Welcome all. Here we are at week four of six in the “So you want to run” columns. Topics to date have included getting started, safe practices and a bit on biomechanics, or running form.
Now loaded with all this new information and three weeks of training under your shoes, a new found confidence is emerging. You now run early in the morning because you want to, not because you don’t want to be seen by others. You no longer care what anyone else thinks. You get all the way around the subdivision for the first time ever and you notice you’re not even winded.
You experience the first pangs of pride.
You run with a group and find you have so much fun the session is done before you want it to be. You are beginning to find running is pretty simple and pure. You can do it all by yourself, in any place and any speed is good. You really like this new sport.
The act of running has changed you and you want to do more. You want to push your limits to new heights. You are improving dramatically with every passing week and you see no reason why this won’t continue indefinitely.
Congratulations on your triumphs. There’s little to stop you now. Heck, at your present pace, you’ll soon be sparring with the likes of Usain Bolt and Paula Radcliffe.
A word of caution though. Avoid doing too much, too soon. This common method can quickly lead to the recovery couch. Injuries, as a result of over enthusiasm in early running programs, have lead to many athletes abandoning the sport out of frustration or the belief that they are just not made for running.
Not so.
Everybody can run. All you need is the desire to run and to take it easy as you develop skills and endurance in your new found passion.
It’s not impossible to avoid injury if you pay attention to the “too much, too soon” rule and remember your lessons on running form. Now that you’re aware of a realistic approach to improvement, here are a few more items to consider as you strive forward along your running path.
Buy good shoes designed for your unique gait, and change them as often as is required. Your weight, footfall and mileage will determine your shoes’ useful life. Expect around 500 kilometres, but when the soles are soft they need replacing.
It’s not impossible to avoid injury if you pay attention to the “too much, too soon” rule and remember your lessons on running form.
Always take the time to warm up and cool down. Start out very slowly for the first few minutes. By gradually activating the muscles, you will avoid undo trauma as you increase the rate of exertion. Ease off at the end, and when rested, perform those stretches I mentioned in my first column (for starters do the quads, calves, hamstrings, buttocks and hip flexors).
Take adequate time off, or easy days, to allow the muscles time to recover. Muscles only get stronger when given adequate time to repair all the micro tears that occur during a hard workout. Four-day schedules are great for beginners. Very few runners can operate safely on a seven-day program.
Take the proper steps toward improvement. There is nothing wrong with running at a base level forever. The benefits of weight control, heart health and joy of running are all realized at this stage.
But if you desire greater speed, you need to have a plan to ensure safe progress. A solid base is the foundation of every running program. Get some distance in for a few weeks before thinking about getting faster.
When you’ve gained enough endurance, you can then work on strengthening. The best way is hill repeats.
After a few weeks of strength building and base lengthening, you could finally move on to some real speed training. Workouts — like intervals, tempo and pace runs, among others — can be attempted safely with a solid base foundation and some strong walls.
If these things get your juices flowing you should consider purchasing a book on running. It would provide detail to all the above topics.
Take an extra day off when you are really tired. Your body will usually tell you when it really needs a rest. Listen well and you’ll stay off the injury couch.
Consider cross training. You really want to be active most days, but you know the pounding your body takes from running excessively could easily lead to the dreaded couch. No problem. Cycling, swimming, aerobics and lots of other activities allow you to work out hard while not pounding on your legs. They’ll make you stronger as well.
That’s the basics on running and injuries. Your tool belt is getting heavy now but the weight is gold. Follow these points and you should remain injury-free.
Next week: Part five – Preparing for an event.
Vince Perdue has been running on a regular basis for more than 30 years. He is the founder of the Sudbury Rocks Running Club and owns and operates www.sudburyrocks.ca. This is the fourth in a series of six columns.
