Running injuries
Training hard for your first marathon? experts reveal how to sidestep the most common problems and stay injury-free while you prepare for the big race.
IF, like me, you are training for your first marathon, or are one of the many people who have recently taken up running, you will be obsessing about injuries – or rather, how to avoid them. Faced with various aches and pains and with no idea how to address them, I asked a range of experts for their advice. Paul Hobrough, chartered physiotherapist
“My ethos has always been prehab rather than rehab. Coming in at an early stage is far better than when you are actually injured, but it’s not as good as seeing a physio straight away when you decide to run a marathon.
“You would struggle to get most people who didn’t want to run a marathon to balance for 20 seconds on one leg. If you get them to do something functionally close to running, such as a single leg squat, you will notice their knees deviating and hips swinging out laterally. These tests show me that this person isn’t running 42km without having a lower leg injury.
“The minute that you feel a slight niggle, speak to somebody. It makes no sense trying to run it off. There is no heroism involved.” Liz Yelling, Olympic marathon runner and Commonwealth Games medallist
“I make sure that injury prevention is as much a part of my plan as the hard training. This includes a small amount of time spent stretching after each run, plus core stability and conditioning work, focusing on my personal weaknesses.
“I also have regular massage and physio checks to work on any tight areas that could cause a problem. This is supported by good nutrition and hydration, which help the body to recover faster.” Phoebe Thomas, running coach
“If there was just one muscle group I would encourage you to target, it is your glutes. This large set of muscles plays a huge role in stabilising each stride you take. They reduce rotation in the pelvic and hip area and assist in lower limb stability.
“The one-leg squat is an ideal exercise to strengthen the glutes: any overpronation will be reduced and you are less likely to suffer from the common running injuries that occur due to other muscles working in the wrong way.” Wayne Edwards, musculoskeletal podiatrist
“People have a wide variety of foot shapes. Low-arched mobile feet need more support from the shoe. Average-arched feet can be accommodated in most neutral shoe designs. High-arched feet benefit from cushioning. We recommend that people go to a specialist running shop and have video gait analysis to work out the right shoe for them.” Mhairi Keil, performance nutritionist for the English Institute of Sport
”Paying attention to the nutrients you are consuming is key for minimising injury. Correct nutrition will enhance muscular performance, optimise recovery, and support the immune system.
“Muscle damage caused during training will impact on subsequent sessions and failure to repair the tissue can accumulate, resulting in a greater muscle injury. Risk of injury is increased when muscles are fatigued, so pay attention to fuelling-up strategies and energy provision during long or intense runs.” Dean Karnazes, author of ‘Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters & Bliss’
“If there is time to work on your style, avoid landing on your heel and rolling to your toe. Shorten your stride and land midfoot with quicker foot turnover. Studies show Dr Rod Jaques, director of medical services at the English Institute of Sport
“There is no golden recipe: it is very idiosyncratic and depends on your own training base. When you get up to a reasonable level of fitness you should periodise your training so that you have hard weeks followed by easy weeks. This provides an opportunity for your bone and soft tissues to recover.
“You have to do at least three runs in excess of 24km in the lead up to the marathon. On the day you will do 42km, but there is evidence that if you train between two-anda-half to three-and-a-half hours, you’re going to be able to make four or four and a half hours.
“Taper training prior to the race then do not run for seven days beforehand to allow your glycogen stores to build up to maximum levels. There is no point entering the race with slight aches. You really need to be absolutely fresh because it’s going to be a very hard day.” Adharanand Finn, a marathon runner who spent a year in Kenya training with elite runners
“The best thing that we can learn from Kenyans about preventing injuries is not to be afraid to skip a training session if you’re tired. Their mantra is ‘listen to your body’. One of the top coaches in Kenya told me that because it can be hard to get decent treatment for injuries they are more careful not to overdo things. ‘We ride close to the edge here,’ he says, ‘but, when we get too close, we have to pull back. – Guardian News & Media