Racing Away From Injuries
Fit For Life Physical Therapy
Racing is fun! It’s a way for all that hard training to pay off, a chance to grab some awesome race day swag, and a reason to post some cool pictures on social media. However, just as in life, too much of a good thing can bring its own problems. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we spent an entire year doing virtual races, and running solo, so it can be quite tempting to get back to normal all at once. Who could resist signing up for all the races happening this fall…Emerald City, Columbus, Chicago, New York, Boston, not to mention all the shorter 5k’s and 10k’s? While it is certainly reasonable to run multiple races during one training cycle, it is important to keep some things in mind to lessen the frequency of injury and burnout.
Prioritizing your race schedule is key. We all want to run a personal best in every race we run, but that is simply not a realistic expectation. For example, it’s difficult to train for a full marathon and expect to run a PR in a 5k during the same training cycle. Different distances require different types of training, so don’t be disappointed if you’re not hitting all your time goals in the same season. Pick a goal race that is your primary objective. Once that’s been set, any other race should be a means towards that end. Use earlier races as part of your training schedule and any races after your goal, as part of your recovery.
Recovery after any race is important. Marathons and half-marathons are challenging whether they are run slowly or quickly, so respect the distance and give yourself some time to bounce back. Allowing some time, preferably 4 weeks, between hard efforts will lessen the likelihood of injury. If you only have a week or two between races, then make sure you are doing easy runs, avoiding speedwork or hill repeats between races. Stretching, hydrating, foam rolling, and using the NormaTec recovery boots are also good ways to shorten recovery time and prepare for the next hard effort.
However you choose to manage the busy race season, make sure that you listen to your body. Those small aches and pains can grow into season-ending injuries if you ignore them. Feel free to contact Fit For Life Physical Therapy with any questions about injuries that emerge after your training or racing to avoid major problems down the road.
Fit For Life Physical Therapy cares for people of all activity levels - to help prevent, recover from, or rehabilitate sports & orthopedic injuries. We are proud to move people every day.
Please visit our website https://www.fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com/, email us at info@fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com, or call or text us at any of the phone numbers for our three convenient locations inside Fleet Feet/FrontRunner stores:
Polaris: 1270 East Powell Road Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 ~ 614-981-2065
Upper Arlington: 1344 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43221 ~ 614-981-1979
New Albany: 5792 North Hamilton Road, Columbus, Ohio 43230 ~ 614-581-7441