running. a real pain?

How to prevent and deal with run related pain

Have you started running and have noticed a bit of knee or shin pain? Are you thinking about doing some run training but are worried about if your body can handle it?

The below list isn’t written to overwhelm you. It’s there to help you ask the right questions and identify some areas to consider.

Firstly, lets establish what could cause pain when you start running;

1.⁠ ⁠Too much volume and or intensity too soon.
IE) Going from 0 - 100 and hardly ever running to doing multiple sessions a week or doing very hard run sessions.

2.⁠ ⁠The wrong run shoes.
Cushion isn’t always better and we don’t all have the same feet.

3.⁠ ⁠Pre / post running.
Hydration, nutrition, warm ups and cool downs will all play a role in how your body responds.

4.⁠ ⁠Other training
Gym based training should be complementary to your running.

——

So now we have established some potential issues, what to do about it?

If you haven’t got any pain, awesome! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of the above to prevent anything from happening in the future.

If you do, that sucks, but don’t stress. All you need is to be patient, follow a process and listen to your body.

1.⁠ ⁠Don’t stop training!
Reduce the volume and / or intensity of your runs or substitute them for another modality such as biking while your body recovers. When it’s time to start running again, do it gradually!

2.⁠ ⁠Research your shoes and if they ain’t broke, don’t fix em.
Instagram tells you to get the flashiest bouncy shoes but what it doesn’t mention is how the shoe is doing the work your muscles should be, potentially resulting in pain. Take a bit more time deciding what shoe you buy and if it’s not right, don’t force it. When you find the right pair, stick with them!

3.⁠ ⁠Look after your body!
Water, with electrolytes. Some form of liquid / fast acting carbs within 90 minutes, a full meal within 3 hours. Spending time to stretch or roll your muscles either immediately post workout or in the evening before bed. The smallest of things can play a massive role in how your body responds and adapts to the stress of running. These are just small and simple actions to take.

4.⁠ ⁠This is probably the most interesting one.
Traditionally runners don’t like to do any gym based training. However, strong muscles prevent injuries. They not only become more durable to the impact and sustained work but they can produce more power and make you faster!

——

Hopefully the above has helped more than hindered. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to us via the contact forms or on social media.

If you are interested in doing some gym based training to aid your running, below I have attached a link to our Gym Training for Runners ebook and if you sign up, you can download a free nutrition document with principles of pre / post training nutrition.

https://qhptraining.fitr.training/p/durable-runner

Pursue Your Potential