How many are guilty of running through pain? Like real pain?

We have all been there. We start out, maybe we have some initial stiffness, tightness, even mild discomfort but we think “ah, it will die down as my body warms up”. And then, while we are on our run pain sets in. We think “I can tough this out”. Once we get home maybe the pain dies down even more and we think “ok, guess it was nothing”.

So this is what I want to address with everyone as we map out our race/event year...do not ignore the pain. Pay attention to it. Why? Because if we don’t it will lead to an injury that could wind up setting you back even further than you may realize.

Let’s look at all the races (virtual of course) that you did last year. Think of how many of those races did you have pain or discomfort somewhere in your body. Are you with me? This is the time to address those imbalances. Those weaknesses that lead to the injuries you sustained last year.

I have created 5 tips for runners to help keep everyone injury free so you can continue to do what you love without hesitation or worry. These were also designed for every type of runner - beginner or seasoned and regardless of age.

Tip #1 - Myofascial Release (aka. Foam Rolling or Massage Ball) Last week I wrote about the importance of myofascial work because it is actually the key in making sure you stay injury free. Many of you expressed having multiple areas of either tightness, pain and/or discomfort in response to the post. Now if you were to use a foam rolling or a massage ball AFTER (that’s very important to know) then you will see a decrease in those problematic areas

Tip #2 - Understanding the muscles involved in running Last year I wrote a post where I broke down the muscles involved in running. Everything from the low back/hip all the way down to the foot/ankle. Now you do not have to be an expert on anatomy or the physiology involved. But it is important to understand which muscle or muscle groups should be engaging and why. There is a science behind running. Once you know which muscles are not working correctly you can focus on correcting those muscle imbalances through various strength training exercises.

Tip #3 - Rest/Recovery In another post I wrote about the importance of rest and recovery days factored into your training schedule. Now there is a lot of debate over the topic. Recovery days are seen as days where you might choose a different activity like a yoga workout or a hike or it’s more a core workout or it’s your day to focus more on flexibility/mobility work. An actual rest day is a day of no activity other than daily life activities. If you are new to running you may benefit more from an actual rest day. And if you are a seasoned runner you may benefit more from a recovery day or a combination of the two depending on what type of event you are training for.

Tip #4 - Proper shoe fitting and gait analysis. Probably about 6 months ago I wrote about what a gait analysis is and how proper footwear is extremely important to help prevent injuries from setting in. Understanding how our foot and ankle work with each other is extr

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