There you are at 11 PM looking up reasons as to why you have a suspicious twinge in your calf a couple hours after your run. I didn’t need to worry about getting injured until I limed into work for a week after an ’easy’ 12 mile run.
Why This matters#
Injuries are incredibly common in running, some studies showing up to 80% of runners get an injury each year. When they happen they can stop you in your tracks for anywhere from a couple days to weeks or months.
Injuries do happen BUT the vast majority of them, especially ones caused by overuse, are preventable.
Common Injuries#
Some of the most common injuries are:
- Achilles tendinitis
- IT band syndrome
- Shin splints
- Plantar fasciitis
- Bonus: “That mysterious ghost pain that disappears after a nap”
| Injury | Common Symptoms | Common Causes |
|---|---|---|
| Achilles tendinitis | Pain or stiffness in the back of the heel, especially in the morning or after running | Overuse, sudden increase in mileage or intensity, tight calves, improper footwear |
| IT band syndrome | Sharp or burning pain on the outside of the knee, worse going downhill or after rest | Weak hips or glutes, running on slanted surfaces, overtraining |
| Shin splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome) | Dull, aching pain along the inner shin, especially during or after exercise | Sudden increase in activity, worn-out shoes, poor running form |
| Plantar fasciitis | Stabbing heel pain, especially with the first steps in the morning | Tight calves, high arches or flat feet, worn shoes, long periods of standing |
| Bonus: “That mysterious ghost pain that disappears after a nap” | Pain that seems serious but vanishes after rest, hydration, or food | Maybe Mild fatigue, dehydration, sleep deprivation. Fixed with a nap? |
Top Injury Prevention Tips#
Don’t ramp up too fast#
Most injuries are cause by your body not yet being used to the amount of stress and strain you are putting on it. There is a general rule of not raising your weekly mileage over 10% week over week. In the beginning this feels like you are making little progress. It is not until starting to run over 25 miles a week that ramping up the next week starts to feel like you are gaining traction with the week-over-week mileage.
Warm up like you mean it#
Actually warm up! Do about 5 minutes of dynamic warm up and you should be ready to go. There are quite a few different stretches you can try out. My personal favorites are some simple easy lunges and leg swings.
Footwear matters#
Most shoes have a shorter lifetime than you would expect. Average ones are supposed to be rotated about 300 miles. After their lifetime is up they start to lose their cushion and can lead to in consistent foot layout during a run, possibly leading to injuries.
Sleep and hydration#
Not complicated but stay hydrated through out the day and go to bed at a good hour. You’ll not only feel better throughout the day but your body will have more of what it needs during and after the run. Set yourself up better and later things will be better.
Already Hurt? Recovery Tools That Actually Help Are…#
Foam Rolling: Strangely and unexpectedly works pretty well. This sometimes is really uncomfortable in the moment then minutes later you feel great
Ice & heat: There’s a reason icy hot exists. Cold and hot therapies work to relieve sore muscles. Icing around 15 to 20 minutes several times a day can lead to a much faster recovery.
Elevate: Elevating the injured part, paired with icing can help even more with recovery.
Listen to Your Body#
You might be able to run a long way, much much further than even the average runner but you can still overtrain and stop yourself from being able to run for multiple weeks.
Remember, you can’t finish the race if you can’t start it. And you can’t start it if you’re hobbling around like a baby deer on stilts.