The #1 Issue with Runners

#1 Issue with Runners

 We sponsored a 5K race on Sunday for a good cause. At the race I got a chance to talk to a bunch of people who are runners and do many 5K's as well as other running events. While I talked to these people, who ranged from all ages, I would ask them what they do to prepare for a running event and how they train for it. 99.9% of the time the answer was the same. They would say things like,  I run short distance one day and long distance another, or I run 5 miles everyday and do long runs on the weekends, or some other form of running. None to them mentioned doing any form of cross training or other forms of exercise. This proves my #1 issue what runners, they Run to Train and they never Train to Run. 

   I know many people were inspired by the book, Born to Run, I myself enjoyed it as well but due to the lifestyle most americans live, we are not able to just pick up and start running. Let alone run without shoes on. Our ancestors did not have desk jobs and eat fast food all day. They were not overweight and over stressed. Therefore we cannot compare ourselves to them. Yes, our bodies have the potential to be able to run for very long distances but it takes a great deal of training to get to that level.  

 Some of you may be thinking, what right do I have to give advice about running if I don't run.  I am in charge of the well being of over 300 runners every year. Our cross country team has won state championships and have had national rankings. I have seen every running injury you can think of, from a young kid with severs disease to a grow man getting hit by a car while running. My advice comes from pure experience as oppose to unreliable research articles. 

How do you train to run?

Here are my tips for training to run. 

1. Get an assessment done. Find a local gym or PT clinic that does biomechanical assessments such as an FMS or some form of movement screen. Find where your breaks or weak parts of your body are before even thinking about running. 
2.  Address the weak parts. Get an exercise program to help you strengthen your weak spots. These are the top breaking points I see in my runners : no core stability, glutes not firing, over tight calves, forward head postures, poor T spine mobility, poor breathing.   Start off addressing these issues first before lacing up your shoes. 
3. Watch your weight. I often hear people say that they use to be able to run 3 miles in high school with no problem. So they think they can do that at any age. One of the issues is that they are now 40lbs heavier than they were back then. Body weight places extra stress on your muscles and skeletal system when running. Be sure they you are on a weight loss program. (**** No offense to the show they biggest loser, but many of those people have no business running with that amount of weight on them, that is a recipe for injury) 
4. Start slow. If you have not run a mile in 10 years it is not smart to just go out and try to knock out a mile. Running is an endurance sport and you must build slowly. I often start my clients off with running one lap around the track and walking 3. Each week you slowly progress. If running one lap is painful I will regress to riding the bike until they can handle a run. 
5. Weight training. I have found that my athletes stay injury free by weight training during the running season. It does not have to be some intense workout program. Just some basic lifts to maintain muscle mass. I normally keep it very simple.. They will do reps of about 12 to 15 and exercises such as squats, hip hinging, pull ups, push ups, etc. No need for crazy power exercises, just something to keep them strong. 
6. Activation!!!! A good activation routine before running is a great way to prep the body to run. Some people jog as a warm up but that does not activate the necessary muscles to keep you injury free while running. I would recommend some form of bridging to get the hips working, a retraction exercise to keep the shoulder blades activate and back, a breathing exercise to make sure the diaphragm is ready, and a few core moves to get the mid section on board. 
7. Be careful with braces and compression sleeves. Many of these special socks, compressions pants, tendonitis braces, etc are just bandaids for mechanical issues. You should not rely on them to get you by in your running. They are good to get you over an injury but they should not be part of your everyday running attire (unless you have had a serious injury in the past). At the 5K I saw people with all kinds of clothes and gadgets to get them past their run. Your body needs nothing but itself. These gadgets also do NOT address the main issue of your pain. Most times they will cause pain somewhere else. I see a kid with a knee issue, he gets a brace to keep running and a few weeks later he gets a back or hip issue. This happens very often. 

I hope these tips can help you with your running. I am not against running, I believe it is a great form of exercise and more people should do it. I just believe you need to plan and prepare for it before jumping in. My advice is simple, you must Train to Run and not just Run to Train.