8 WEEKS TO GO
MANAGE YOUR
INJURIES
DON’T IGNORE INJURIES
Injuries often get worse if you
continue to ignore them. If you’ve got
a niggle, don’t ignore it.
ITB SYNDROME
One of the most common and
frustrating of all running injuries.
How to spot the early signs.
TREADMILL FAILS
Treadmills are great if used properly
- but dangerous if you mess about on
them. Here are some great treadmill
fails.
Aim of the week
A few years ago, I was invited to attend a 10 mile
training run for a well-known charity, to help
prepare runners for an upcoming half marathon.
Afterwards, I stayed behind to help answer a
few questions that runner had about training
and injuries.
When it came to questions about injuries
and how long you should rest if you had a
niggle, it amazed me how many runners
tried to haggle with me over the length
of time I suggested they rest for if they
were nursing a sore muscle or joint.
You can’t negotiate with your
ailments.
If you are currently carrying an injury, however minor, and aren’t comfortable running,
do yourself a big favour and rest up.
You still have plenty time to get your fitness back on track and continuing to run on a
painful knee, ankle, hip or foot is highly likely to only make it worse and very possibly
ruin your chances of racing in 8 weeks’ time.
So, aim of the week this week is two-fold.
1. You should be able to comfortably run 5-6 miles by now, preferably more,
so this is a good chance to practise drinking whilst you run. Some find it
difficult, so on you next big run take a specialist running bottle with you and
practise taking some slurps – you’ll have to do it on race day, so get used to
it now.
2. If you have an injury DON’T MAKE IT WORSE. If it needs rest, then rest.
Cross train /swim / bike I don’t care, just don’t mess things up now – you’ve
come too far into your training now to make a stupid mistake and ruin your
chances of enjoying your half marathon by hobbling around the course.
Injury of the week - Illio-tibial band friction syndrome
The “ITB”is a non elastic cord originating from just
below the pelvis, to below the outside of the knee.
If this band becomes excessively tight, it can cause
friction on the outside of the knee and even in
the hip joint causing a great deal of discomfort.
Pain is usually experienced on the outside of
the knee when it is flexed and is sore to touch.
Symptoms
•
•
•
•
Discomfort on the outside of the
knee or hip
A “clicking” sensation on knee
flexion on the outside of the
knee as the tendon rubs
against bone.
Pain in the knee or hip
when attempting to walk
downstairs and sometimes when sitting down in a low chair.
Sudden onset of pain after several miles into a run.
Causes
There are a number of causes for ITB syndrome and it can affect any runner regardless
of sex, age or fitness levels. The main causes include:
• Running on a cambered or uneven surface
• Upping your running mileage too quickly
• Increasing the intensity of your runs
• Incorrect running shoes for your gait
• Muscular imbalance in the leg muscles
Treatment
If you are unfortunate enough to experience the symptoms of ITB syndrome the
first thing you must do is follow the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol,
especially with the application of ice to help reduce inflammation.
Whilst you are living with the injury and running is not possible, you may find that other
forms of aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling and rowing may be possible to do
without pain. If this is the case, substitute your running for one of these to keep your
fitness levels up.
Nutrition tip of the week
Go Nuts for nuts
Knowing what to snack on in-between meals
is always something that runners often get
confused about.
Should snacks be packed full of
carbohydrates, rich in protein, low in fat or
all three?
There isn’t really a “one size fits all”
answer as everyone has different
nutritional requirements.
Whereas some runners may benefit
from snacking on additional
carbohydrate rich snacks following
a hard training sessions, others
may actually benefit more from protein dense foods to help rebuild the body.
There is one snack however, which all runners could do with munching on in between
meals and it may surprise you.
Nuts, although fairly high in fat, are fantastic snacks packed full with nutrients such
as protein, beneficial unsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals and generally pack a
nutritional punch way above their weight.
So next time you go shopping, put Almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts to the top of your
shopping list and have small helping of them once or twice a day.
Nutritional highlights of nuts:
High in Zinc - great for the immune system
High in Calcium - essential for the health and function of your bones and
muscles
High in magnesium and potassium - can help to prevent muscle cramps
High in unsaturated fat - helping to reduce inflammation and boost energy
levels
Video of the week - Treadmill Fails
When the weather gets bad, training inside on a treadmill often seems like a very good
idea.
Although, you should not rely on the treadmill as a platform for all your training
runs, I’m actually a big fan of them every now and again when you’re training for an
endurance event.
The soft “runway” and the ease at which you can alter your training intensity can actually
be a very effective way of training - particularly for hill and interval training. Of course,
it can never replace the road where you should be doing the overwhelming majority of
your training, but every once in a while the treadmill serves a purpose.
They are not without their dangers though.
A belt speeding along at 7-8 mph might not sound particularly dangerous, but if you lose
your footing and end up falling over, it can be a pretty painful experience – and highly
embarrassing one if you’re training at the gym.
With that in mind, click on the video above and see just what can happen if you don’t
take care (or you mess about) on the treadmill.