TRAININGZONE
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a s s o c i a t i o n
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Run
Three Ways to Run
When You’re Injured
Photo Triathlon.org / Delly Carr, Getty Images
Whether you’re injured or you just want to boost your base
running fitness, these three pain-free options could help
Meet the
expert
Garth Fox
Fox is a triathlete and cyclist, with a Masters
degree in sports science
Here’s a conundrum for you to ponder:
running fast on Tarmac with tired legs
helps you to win triathlons, so you need to
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do plenty of it in your training, yet there are
few things in the sport that are more likely
to inflame old niggles or generate new
ones. So in order to train well you need to
put yourself at risk of injury – it’s a tricky
balance to get right.
Research clearly shows that increasing
the amount you run makes you a better
runner but also ups your chances of picking
up an injury. So the real crux here is how to
add more running volume and at the sort of
speeds that will give you the performance
you want, while avoiding injury – or even
while carrying one.
The answer could be in the latest
equipment and techniques. The likes of
5,000m World Champion Mo Farah are
making time in their schedules to run on
underwater treadmills, while Paula
Radcliffe made it to the Beijing Olympics
thanks to technology that let her train while
only supporting half her bodyweight.
Run injury
HYDROWORX
X80
The X80 is essentially a portable
underwater treadmill. Being underwater
means your bodyweight is supported, which
reduces ground impact forces. US Olympian
and Oregon Project distance running star
Gaylan Rupp says: “It is a huge advantage
having a Hydroworx treadmill to use at
home in Portland, and to be able to run on it
when we are away at training camps is
awesome.” The water itself provides some
resistance to the running action, but there is
also the option of an additional water jet
which enhances the cross-training benefit as
well as doubling up as a hydromassage hose.
Rupp frequently uses the Hydroworx as a
recovery tool and also as a means of building
specific lower limb strength: “I always run
barefoot on the X80, and I believe that this
has really helped the muscles in my feet to
develop and become stronger. I have been
very healthy since training regularly on the
Hydroworx, and I don’t think this is a
coincidence. I feel it allows me to recover
better from hard workouts and there is
definitely something therapeutic about
being in the water. Since the pressure of the
water is greater the deeper you go, the
pressure at the bottom of the pool near your
feet helps flush your legs out by increasing
circulation. It also allows me to do more
miles and increase my training load while
not increasing the risk of injury.”
There has been demand from some of the
best runners in the world, including Mo
Farah. He says: “Training on the underwater
treadmill means you can run extra miles
without the same injury risk as running
outside. If you feel any niggles or if you’ve
clocked up more than 100 miles in a week,
you can add a few extra miles on the side.”
For more, see hydroworx.com.
ALTERG
TREADMILL
The AlterG treadmill (alter-g.com)
was first designed with NASA
astronauts in mind. It provides precise
unweighting of the user in increments
of 1% of bodyweight. This means you
can dial in the level of unweighting you
want, from 100% to just 20% of your
bodyweight. Then you just run as you
normally would on any treadmill. The
‘lift’ is achieved by using air in a
pressure-controlled chamber formed
around the user’s midriff, thanks to a
specially designed pair of shorts.
The ability to run while partially
unweighted reduces ground impact
shock, as with aqua jogging, but it’s the
precise calibration of unweighting that
makes the AlterG such an efficient tool
in progressing an athlete back to full
fitness. It has been embraced by British
pro triathlete Dion Harrison because of
the rapid rehabilitation potential it
allows: “In August 2011 I began to use
the AlterG as a rehabilitation tool for an
Achilles injury. It has enabled me to start
running again, which has been a hugely
beneficial part of the rehabilitation
process. I started running at 60% of
bodyweight and initially just focused on
being pain-free. From there, I built it up
over 10 weeks to a point where I’m now
running 120km a week at 87% body
weight and averaging 17kph.”
The number of units available for
public hire is small, but that will change.
It may not be too long before you are
zipping yourself in, dialling up your
optimal training weight and getting
down to some unweighted interval
training knowing that the chances of
soft tissue injury are minimal.
AQUA
JOGGING
If you can’t wait for the X80 or AlterG to
become freely available, you may want to
consider a cheaper and more accessible
alternative like aqua jogging. It involves
performing the action of running while
submerged up to the shoulders in water and
is sometimes called deep water running. All
you need is a pool with a deep end and a
specially adapted flotation belt, which helps
to maintain the upright position you need in
the water (such as the the Speedo Aqua Belt,
store.speedo.co.uk). Accessories such as
webbed gloves and shoes can also improve
the efficiency of the session. The low impact
nature of this technique allows you to ‘run’
for hours, even when injured. That means
that when you do return from injury, the
level of specificity inherent in your choice of
rehabilitation will mean that you will be
back up to speed in a fraction of the time.
The 2011 British Age Group Sprint
Champion Keith Mahon believes that aqua
jogging helps him to consistently record the
fastest run splits in his category: “I’m in the
50-54 age category, so the run miles can
take a toll on my legs. I add aqua jogging
onto the end of swim sessions and it’s a
great way of adding extra run time without
strain on the joints. When the dreaded injury
does strike and you can’t run for real, most
injuries can cope with aqua jogging. I had a
muscle tear in 2011 just before the start of
the season and was unable to run for several
weeks. I did a lot of these sessions while
I was injured and I credit this with my
being able to race well in May without
too much impact on my run split.”
In fact, the movement patterns of this
technique so closely replicate those of
running that it can be used to increase
the volume of base conditioning work.
It’s a great way to boost your running
mileage without wrecking your legs.
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