10 tips for getting through marathon season injury free

Training for and running a marathon is tough.  Even if you’ve run one or several before; never underestimate the achievement and what it demands from you mentally and physically.

Here’s my top ten tips to keep you injury free and enjoying the process.

1.

Get that niggling injury seen to from the start

We all want to believe that as we get fitter and stronger through the training, our body will somehow just heal everything and we’ll feel great.  WRONG!

Chances are, the repetition and increasing intensity of the running training will amplify a pre-existing problem which will really come to haunt you right when you ramp up the training. 

Seek professional advice on how to get rid of or minimise pre-existing problems before you start your training. An osteopath is perfectly placed to do this.

2.

Have some flexibility and contingencies built into your training schedule

We’d all love to draw up the training plan and stick to it like clockwork BUT………..life continues regardless. 

I like to give myself as many different options and opportunities to fit a training session in as possible.  This allows me to still have a social life and minimises stress and self chastisement when I “miss” a run. This way I can hold my hands up and say “it’s fine I can shift this session and still finish the week where I want to be”. 

Spoiler alert though, if you lack motivation to get the trainers on and get out the door don’t give yourself flexibility or you’ll end up putting sessions off and not get the work done.

3.

Never underestimate the power of what you eat

And I don’t mean your choice of gels and energy packs that you take on your longer runs. 

You not only need to replace the calories you’re burning but you need to make sure your foods contain all the nutrients you’re burning through due to the training itself and the tissue repair between training.  It’s no use having a rest day if you haven’t put the nutrients that your body needs to repair itself!

4.

Do not replace a strength and conditioning session for another run

Strength and conditioning does exactly what it says on the tin.

It gives you the strength and tissue condition you need to reach your goals.  Yes, there are a lucky few who can get away with not doing this in their training but not everyone has such a resilient body structure. Ideally you really should be nurturing your body with the ‘physical nutrients’ it needs - strength and conditioning!

An osteopath is perfectly placed to give you advice and ideas for strength and conditioning to complement your training programme.

5.

Plan your footwear

If you’re going to introduce your feet to a new pair of trainers somewhere into your training programme then try and do it nearer to the start.  The reason for this is because you’ve got more shorter runs at the beginning of your programme. It’s much easier to break in your new shoes over shorter runs than longer ones. 

Trust me! If you do it on a longer run then you’re in them for longer and you’ve got more chance of getting a blister.

6.

Save up for a sports massage

As you get into the longer runs and the training is taking up more and more of your time, this is when most injuries happen. 

Your fitness and stamina is improving, you’re getting stronger but as you push yourself you potentially move closer towards the fine line between peak performance and injury. 

A sports massage around weeks 10-14 of a 16 week programme really can help with your tissue health and help to steer you away from injury.

As an osteopath and sports massage therapist I can almost guarantee to get injured runners coming in as they start running 13 miles plus on their long runs or around week 12 of a 16 week programme. I do my best to patch people up and get them to race day but it’s tricky when the training schedule is demanding more of you.

Don’t let it get to that point. Look after yourself and get a massage in before the niggles set in.

7.

Get a foam roller and use it! 

There are a lot of gadget fads out there but foam rolling isn’t one of them.

Rolling out the key large muscle groups does effect the myofascia in a positive way.  You can release tightness in the myofascia yourself which may help prevent potential injuries and strains building up over time.

8.

Get some variation into your sessions

Running at your own pace and clocking the miles up will get you through a race but …. there’s a reason people talk about tempo, fartlek, long run, recovery run…….

If that’s all a bit daunting try getting some hills into your week. Find a hill and work your running route to include it. Make sure you’re warm when you get to it. Run up it as fast as you can and then jog back down. Repeat 3 times.

That’s a hill session done and you’ve worked on your power, strength and fatigue resistance.

9.

Taper adequately

Everyone needs slightly different amounts of tapering so it can be quite hard to judge.

Listen to your body. If you’ve got signs of injury or you’re worried about an injury on race day then you might want to start your taper around 2 weeks before the race.

If you’re feeling good you still need to let your batteries recharge from around a week before the race.

10.

Talk to people and share your experiences 

If you’ve plateaued or hit a wall with your motivation or progress, reach out to other runners.  Chances are they may feel the same or have done in the past.

Just sharing this knowledge can help but further still they may have some ideas about how to get you going again that you just wouldn’t have thought of yourself. 

Don’t forget, a huge part of running is in the mind!

This blog is copyright of Helping Hands Health Osteopathy and Sports Massage 15a Clayton Road, Newcastle, NE2 4RP