Have a running injury? If you don’t now, you probably soon will unless you know how to prevent common running injuries. No runner wants to be sidelined but, unfortunately a lot of runners (myself included) don’t do all the little things they know they should to prevent injuries before they happen. Run It Wednesday to the rescue with common running related injuries and how to prevent them.
Since I’m now in the over 40 crowd, I’m tackling how to stay injury free as you age up. The fact I haven’t had a significant injury in a very long time is not by chance. I take injury prevention seriously and, the older I get the more I need to do.
Here is my best advice for staving off injuries as you move toward 40 and beyond:
TAKE CROSS TRAINING SERIOUSLY
Basically, don’t half ass your strength days or anything else you do that isn’t running. A lot of common running related injuries are due to the normal imbalances of your body and, unless you strengthen those unbalanced weaknesses, they will break down. Yes, they will.
There are tons of YouTube videos, articles and Pinterest posts on how to spend as little as 10 minutes a day doing some basic strength training. This is hands-down the best way I know to avoid the physical therapist.
FINE TUNE EVERY DAY
What I mean by “fine tune” is dynamic warm-ups before your runs and stretching and foam rolling afterward. I’m not saying I do these things all the time however, I feel a lot better when I do.
When I was training for two marathons in one year in 2015, I was religious about stretching and foam rolling every night. It resulted in feeling good on race day and sweet and shiny new PR!
I have since fallen off the wagon with this and my body feels it. I have vowed to get back to my nightly routine so I can feel less like the tin man on my long runs.
EAT WELL AND REST
Out of all of these tips, this may be the hardest for some. I tell people all the time – my abs and arms are made in the kitchen! I love to eat healthy, nutritional foods that nourish my body but I also like to indulge. Nothing is off the table (get it?) as far as my diet but I can tell you I pack in protein with every single meal, eat healthy carbs and healthy fats.
I also take my resting very seriously. This is one of my favorite quotes:
And if you need motivation for resting like it’s your job, check out some of the #RestDayBrags on Instagram or Twitter and join in bragging about being lazy AF because you’ve earned it!
TRY A TRIATHLON (OR AT LEAST SWIMMING AND CYCLING)
I know what you’re going to say – – “I can’t swim!” Well, I couldn’t swim either and was actually terrified of open water swimming about 7 years ago and now I’m competing in triathlon national championships. Not only has my swimming and cycling improved my mental game and increased my confidence, it has given me tremendous endurance and power on the run.
I’ve become a much better runner since I started regularly swimming and cycling.
Another great advantage of being in the pool is the ability to do pool runs. Although they can be fantastically boring without a waterproof iPod, they are very effective and can keep you in running condition while you’re injured. Elites substitute land running for pool running all the time when trying to manage an injury so learn from them and do some wet miles!
Cycling is a obviously a lot easier than swimming, even if you don’t have a bike. Go to your local gym and take a spin class once or twice a week or see if you can borrow a bike from someone with a similar body type. Cycling gives your body a break from pounding the pavement while giving your legs an incredible workout and building strength and endurance.
MORE INJURY PREVENTION POSTS!
Just because you’re not as old as I am does not mean you will be spared from any number of running related injuries. Sorry. Here are some great posts from some of the most knowledgeable women runners I know, most of whom have suffered through these injuries and can now bestow their wisdom onto you. Take heed!
SARAH | RUN FAR GIRL
CARLY | FINE FIT DAY
ANGELA | HAPPY FIT MAMA
NELLIE | BROOKLYN ACTIVE MAMA
LAURA | THIS RUNNER’S RECIPES
[Tweet “Got #running #injuires? Us too! Here’s how to recover from the most common ones! #RunIt”]
Have you been injured lately?
Have you ever had one of these injuries? How did you overcome it?
Are you an over 40 runner? If so, how do you prevent injuries?
HOLY MOLY THAT CORBITT QUOTE!
That’s 100% why I decided to not even attempt the galloway method for my marathon when, last minute, it seemed like a REALLY smart idea (mainly because Id finish faster).
Life had conspired to snag my slumber and I worried Id hurt myself and end up slower as a result.
Hello 48.
More rest.
Less movement.
Happier Carla
You seem to be making a lot of very grown-up and good decisions! I want to be like you someday 🙂 LOL!
I’ve had all sorts of injuries as a runner, and it is one of the reasons that I am so diligent as a coach and trainer to work with my clients on corrective exercise and injury prevention.
I might be looking at a non-running injury, though, for a story that will be on the blog tomorrow!
Oh boy! I hope it’s nothing too serious!? I’ll be waiting to read all about it!
Can you see that my hand is held high? I’d really love that it wasn’t. As I’m dealing with this current pre stress fracture injury, I’m finding out more about my body. Like maybe it isn’t my wonky feet that are the root of all my injuries. Maybe it’s more cervical. Yippee. Anyway, I’m following your tips closely because this is my last year in my 30s. I want to be just like you so maybe I need to freakin’ learn how to swim properly already. There you go again. Raising me up. 🙂
I know! You have had a ridiculously hard time my friend and it just sucks. I promise you, if you spend some time in the pool and maybe even just try a sprint triathlon…you just may love it. It would definitely be something different that wouldn’t require a lot of running so you could heal your foot and boost your fitness at the same time!
I love all this advice, because it is so sane and practical. No magic bullets. One of my biggest goals in running is to still be running at age 65 and beyond – so I take my rest days, nutrition, and cross-training seriously. I swear doing Pilates even before I started running minimized the number of injuries I’ve had.
YES! I wanted to write something like “there’s nothing fancy, no magic bullet and nothing glamorous about running for 17 years!” It’s really all the boring, basic stuff that makes the success!
I should swim. I really should. Everyone tells me I should. But I don’t like it!!!
Wahhhhhh….
You know what Wendy? If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Life is too damn short to do things you don’t like if you really don’t have to. I want to reverse my advice to you and say – DON’T SWIM!!!
🙂
I’m currently doing Jordan Metzl’s IronStrength workout for runners two days a week. Plus foam rolling and stretching every night. For a long while (after my daughter was born) I was injured constantly, one thing after another. Now it’s been an injury free year (!!!!) so I can definitely say his routine works.
I absolutely LOVE his workouts! I was doing them weekly during that year of the double marathons as well and now, I only do them once and a while, but they rock! Keep it up mama!!
I find that I’m super motivated to do all the “right things” early on in a marathon training cycle, but by the end of it (you know, when it really counts), I’m over it. Womp womp.
That is funny because I usually don’t start until something hurts 🙂
I don’t get injured running (like, ever!) but I do get injured doing other things. Like, I overdid single leg dead lifts yesterday and now my right butt cheek is killing me. I’d love to see what you eat in a day, or even as a sample of a couple of meals. I feel like you’d be someone I could relate to, more because you’re focused on the actual physiology of fueling your body and not so much the fancy foo foo plate presentations of meals that I’d never find the ingredients for.
I think you seriously have like perfect biomechanics. Your running form must have been flawless from birth. It’s truly amazing but hysterical how you “hurt” yourself in other ways 🙂
As for my diet? You are right on! Today I had oatmeal with peanut butter and fruit for breakfast, two eggs with peppers, goat cheese and spinach on half a whole wheat bagel for lunch and for dinner I will most likely have grilled shrimp tortillas with avocado. #boring
That doesn’t sound boring at all! It’s perfect.
yup of course you nailed it, again! i always love these posts because i feel like they are my lifeline. i don’t need to think about anything, i’ll just follow your ideas and tips.
strength training is the key, i’m convinced of it FINALLY… just 2 ironman and 4 half ironman later… wtf, i’m a really slow learner.
I was also a slow learner and didn’t really strength train on the regular until a few years ago.
omg that rest day brags IG account is EVERYTHING such a fresh breath of air instead of being bombarded all the time on the internet by new PRs, long runs etc. rest days are SO important! I learned that a very long time ago 🙂 I love cross training and finding new ways to move my body.
I know!!! I LOVE it and frequently check it to see how lazy we can get 🙂 I want to see a Nellie post on there soon!!
You’re so right- it takes a lot of planning and being very intentional about caring for your body to avoid injury. I think past injuries also taught me how to listen to my body and better understand what aches/pains are normal and which are warning flags.
I was just promising myself this week that I need to get better at dynamic warm ups, thanks for the reminder!!
Ahhhh – injuries are the worst! My husband has been suffering injuries left and right for the last few years. We finally solved the plantar fasciitis with custom inserts only to have him not wear them for one softball game and now he has a stress fracture in his heel….it’s horrible! I’m on the other end dealing with a runner who can’t run and it’s hard to be positive some days. We’re all about prevention in our house!
Oh no!! That is truly awful and yes, prevention is key! This is why sometimes I’m happy my husband doesn’t run 🙂
You do some massage that can help in strengthening muscles and joints specially when doing physical activities such as this.
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