Runners are often
faced with something of a dilemma if they are suffering a aches, pain or have a
niggle and this is whether they can run through it or will that put them at
risk of developing a more serious problem. Possibly you are suffering with an
injury and you are trying to decide whether to run, rest up and recuperate or
even seek professional sports injury advice.
The following
guidelines will help you to assess your situation and make a better informed
decision regarding your complaint.
Are there any signs
of significant injury?
First of all it’s
important to eliminate some of the more serious signs and symptoms that may
require you to seek medical attention. These are as follows:
- Swelling
- Joint locking or giving way
- Severe pain
- Loss of sensation or numbness
- Pins and needles or tingling
- Pain upon pressing a bone
- Limitation of movement in a joint (i.e. not just feeling stiff, actual physical restriction of movement)
- Pain on impact or landing
- Painful weight-bearing
If you have any of
these signs and symptoms it may be advisable to seek medical opinion. A little
swelling or tingling may just require caution and not necessarily a GP visit,
but if the problem persists then it is wise to get it checked out.
How often are you getting
these symptoms?
If you have only
experienced these symptoms on one occasion and have been running fine since
then the chances are it was just a freak one-off. It is recurring symptoms that
will be worth investigating.
Should you run
through it or rest?
For the more severe
injuries your body will tell you what to do, most significant pain and injury will
stop you from running. Pain, with time will worsen and almost always mean you
have to stop. However with the adrenaline coursing through your veins the pain
can sometimes be disguised. Certain minor niggles may actually get better as
you warm up and improve with each step, in these instances you are probably not
at risk by carrying on. It is important to remember that you should not grin
and bear pain and push yourself with tears welling in your eyes! With any
uncertainty, don’t push it, stop running, see if it eases or get it checked
out.
What if your pain is
fine when you stop running?
This is usually a
good sign, pain with running is certainly more of a problem than being pain
free at rest. If however, pain continues to interfere with your regular day to
day activities, then this is probably going to require attention.
Can you alter your
running to reduce your pain?
Decreasing your
speed, increasing your cadence, reducing stride length, running on a softer
surface or stopping and stretching out, are all factors in running that can be
manipulated. Making these adjustments may well ease your pain and if it stops,
then that is very positive. Maintain what you have changed for a short while
and you may find it eases sufficiently to resume your regular running style
without pain. For a number of running
related injuries, the repetitive nature of running, causing recurring stress at
a vulnerable area is to blame, but this can occasionally be resolved by making
some small adaptations.
What is your mileage?
Large increases in
mileage, for instance following a marathon training programme over a period of
a few months, especially if you are a beginner will of course leave you feeling
achy, you are not necessarily injured though. Stiff heavy legs can be a sign of
fatigue and this will normally be resolved with a 1-3 rest days.
How much time do you
have?
An injury shortly
before an event, perhaps or week or two prior to a race is almost always going
to mean you will have to pull out. The volume of training and time invested to
get the level of fitness required for a half or full marathon, only to risk greater
injury by running through it, is probably not worth it – there will be other
races you can run. If you get a problem in the early days of training then you
will have adequate recovery time and this poses less of a problem.
What other types of
training will be more valuable?
With injured runners
or those looking to reduce injury risk, the addition of a cross- training
session to their weekly training regime will add great value. Strength and
conditioning, core stability training or working on flexibility may well be of
more benefit than running through a niggle. If you focus on stabilising and
building strength around the problematic area and giving yourself time for a
decent stretch, this will be better than heading out for a half decent run.
Are you training too
much?
Overtraining is a big
one in the running injury world; some of the signs to watch for are as follows:
- Low energy
- Abnormally Stiff muscles
- Weary after training
- Taking longer to recover
- Sleep loss
- Decreased appetite
- Poor immunity
- Training is more of an effort
- Poor performance
When is rest the
absolute best thing to do?
To start with, if
your training schedule does not include any rest days then seriously consider
adding them in. Your body needs rest to strengthen and adapt to the training
that you are doing, failure to do so will inhibit your body’s natural cycle
when training, the careful balance of breaking down and building back up again.
No runner likes to rest, but it really is an important consideration when
planning your training.
To make the
all-important decision of whether or not you are going to carry on running,
again be guided by your body and make your decision based on how you feel. A
feeling of lethargy and heavy legs, often just take a bit of a mental ‘get up
and go’ and will in fact feel better for a run. But if you are overcome with
pain then don’t be disheartened and substitute your usual running session for
some valuable cross-training instead. It’s useful to allow yourself some training
flexibility, avoid a rigid unforgiving programme and mix
things up a bit. If you are too tired, inject some pace with a good speed work
session or take an easier recovery run.
Most importantly with
injuries, if you have any degree of uncertainty, it is better to act and get some
professional help to find a resolution, sooner rather than later.
