8 WEEKS TO GO MANAGE YOUR INJURIES

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1 8 WEEKS TO GO MANAGE YOUR INJURIES DON T IGNORE INJURIES Injuries often get worse if you continue to ignore them. If you ve got a niggle, don t ignore it. ITB SYNDROME One of the most common and frustrating of all running injuries. How to spot the early signs. TREADMILL FAILS Treadmills are great if used properly - but dangerous if you mess about on them. Here are some great treadmill fails.

2 Aim of the week A few years ago, I was invited to attend a 10 mile training run for a well-known charity, to help prepare runners for an upcoming half marathon. Afterwards, I stayed behind to help answer a few questions that runner had about training and injuries. When it came to questions about injuries and how long you should rest if you had a niggle, it amazed me how many runners tried to haggle with me over the length of time I suggested they rest for if they were nursing a sore muscle or joint. You can t negotiate with your ailments. If you are currently carrying an injury, however minor, and aren t comfortable running, do yourself a big favour and rest up. You still have plenty time to get your fitness back on track and continuing to run on a painful knee, ankle, hip or foot is highly likely to only make it worse and very possibly ruin your chances of racing in 8 weeks time. So, aim of the week this week is two-fold. 1. You should be able to comfortably run 5-6 miles by now, preferably more, so this is a good chance to practise drinking whilst you run. Some find it difficult, so on you next big run take a specialist running bottle with you and practise taking some slurps you ll have to do it on race day, so get used to it now. 2. If you have an injury DON T MAKE IT WORSE. If it needs rest, then rest. Cross train /swim / bike I don t care, just don t mess things up now you ve come too far into your training now to make a stupid mistake and ruin your chances of enjoying your half marathon by hobbling around the course.

3 Injury of the week - Illio-tibial band friction syndrome The ITB is a non elastic cord originating from just below the pelvis, to below the outside of the knee. If this band becomes excessively tight, it can cause friction on the outside of the knee and even in the hip joint causing a great deal of discomfort. Pain is usually experienced on the outside of the knee when it is flexed and is sore to touch. Symptoms Discomfort on the outside of the knee or hip A clicking sensation on knee flexion on the outside of the knee as the tendon rubs against bone. Pain in the knee or hip when attempting to walk downstairs and sometimes when sitting down in a low chair. Sudden onset of pain after several miles into a run. Causes There are a number of causes for ITB syndrome and it can affect any runner regardless of sex, age or fitness levels. The main causes include: Running on a cambered or uneven surface Upping your running mileage too quickly Increasing the intensity of your runs Incorrect running shoes for your gait Muscular imbalance in the leg muscles Treatment If you are unfortunate enough to experience the symptoms of ITB syndrome the first thing you must do is follow the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol, especially with the application of ice to help reduce inflammation. Whilst you are living with the injury and running is not possible, you may find that other forms of aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling and rowing may be possible to do without pain. If this is the case, substitute your running for one of these to keep your fitness levels up.

4 Nutrition tip of the week Go Nuts for nuts Knowing what to snack on in-between meals is always something that runners often get confused about. Should snacks be packed full of carbohydrates, rich in protein, low in fat or all three? There isn t really a one size fits all answer as everyone has different nutritional requirements. Whereas some runners may benefit from snacking on additional carbohydrate rich snacks following a hard training sessions, others may actually benefit more from protein dense foods to help rebuild the body. There is one snack however, which all runners could do with munching on in between meals and it may surprise you. Nuts, although fairly high in fat, are fantastic snacks packed full with nutrients such as protein, beneficial unsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals and generally pack a nutritional punch way above their weight. So next time you go shopping, put Almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts to the top of your shopping list and have small helping of them once or twice a day. Nutritional highlights of nuts: High in Zinc - great for the immune system High in Calcium - essential for the health and function of your bones and muscles High in magnesium and potassium - can help to prevent muscle cramps High in unsaturated fat - helping to reduce inflammation and boost energy levels

5 Video of the week - Treadmill Fails When the weather gets bad, training inside on a treadmill often seems like a very good idea. Although, you should not rely on the treadmill as a platform for all your training runs, I m actually a big fan of them every now and again when you re training for an endurance event. The soft runway and the ease at which you can alter your training intensity can actually be a very effective way of training - particularly for hill and interval training. Of course, it can never replace the road where you should be doing the overwhelming majority of your training, but every once in a while the treadmill serves a purpose. They are not without their dangers though. A belt speeding along at 7-8 mph might not sound particularly dangerous, but if you lose your footing and end up falling over, it can be a pretty painful experience and highly embarrassing one if you re training at the gym. With that in mind, click on the video above and see just what can happen if you don t take care (or you mess about) on the treadmill.