None There are two factors that stop runners from achieving their training potential
(1) Injury
(2) Immune system breakdown In running the former is more common, from Achilles problems, shin splints, sprained ankles etc. It is important to realise what is at the root of the problem, so you don’t end up needlessly treating the problem e.g. excessive hill running can cause Achilles issues. Until your training is modified, treatment on your Achilles is only addressing the symptoms.
Training mistakes to watch out for while running
a) Running on cambered roads
b) Running in urban areas.
c) Excessive hill-running
d) Running around in circles
e) Running all the time on hard surfaces
f) Getting shoes wrong
g) Increasing mileage abruptly
h) Increasing training speed abruptly
i) Ignoring body signals
j) Doing the same old thing
The laws of running injuries:
1. Running injuries are not an Act of God
The two variable factors are
i) Environment in which you train
ii) Training methods
2. Each running injury indicates that the athlete has reached breakdown point.
3. Virtually all true running injuries are entirely curable. Only a very small fraction of true running injuries cannot be completely cured by simple techniques.
4. X-rays and other sophisticated (and expensive) investigations are seldom necessary to diagnose running injuries. Most running injuries affect soft tissues – tendons, ligaments and muscles.
5. Treat the cause, not the effect, of injury. Surgery, physiotherapy, cortisone injections, drug therapy, chiropractic manipulations and homeopathic remedies will probably fail if they do not address the genetic, environmental and training factors which have caused your injury in the first place.
6. Rest is seldom the most appropriate treatment.
7. Never accept as a final opinion, the advice of a medical or other practitioner, who does not run. He or she should be able to discuss in detail the genetic, environmental and training factors that have caused your injury. Inability to cure you should make your doctor or physiotherapist feel as bad as you do. E.g. contrast the scenario of attending a doctor/physio with a serious knee complaint and he states in a serious tone that 2 out of 5 athletes with this injury never run again. A second opinion says that 3 out of 5 athletes thoroughly heal and run again, and he wants to work closely with you to ensure that you’re 1 of the 3. Both views are giving the same statistics, but one is more positive than the other.
8. Avoid the knife!
9. There is no definitive scientific evidence that running causes osteoarthritis in runners whose knees were normal when they started running. Generally sportspeople who develop osteoarthritis have usually had previous joint surgery. This is often as a result of injuries sustained during contact sports, such as rugby.
Where do running injuries occur?
The following structures are the most often affected in running injuries, in approximately the order listed:
• Ligament to bone, or tendon to bone attachments
• Bones
• Muscles
• Tendons
• Bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs which allow free movement of tendons over bones
• Blood vessels
• Nerves
Important factors to consider when carrying an injury/illness.
Tissue healing concepts
1) Stress, infections and tissue injuries increase all nutrient needs of the body, so it is vital that an even bigger focus is on quality rather than feeling sorry for oneself, and giving in to bingeing.
2) For every 1-degree Celsius increase in body temperature, there is a 20% increase in total nutrient and energy needs. So when feeling sick, there is also a loss of appetite, but ensure you stick to regular meals every 2-3 hours.
3) Protein can’t be stored in the body, unlike fat and carbohydrates. So if you don’t provide it on a daily basis, it will draw it from muscle. This will slow down/reverse the healing process with added complications. Ensure that you have a protein rich meal after all your heavy sessions.
Psychology of Injury/Illness
The body is always in a state of flux of progress and setback, advance and retreat. If injured accept it as a natural occurrence, take advantage of it as an opportunity for reflection on yourself and your sport.
Injury not only creates physical loss but emotional turmoil, depression, anger, fear, tension, anxiety and panic. These psychophysiological responses then create more stress, which exacerbates the already existing pain.
Five stages of adjustment to injury
1) Denial: “It’s not a problem, its not that serious”
2) Anger: “Why me and not him!”
3) Pain: Intensification of pain
4) Bargaining: “If I recover I’ll never do….”
5) Acceptance: This is the stage where healing can fully occur.
Relieving the panic
When injured you have many questions
a) When will I run again?
b) Is the injury serious?
c) How will I get by?
d) Where can I get help?
e) How long will it last?
Seek out professional help, gather information and then strategise your recovery.
Injury allows time to rest and catch up on other important aspects of life that you have been neglecting. With less stress and tension the healing process is facilitated.
Visualisation and affirmations
Visualisation works because it reduces the fears and anxieties that restrict blood circulation to an injured area and delay healing e.g. imagine the blood flowing to the affected area providing the nutrients needed for improved healing.
Affirmations that could be used are:
“My injury is an opportunity for me to learn what I need to do” and “I am a strong, healthy, vibrant athlete”
When mentally injured due to burnout, take time out from the sport to recover the passion, when physically injured with cold or flu plenty of sleep, nutritious food and plenty of vitamin C (comedy)
Try not to fight, resist or force the pain. Embrace and yield to the pain. Try to understand what the pain is telling you.
Rule of Thumb: Treat any injury/illness as if you’re a-race is in ten days time. This will save time in the long run!
How much did you spend on your car in the last year?
Your body is infinitely more expensive than either of these, so always seek professional help when needed!
In running the former is more common, from Achilles problems, shin splints, sprained ankles etc. It is important to realise what is at the root of the problem, so you don’t end up needlessly treating the problem e.g. excessive hill running can cause Achilles issues. Until your training is modified, treatment on your Achilles is only addressing the symptoms.
Training mistakes to watch out for while running
a) Running on cambered roads
b) Running in urban areas.
c) Excessive hill-running
d) Running around in circles
e) Running all the time on hard surfaces
f) Getting shoes wrong
g) Increasing mileage abruptly
h) Increasing training speed abruptly
i) Ignoring body signals
j) Doing the same old thing
The laws of running injuries:
1. Running injuries are not an Act of God
The two variable factors are
i) Environment in which you train
ii) Training methods
2. Each running injury indicates that the athlete has reached breakdown point.
3. Virtually all true running injuries are entirely curable. Only a very small fraction of true running injuries cannot be completely cured by simple techniques.
4. X-rays and other sophisticated (and expensive) investigations are seldom necessary to diagnose running injuries. Most running injuries affect soft tissues – tendons, ligaments and muscles.
5. Treat the cause, not the effect, of injury. Surgery, physiotherapy, cortisone injections, drug therapy, chiropractic manipulations and homeopathic remedies will probably fail if they do not address the genetic, environmental and training factors which have caused your injury in the first place.
6. Rest is seldom the most appropriate treatment.
7. Never accept as a final opinion, the advice of a medical or other practitioner, who does not run. He or she should be able to discuss in detail the genetic, environmental and training factors that have caused your injury. Inability to cure you should make your doctor or physiotherapist feel as bad as you do. E.g. contrast the scenario of attending a doctor/physio with a serious knee complaint and he states in a serious tone that 2 out of 5 athletes with this injury never run again. A second opinion says that 3 out of 5 athletes thoroughly heal and run again, and he wants to work closely with you to ensure that you’re 1 of the 3. Both views are giving the same statistics, but one is more positive than the other.
8. Avoid the knife!
9. There is no definitive scientific evidence that running causes osteoarthritis in runners whose knees were normal when they started running. Generally sportspeople who develop osteoarthritis have usually had previous joint surgery. This is often as a result of injuries sustained during contact sports, such as rugby.
Where do running injuries occur?
The following structures are the most often affected in running injuries, in approximately the order listed:
• Ligament to bone, or tendon to bone attachments
• Bones
• Muscles
• Tendons
• Bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs which allow free movement of tendons over bones
• Blood vessels
• Nerves
Important factors to consider when carrying an injury/illness.
Tissue healing concepts
1) Stress, infections and tissue injuries increase all nutrient needs of the body, so it is vital that an even bigger focus is on quality rather than feeling sorry for oneself, and giving in to bingeing.
2) For every 1-degree Celsius increase in body temperature, there is a 20% increase in total nutrient and energy needs. So when feeling sick, there is also a loss of appetite, but ensure you stick to regular meals every 2-3 hours.
3) Protein can’t be stored in the body, unlike fat and carbohydrates. So if you don’t provide it on a daily basis, it will draw it from muscle. This will slow down/reverse the healing process with added complications. Ensure that you have a protein rich meal after all your heavy sessions.
Psychology of Injury/Illness
The body is always in a state of flux of progress and setback, advance and retreat. If injured accept it as a natural occurrence, take advantage of it as an opportunity for reflection on yourself and your sport.
Injury not only creates physical loss but emotional turmoil, depression, anger, fear, tension, anxiety and panic. These psychophysiological responses then create more stress, which exacerbates the already existing pain.
Five stages of adjustment to injury
1) Denial: “It’s not a problem, its not that serious”
2) Anger: “Why me and not him!”
3) Pain: Intensification of pain
4) Bargaining: “If I recover I’ll never do….”
5) Acceptance: This is the stage where healing can fully occur.
Relieving the panic
When injured you have many questions
a) When will I run again?
b) Is the injury serious?
c) How will I get by?
d) Where can I get help?
e) How long will it last?
Seek out professional help, gather information and then strategise your recovery.
Injury allows time to rest and catch up on other important aspects of life that you have been neglecting. With less stress and tension the healing process is facilitated.
Visualisation and affirmations
Visualisation works because it reduces the fears and anxieties that restrict blood circulation to an injured area and delay healing e.g. imagine the blood flowing to the affected area providing the nutrients needed for improved healing.
Affirmations that could be used are:
“My injury is an opportunity for me to learn what I need to do” and “I am a strong, healthy, vibrant athlete”
When mentally injured due to burnout, take time out from the sport to recover the passion, when physically injured with cold or flu plenty of sleep, nutritious food and plenty of vitamin C (comedy)
Try not to fight, resist or force the pain. Embrace and yield to the pain. Try to understand what the pain is telling you.
Rule of Thumb: Treat any injury/illness as if you’re a-race is in ten days time. This will save time in the long run!
How much did you spend on your car in the last year?
Your body is infinitely more expensive than either of these, so always seek professional help when needed!
