Myths About Running and Injuries

I recently had a discussion with a non-running friend about how bad running is for the body. I told her that most of her arguments against running are myths. I've done some basic research, and this is what I learned.


Myth: Running will destroy your knees.

It’s a common belief that running is hard on your joints—the knees in particular. But new research shows the opposite: Running might actually make you less likely to have knee problems down the road, according to a recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. Researchers studied recreational runners and found that their knees had less inflammation (a precursor to arthritis) after completing 30 minutes of jogging than after sitting still for 30 minutes.

That being said, I believe that runners who ignore overuse injuries are definitely at risk for permanent knee damage. I do not believe a runner should ignore unusual muscle or joint pain. My motto has always been "live to run another day." One can always replace running with less stressful activities while waiting to heal.

Myth: Walking is just as good as running.

Walking is good, but it is certainly not the same as running.

The fact is that going for a slow stroll does not burn as many calories as a run of the same distance.
The truth is that intensity matters: A higher intensity jog leads to a greater after burn post-workout than you’d experience following a walk. In fact, running can lead to a 25 percent greater caloric expenditure during and after a run than a walk of the same distance.  A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research supports these numbers. 

Myth: It will damage your back.

There are some lifestyle risk factors that can cause back pain. These include obesity, sedentary work and stress. If running, exacerbates your back pain, you should replace it with another form of aerobic activity because running is a high-impact exercise. The repetitive jarring can be very hard on the joints and the spine. Studies such as the one published in the September 1986 issue of the "British Journal of Sports Medicine" found that the spine shrank by several millimeters after a 6 km run, and the shrinkage was directly proportionate to running speed. Although the relationship of spinal shrinkage to spine pain isn't fully known, those results show that running puts stress on the spine. 

 Obesity is a major contributor to back pain, and running is an excellent way to lose weight. A sedentary lifestyle can also cause back pain, by allowing the core muscles that support the spine to lose strength. A study published in the December 2009 issue of "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism" found that running activated trunk muscles as well as core-specific exercises. 

Stress, anxiety and depression are also contributors to back pain, causing the muscles of the lower back to lock up. Exercise is one of the best ways to combat stress.

As with knee pain, runners need to be aware of unusual pain in the back and replace running with another activity as the body demands.

Myth: It will damage your heart

Most of us have heard stories about runners who collapsed from a heart attack mid-race or at the finish line, despite being in seemingly great shape. Those occurrences are extremely rare.

One study surveyed marathoners from 2000 to 2009 and found that of the more than 3.7 million participants, only 28 men and women died during or within a 24-hour period after their race (most, but not all, from heart-related issues). That’s less than one person per 100,000 racers. 

Other recent research found that running can strengthen your heart. 

I run with a heart monitor and try not to push myself during training runs unless I'm doing speed work.

My conclusions

As with everything moderation is the key. Take care of yourself by eating wholesome meals and get plenty of rest.

Listen to your body before, during and after runs.

Remember, if you are in pain, it's probably not a good idea to run.

Build up to the big things involving distance and speed through training.

Speed Work? Working on It!!

As slow as I'm training these days, I find it difficult to claim that I am doing speed work. However, the fact is, I am. During the month of October, my efforts have mainly focused on rebuilding my base by ramping up my mileage. Over time, this has proven to be an effective way to develop speed as I increase my endurance.

Another form of speed work is losing a few pounds by watching my diet. It is a known fact that the less a runner weighs, the faster he or she can run. So far, I have lost 10 pounds.

Using a heart rate monitor to dictate my pace has forced me to slow down. This has proven to be a good idea during this time of mileage increase. As my heart rate increases, I am forced to ease up on the pace. As a result of this work, my resting heart rate has gone down and stayed down. I have also found myself recovering more quickly post run.

Real speed work such as good old 400 meter repeats will begin as I continue down this path and develop the ability to maintain a running pace without over-stressing my body.

This week has been great! I've racked up 28 miles! I am at the point where I can complete a half marathon without concerning myself with speed. That's exactly where I need to be right now. The real speed is yet to come. I will be discussing my efforts in that direction in due time. For the moment, a slow to moderate jog will rebuild my fitness.

Working to Improve

Anything worth doing takes time and effort

on the part of the individual learner!!

Coaches and teachers can only advise and show the way.

Commitment

How can a person improve his or her pace as a runner? There are a number of ways! However, the main thing is to stick to the main thing. Be committed to running on a regular basis. If one does that, his speed will increase simply because he is consistent. It's the same kind of commitment one would make toward learning to sing or play an instrument. There's nothing like regular effort. It generally leads to improved performance.

The Long Run

Another way to improve pacing is to insert a weekly long distance run into your training plan. For some reason, those 10 mile or longer runs lead to faster runs at the shorter distances. I have found that a weekend long run of 15 miles or more makes the 5 miler in the middle of the week seem easy. After a few longer runs like this, I find 3 mile runs to be simple and fun!

Speed Work and Hill Repeats

In addition to the long run, a tried and true method is regular speed work. This can include timed repeats of 1 to 5 or more minutes with slower paced breaks. It could also mean repeats on the track of 400, 800, 1200, and 1600 meters with variants in between. Following each repeat, a runner should do an easy recovery lap.



Hill workouts are grueling, but they will strengthen the legs! So find a hilly course or find a hill and run repeats up the hill at a 10k pace. Your legs will burn and your heart rate will rise, but you will recover as you walk or jog down the hill for your next repeat. You could also run a hilly race like the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon to build your leg strength and confidence.

Self-Discipline

Disciplined running takes practice and self control. Disciplined learning in school takes practice and self control! Effective students work on their learning through individual efforts, like a distance runner. If I had a coach, he or she could tell my what to do and how to do it, but it would be up to me do go about the business f making things happen. Teachers are like coaches, they can only share information and assist with practice in the classroom, but it is up to the individual student to learn by independent effort and completing homework assignments.



You can really only blame yourself for any lack of improvement, because you are the only one who controls you. So, I will continue to practice consistency as I improve my running and musical skills. How about you? What kind of skills are you trying to develop?

Half Marathon Training: Week Three

Training

Week three of my training has gone very well. On Monday, I covered 8 miles at an easy pace. Tuesday's 3 miler was an easy recovery run from Monday's long run. Wednesday, I increased the pace slightly and took a break after each mile allowing my heart rate to recover before continuing.

Today's 3 mile run was continuous with no breaks. It went very well because I incorporated some easy running every seven minutes and included thirty second walk breaks every two minutes. Tomorrow's four miler will be one minute at 12 minute pace followed by a thirty second walk break.

Losing Weight

I have included a weight loss program in my training, since I will need to lose some weight to gain speed and reduce stress on my joints. I'm using the calorie counter on my Fit Bit and logging all of the food that I eat. I try to maintain a 1,000 calorie deficit. My goal is to get my weight down to 160 pounds (That's a good weight for my height.)

I don't plan to lose weight rapidly. Plus, if my deficit is less than 1,000 calories I don't beat myself up.

Ultimate Running Goals

At the moment, I'm building a base and trying to increase my average pace to at least a 12 minute mile (hopefully faster).

Once my base is built, and as I lose weight, I plan to incorporate speed work and a 10-13 mile run  into my weekly regimen.

October should be a solid 100 plus mile month and my weight should continue to settle steadily toward my goal.

It takes thoughtful effort to become a successful runner and a willingness to take that first step every day.