Run without Getting Hurt

✅ You run for a quick workout
✅ You're training for a race
✅ Running lets you de-stress
✅ You want to run without getting hurt

Follow these 6 steps to run without getting hurt (especially without hurting your knee)

1. 🏋️‍♀️ Strength train

2. 🗓️ Follow a training plan

3. 🛀 Recover after every run or workout

4. 👟 Use the right equipment (like shoes) for you

5. 🧘‍♀️ Warm up before & stretch after every run, cross-training workout, or strength workout

6. 🍱 Eat a diet with lots of protein & balance out fats and carbs (no low carb diets here)
   
   These are the 6 elements to work on every day to run without injury.

Does this sound easy or hard to do?

It’s neither. It is simple though.

Simple, not easy. Simple in that you follow the steps and work on it every.single.day.

So how do you do it?

Keep reading to learn the 6 things to focus on today to run without getting hurt.

Strength Training for Runners

Strength training for runners so you don’t get hurt

Strength training is so important.

Many professionals (trainers, physical therapists, doctors) will tell you you need to strength train the part that’s hurt and in pain because it’s weak.

And most of the time this isn’t true. Let’s talk about knee pain for example (my specialty).

When your knees hurt it’s because your knees are working overtime.

They are doing too much of the work because other muscles aren’t working hard enough. So strengthening your knees by doing things like squats and lunges isn’t going to help. It’s actually going to hurt.

So you should strength train the muscles that are being lazy. The ones that aren’t doing the work they should be. The muscles that the knees are picking up the slack for.

So instead of strengthening your knees, strengthen things like your hip muscles (glutes).

Runners who strength train regularly are going to be able to run for longer over their lifetime and are less prone to injury than runners who just run.

Training Plans for Runners

Training Plans for Runners So They Don’t Get Hurt

Finding the right training plan for you is very important to running without getting hurt, especially so you run and don’t hurt your knees.

Training plans that progressively ramp up the mileage so that you do a little more each week sets you up for success.

It’s tempting to just go out and run and base it on how you feel but unless you’re a professional runner that’s going to lead to disaster.

Often runners feel so good while they’re out there but it’s not until after the run, when the runners high has died, that the pain sets in. And by then it’s too late.

That’s why following a specific plan that increases by 10% each week and no more is the best way to run.

Runners who follow a running plan that slowly increases over time are able to enjoy running longer through the years and immediately get to enjoy not feeling pain (besides just a little post-run soreness).

After Run Recovery

Recovery for Runners So You Don’t Get Hurt

Some runners start the recovery process when they start to feel aches and pains. When you start treating the problem it’s not necessarily too late… but it could have been started sooner.

The best time to work on recovery so you don’t get hurt is after every single run, cross training or strength workout.

When you get in the routine of recovery and it becomes part of your workout itself this sets you up for success so you don’t get hurt.

Recovery tactics done every time you workout makes you much less likely to get hurt because you’re handling any small pains and inflammation right away so they don’t get bigger and worse.

Some recovery techniques runners do to recover after every run, cross training or strength workout include

1. Stretching

2. Foam rolling

3. Massage & massage gun

4. Ice

5. Heat

6. Hot epsom salt baths

Shoes for Runners

Using the right Equipment Helps Runners Not Get Hurt

Using the right equipment is important so you can run without getting hurt and keep running for years to come.

Sometimes running equipment falls by the wayside because most people think about shoes for running… and we all have shoes. So many new runners will slip on whatever they have lying around the house, or seasoned runners will get good running shoes and then forget to update them.

Shoes are probably the most common piece of equipment runners talk about. So I’ll talk about that the most and at the end I’ll comment on a few other pieces of equipment that are important, too.

Wearing the right shoes helps runners not get hurt

We all know we need to wear running shoes to run.

What we don’t all know is that certain shoes are going to be better so runners don’t get hurt than others.

What shoes are those, you ask?

The shoes that will help you run without getting hurt are the ones that are meant for you.

What do I mean by this?

I mean that there are so many shoes out there to choose from but if you just choose one off the shelf without talking to a professional first you’re likely choosing the wrong one… because it’s wrong for you.

So you don’t get hurt when you run you should wear a pair of shoes that matches how you run… how you land during your run… what type of surface you run on.

1. Take a short quiz on a running company’s website

   1. You can find the right pair of shoes for you by taking a short quiz on the company’s website.

      1. (I know Brooks.com does that because I buy Brooks and I’ve taken their quiz and I’d say it’s pretty accurate. Though you do need to know what type of foot you have, so if you don’t know this keep reading and I’ll tell you how to find out.)

2. See how your run

   1. You can also find the right pair of shoes by going to a running store and having someone watch you run. They can analyze how you run and recommend the type of shoe that will support your body when you’re running.

3. See what kind of foot shape you have

   1. When you get out of the shower with a soaking wet foot step on the ground and see what kind of arch you have.

      1. High arch: You can see your heel, a little of the middle of your foot, and your toes.

      2. Neutral arch: You can see your heel, most of the middle of your foot but there is a clear spot that’s missing in the middle, and your toes.

      3. Flat arch: Your footprint looks pretty much like a blob. You can see your heel, the whole middle of the foot made a mark on the floor with water, and you can see your toes.

   2. When you know what type of foot you have you can find the shoe you need

      1. High arch = minimal support

      2. Neutral arch = neutral shoe

      3. Flat arch = more support needed

Ok so that’s how to find the right kind of shoe… but what other kind of equipment is important?

Some other equipment that’s important are listed below with brief commentary.

1. Running shirts - sweat wicking so you can maintain body temperature

2. Running short/pants - sweat wicking so you can maintain body temperature and not have swampass

3. Foam roller - choose the density that works for you. My husband likes a less dense foam roller and I like the firmest density. Both work well for what each of us needs.

4. Massage gun - size, comfort of the head, speed and pulse are important for comfort

5. Headphones - If your headphones always fall out or you can’t hear the music you’re not going to enjoy your run

Stretching for Runners

Stretching Helps Runners Not Get Hurt

Stretching helps runners avoid injury so it’s important to do it the right way.

Many runners stretch before they run and this is not helpful. Stretching cold muscles gives no added benefit.

Now, you’re probably saying, “but Ali I was told to stretch before I run to warm up…”

Yes you probably were told that and sorry to say it was incomplete advice.

You need to warm up before your run… that is a fact. But stretching is not the way to do it. A warm up can include walking, riding a bike or doing active movements for a warm up. A warm up should increase your heartrate by 20%, but stretching won’t do that.

Stretching, also called static stretching, should be done after your muscles are warmed up. So static stretching should be done after a run, after walking, after cross-training, after strength training.

You should stretch and you should stretch often. Stretch after every kind of activity you do.

So that’s step 1… stretching at the right time… after a run or other workout.

Step 2 is making sure you are stretching the right way. This is literally stretching with good form for the muscles to actually get a stretch. You can do this by finding videos on YouTube like this one for runners stretches.

Step 3 is making sure you are stretching for the right amount of time.

How long should runners stretch for?

Stretches should be held for a total of 60 seconds each. This can be done by doing 2 repetitions of 30 seconds, or 1 repetition of 60 seconds… the shorter you hold the stretch the more repetitions you need to do so the total stretch time is 60 seconds.

Nutrition for Runners

What Runners Eat Can Help You Not Get Hurt

The foods that runners eat can help them run or hurt them… both hurt their run and hurt their bodies.

Foods (and beverages) can support your body or wreak havoc by causing and flaring inflammation and then causing pain.

Runners who eat lots of protein and also include a balanced intake of fats and carbs have more success than runners who don’t.

Many runners eat low carb because they are running to lose weight and they’ve been trained to think “carbs are bad.” And that’s not true. Carbs are important, especially for runners.

Carbs give you energy to be able to run. Carbs give quick energy and that’s the kind of energy your body wants to be able to run.

When your body doesn’t get quick energy from carbs it will settle for getting energy from fats. But this kind of energy that fats give is more for long term energy… like to not hit the 2pm caffeine need. And if your body can’t get energy from fat it’ll settle for getting energy from protein as a last resort.

When you don’t give your body carbs for quick energy your body is going to take the energy from fats and protein and if it takes it from protein that means that protein can’t go toward repairing muscles and collagen in your body.

So for runners with knee pain if you’re eating low carb and low fat you’re taking protein away from the parts of your body that need it.

On top of all of that runners who eat low carb also often eat manufactured food… food that has been made in a factory and is full of chemicals.

Examples of these include protein shakes that are quick and ready to go. These are often made with chemicals. The problem with eating chemicals is your body doesn’t use it the exact same way as whole foods. When your body breaks down these chemicals, since they are slightly different in chemical nature there are different biproducts when your body breaks them down. These bi-products create and promote inflammation.

So if your body is fighting off some inflammation and you’re eating low carb and taking in chemicals…you are creating and promoting inflammation and taking protein away from the parts of the body that need it to heal.

Instead, eat higher protein by aiming for 30g of protein at every meal and snack. Eat complex carbs in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and pastas without added sugar; and other complex carbs. Eat good fats like olive oil, avocado, raw nuts and seeds. This will be a good, balanced meal plan so you can support your body and run without getting hurt.

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