months now that I’m in “running rehab”. I have weekly sessions with my biokinetic. I did months of physiotherapy. Every single morning I’m doing one hour of back stretches or one hour of yoga. But I’m still not fixed, and my lower back is still a mess.
And yet. When I go for walks to make my back feel more at ease, and a runner passes me by, I have nothing by jealousy for his or her morning jog. I look dreamingly at his pace and I long for the peaceful feeling of post-run exhaustion. Yes, I’m doing all of this to get better. But yes, I’m also doing all of this to be able to put my shoes on again and go for blissful mornings or late night runs. I hope I’ll make it. And I hope this was enough to make you take care of yourself and do the right things to be able to keep on running. Because there’s nothing quite as blissfully exhausting.
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Florie Sansen is a certified physiotherapist from Luxembourg. She has her own practice.
Sharne Raath Biokineticists are based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and regroups Sharne Raath, Sarit Bregman, and Gabriella Haddow.
The two professions are considered complementary and synergistic professional services to help achieve patient’s / athlete’s full return to sport, play, and activities of daily living.
Physiotherapists attend to patients’ acute pain management with initial phase rehabilitation to reduce inflammatory processes and to restore a patient/athlete’s mobility, strength, and function.
A Biokineticist works alongside a Physiotherapist to maintain functional ranges of a patient/athlete, restore and develop strength and prescribe specific exercises according to patient/athletes needs to return to full play to sport.
