Running is in fact one of the most popular exercises and social activities nowadays - from a fitness lifestyle to competitive running. However, with running comes the caveats of running related problems such as runner’s knee, ITB syndrome, tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and many more to mention. It is definitely important to understand and consider how these injuries came about, so we can try to avoid them as much as possible.
Running is an activity which requires a lot of repetitive movement, force production done over a long or short period of time depending on your training purpose. For sprinters, you are using more “fast-twitch” fibers which allows you to provide explosive and rapid movements at a short period of time. And “slow twitch’ muscle fibers for the endurance runners, which provide a tremendous amount of muscular endurance and longevity for your training for over long periods of training time. So, understanding which muscle fiber type you use and aligning your training regimen and nutrition to supplement them is important. And failure in understanding this could result in training failure and potentially result in injury.
First is always important to address nutrition and recovery. This includes your macros, vitamins, electrolyte as this will dictate your energy levels and training intensity as to how much you can push yourself. And recovery through rest days, lactic acid profiles, hours of sleep and proper hydration will come in first than the actual training.
Warm up is also a fundamental part of training, in which many athletes tend to skimp on. Learning to properly activate your muscles and joints and increase blood circulation as well as temperature will help you set the tune for your training. And will most likely decrease your risk of injury during training. And don't forget your cooldown, perform stretching consistently after your training as this will help your muscles maintain flexibility and counter tightness.
The training itself is also important. Nothing happens overnight and that’s why training is there. Our bodies are designed to adapt over time as you continue to put it under stress. It’s impossible to run a marathon on your first try but train for 4-6 months consistently and increase your distance and pace progressively over time then you can accomplish it. Always train with intention, with the intention of your end goal.
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