KASEY BOYD, ATC.

Injury in Distance Runners

Nature

As competitors, we strive to push our body’s limits.65-80% of competitive runners get injured every

year.Acute or Overuse?Training errors

Common Injury Sites

KneeAchilles tendon/calfHip/groinAnkleShin Splints/Stress FracturesQuadriceps/HamstringsLower BackArches of feetBlistersDamaged toe nails

Questions to Ask

What have you done differently that may have caused the problem? Are you doing too much, too soon? Any sudden changes in mileage,

speed, hills? Are you overtraining or overracing? Undertrained for the race

distances? Are you recovering properly from races and hard workouts? Do you have unequal leg length or biomechanically weak feet? Do you

overpronate or oversupinate? Are opposing muscles (abdominals, quadriceps, shin area) relatively

weak? Do you have sufficient flexibility? Do you stretch properly and

regularly? Do you warm up and cool down properly?

Questions…cont’d

Do you have previous injuries? Did you return from an injury too quickly?

Do you have good running form/economy? Are you training on uneven or slanted terrain? Have you changed

from one surface to another? Have you been running on poor footing?

Have you changed shoes? Are they sufficient for training? Are you taking proper care of your feet? Have you changed any daily habits, such as driving, sitting, or lifting

more? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you under a lot of stress? Is playing other sports or doing other physical activity affecting your

running? Is your diet sufficient to maintain body structures?

Warning Signs

Mild stiffness or tenderness that doesn’t go away after a day of rest or the first few minutes of a run

PAIN!! (sharp, dull, tingling, pulsing, etc.)

“Staying healthy is a question of how quickly you can get beyond denial and deal with the reality. You then have an opportunity to back off that little bit you need to recover. And it doesn’t take much adjustment, because what I’ve found is that you don’t have to back off a lot if you can recognize the potential problem soon enough. My test is, anytime you get to a point where something is truly interfering with your running gait, back off and let it heal. Don’t keep going simply because you can keep going.”

Accepting Injuries

Analyze why it happened and determine the causes.Treat the injury properly; seek medical attention if

necessary.Allow the healing process the time it needs.Keep your routine (Morning walks instead of runs)Maintain your running friendshipsThink positivelyTake a breakReplace the habit (biking/swimming)Keep returning expectations realistic!

Detraining

Generally no lost fitness for 5-7 days Often, an increase in fitness after rest

After that, there is a rapid loss of fitness (2-3% per week)

General Prevention

IceRestStrength Exercises – demonstrateStretching

General Prevention

IceRestStrength Exercises – demonstrateStretching