By Dr. Aaron Case BSc, DC (April 2009)
This article is about a simple way to push your running limits safely by listening to the warning signs of your body that indicate specific weaknesses and pending injuries before they strike.
The Warning Signs
Following a run, how much recovery time do we need to prevent injury? For elite athletes, recovering after a run can be as little as several hours. For new runners, recovery can be a couple of days to a week.
There is no easy answer because there are many factors that influence how much time off running we each need after a run. These factors include run distance, speed, incline/decline, a runner’s size and weight, running history and age (years old and years of running), running biomechanics, shoe type and age, running surface, hydration levels, and nutrition/diet, just to name a few.
A simple way to determine how much time you need to recover after a run in order to prevent injury is to pay attention to how your body feels. The points below outlines the ‘warning signs’ you will feel, what causes them, and some solutions so you can avoid or limit injury as well as improve your running technique:
Sore or tight knees, thigh or side of upper leg/IT Band/hip
- Typical Cause: Quadriceps muscle overuse/fatigue/weakness. Quadriceps are our primary shock absorbers. Weakness/tightness of hip abductors/flexors.
- Solution: Extra day/time off from running. Limit downhill running. Squats (drop) and hp hike exercises and stretches.
Sore or tight calf muscles, achilles tendon, bottom of foot (plantar fascia)
- Typical Cause: Excessive push off at the back of your stride. Excessive forward lean of body (especially at the hips). Tight Iliopsoas (main hip flexor).
- Solution: Pick foot up quickly – LESS push off. Increase stride frequency to optimal 170-180 steps per minute regardless of speed or height. More upright running style. Stretch iliopsoas (hip flexor).
Sore or tight hamstrings (back of upper leg)
- Typical Cause: Over reaching of your leg/foot at the front of your stride or inactivity of the quadriceps or gluteal(butt) muscles during push off.
- Solution: Increase your stride frequency (as above). Strengthen hamstrings, quadricepts and gluteals to rebalance upper leg.
Sore or tight shoulders, neck or upper back
- Typical Cause: Futile attempt to get extra ‘lift’ to compensate for tight/weak quads.
- Solution: Extra time off from running. Squatting exercises and stretching for quadricepts.
Excessive arm pump
- Typical Cause: Compensating for tired/weak core muscles and/or legs.
- Solution: Extra time off from running. Strengthening and stretching of lower body and hips. Relax your hands and upper body when running
Excessive body rotation – hands cross the centre line in front of body when running
- Typical Cause: Tight hip flexors (can increase twisting motion). Fatigued/weak core muscles.
- Solution: Stretch hip flexors and planking exercises.
Takes longer to feel warmed up
- Typical Cause: Stiffness and fatigue due to overtraining/lack of recovery.
Solution: Extra day/time off. Cross training, strengthening and stretching.
