Balanced Running
The most effective way to cross the finish line after an injury is balanced running. Have you ever noticed when you ask in a running group what to do to train or run more after an injury without flaring up the injury again you get 50 different answers?
It’s not that any of those people are wrong… actually they’re all right, just giving incomplete answers.
See, we as the on-looker don’t know what the rest of their running routine looked like when they say the 1 thing that helped them.
It’s not that the 1 thing only was what helped them… it’s that that was the last thing they changed to balance out their routine completely so it’s what they noticed helped them.
In this article:
A Balanced Running Routine:
I made this routine into an equation so it’s easy to see… when the left side of the equation goes up (you add more to it) the right side of the equation must also go up to balance it out. If on the other hand the right side goes down (due to lack of time, forgetfulness, life) the left side must also go down to balance it out.
Running injuries happen when you overtrain without recovering properly.
The equation looks like this: S+T = R+E+S+D™️ where the 1st S is Strength, T is Training, R is Recovery, E is Equipment, the 2nd S is Stretching and D is Diet.
Before you go to the training program I encourage you to read the following information to get the most out of the program.
Strength:
As you know strength training supports your running, unfortunately what many runners do is they focus on strength training the injured body part.
When the injury happens from overtraining it’s usually the area that gets injured that doesn’t need the strength training because it’s been doing all the work (overdoing it). It’s actually pretty strong and ends up overworking, picking up the slack for the weaker areas.
So by focusing strength training on that part of the body only can end up hurting you more. Instead focus on a whole body strength routine to balance out all major muscle groups: lower body, upper body, and core.
Training:
It goes without saying that the training portion of a running program is more than just running: it also includes cross training like
walking,
elliptical,
cycling,
swimming,
etc.
Throughout your training you will incorporate cross training, denoted by “X” on the plan.
Some runners only focus on running and not incorporate cross training because they think more running is better. Unfortunately doing that sets your body up to overtrain.
Cross training will build your endurance but work your muscles differently so they don’t get overtrained. If you are doing this program as a walk/run program, don’t walk as your cross training, choose another type of cardio activity like swimming or cycling.
Recovery:
As you know recovery is more than just resting for a week or two, it encompasses a wide array of types of recovery techniques and should be used to treat and prevent injury and pain.
Examples:
ice,
heat,
hot epsom salt baths,
massage gun,
foam rolling,
massage,
active rest and
complete rest.
The type and amount of recovery you do is directly related to how much training and strength you are doing. The more S and T go up, the more R goes up. If R goes down, S and T must go down, too.
Equipment:
Of course equipment is important and one of the reasons many runners get into running is because it’s so convenient to need so little equipment.
Most runners think of equipment as only their shoes, and yes shoes are included equipment also includes:
foam rollers,
massage gun,
socks,
shirts,
pants/shorts/tights/leggings,
water bottles,
glasses,
the quality of items like those just listed and
gels,
food,
hydration,
and the quality of the professional services you’re using:
massage therapists,
chiropractors,
physical therapists,
running coaches,
etc.
The type and quality of equipment and professionals that help you on your running journey are important because not all are created equal.
How often you replace your equipment is directly related to how much strength and training you’re doing. Unlike Recovery, Stretching and Diet, it’s not based on how much you do each day or week; it’s related to a longer amount of strength and training.
For example: if you’re doing strength and training every week and adding distance each week you’ll replace your shoes sooner than someone who does the same amount of training each week, though both will eventually replace their shoes.
Stretching:
As you know stretching can help relieve soreness and may help prevent injury. If you’re like most runners you stretch before you go out for a run which doesn’t help you. And you aren’t wrong you need to do something before you run… but it’s not static stretching. Before a run you should warm up: this can include dynamic stretching like
high knees,
hip openers,
lunges,
walking worm,
Etc,
it can also be
walking,
riding a bike or
other activity to increase your heart rate.
You know you’re warmed up when you feel flushed, your heart is beating a little faster and your breathing starts getting a little faster. If you were to look at your Garmin or Apple watch it would show your heart rate is at least 20% faster than your resting heart rate.
After a run you should cool down to bring your heart rate down before completely stopping.
The warm up and cool down are used to help your heart and blood vessels adjust to the change in the body: prepare it to need more oxygen before a run and prepare it to not need as much oxygen anymore.
After a cooldown is the perfect time to do static stretching like
hip flexor stretch
quad stretch
hamstring stretch
gastroc and soleus (both in the calf) stretches
pigeon pose
king pigeon pose
child’s pose and
stretching any other areas that feel sore and tight after a run.
Just like recovery, the amount of stretching is directly related to the amount of strength and training done that day (or week). If S and T go up, S (Stretching) must goes up, too.
Diet:
It goes without saying that what you fuel your body with during a run can make or break a run… and you’ve felt this.
When you run fasted you don’t have as much oomph to get you through it as you do when you eat a good breakfast in the morning.
Runners who feel good when running eat a balance of protein, fats and carbs.
I do not recommend low carb diets for runners, carbs give runners the quick energy stores they need.
Protein
Protein rich diets help runners who are coming off soft tissue injuries ( muscle, tendon and ligament injuries). Protein gives the building blocks your body needs to build up the cells that make those types of tissues in the body.
Fats
Fats, when you eat the good kind, help add flavor to your meal and keep you full longer. When I switched from skim/low fat milk to whole milk in my morning coffee I noticed I felt fuller for about 1.5 hours longer than usual.
Carbs
Carbohydrates are easily digested by the body and the body likes to use carbs as the first option to make energy for the body. So if you run on a low carb diet your body has less of its preferred method of getting energy.
Carbohydrates include anything from pure sugar, to fruits, vegetables and grains like bread and pasta.
The amount of food you eat, and water you drink, is directly related to how much strength and training done that day (and week). If S and T go up, D must go up, too.
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