Recover
Running injury-free is possible
These are the 4 main areas to focus on while training for a running event in order to avoid suffering an injury.
Top tips to avoid the most common injuries runners face.
It’s common for people to get over-excited when they start a new training plan, and although enthusiasm is good, it can sometimes lead to injuries. Follow these tips to make sure your training is injury-free.
1. Build up slowly
When you’re building up your mileage, you should try not to increase it by more than 10–15% each week. If you’re starting at 5k and working your way up to 21k, this should take you at least 15 weeks.
A common training strategy is to have 3 hard build-up weeks followed by one recovery week, where you drop your mileage to help your body recover. This week shouldn’t be a full rest week — instead, replace a couple of your runs with a cycle or other cross-training session.
2. Work on your running technique
Improving your running technique will not only make you faster and more efficient, but it will also significantly reduce your risk of injury.
- Cadence, cadence, cadence: This is a measure of how many steps you take per minute. You should ideally be taking 180 steps per minute. This may feel fast to begin with; if that is the case, try using Spotify playlists to help you keep your cadence up.
- The heel-striker vs forefoot runner debate: There are countless articles and studies that argue both ways. In reality, the most important aspect of foot-landing is where you land in relation to your hips: your feet should land beneath your hips rather than far in front of them. This reduces the impact on your knee and hip joints, and ensures you are propelling yourself forwards rather than back.
- Stand up tall: Runners tend to lean forwards, especially when they get tired. Focus on standing tall and actively pushing your hips forwards.
A paid coaching session to improve your running technique is a small price to pay for miles and miles of uninjured fun.
3. Strengthen your glutes
The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the human body, so you might as well make the most of it. Strengthening your glutes will help with your posture and will reduce risk of running injuries. Below are some exercises to try:
- One-legged squats: Do 3 x 10 squats on each leg. When squatting down, try visualizing sitting down in a chair behind you, and make sure your knee does not move forward in front of your toes.
- Superman: Lie on your front, and lift up your legs and arms as far off the ground as possible. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 5 times.
- Glute bridge: Lie down on your back, with your knees bent, as if you’re about to do a sit-up. Lift up your right leg and bend your knee fully, and lift up your pelvis so that your back and left thigh form a straight line (see images below for proper technique). Repeat 3 x 10 times on each leg.
4. Sleep
As your time spent training increases, your body will need more time to recover, and a lot of this recovery occurs while you’re sleeping.
In his book Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker provides evidence of the effect of sleep on sports injuries. His studies show that an extra hour of sleep from 7 to 8 hours can nearly halve your risk of injury. Sometimes it’s better to sleep through that alarm and miss your early morning session…
Increasing your training doesn’t have to mean hurting your body. Follow these tips and enjoy your journey to becoming a better, stronger runner! You’ll love it.
6 foods to aid post-run recovery
Eating the right food after a run can have a big impact on the effectiveness and speed of your recovery, and can stave off muscle soreness and improve your overall performance.
After a run you should try to consume carbohydrates, protein and fluids. Your body eats into its energy stores and so replenishing these with carbohydrates in the recovery period after a run is really important. Helping muscle recovery is essential and that’s where having protein comes into play. Finally, drinking lots and getting some fluids and electrolytes back into your body is key. The following are a few ideas of post-run foods to help aid your recovery.
1. Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk has the perfect mix of carbs and protein as well as fluids and electrolytes and will not only help with recovery but also tastes delicious! Chocolate milk rehydrates, helps revitalise glycogen levels and stored carbs and the protein helps rebuild and recover muscles after exercise. On top of all that chocolate is a known mood improver!
2. Oily fish
Oily fish can work as a larger main meal or as a post-run recovery snack. Fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines can minimise muscle soreness, improve joint health and are extremely important for muscle recovery. They all contain omega-3 and anti-inflammatory compounds which can really aid in all exercise recovery. Try adding some fish to your next post-run recovery meal to reap the benefits.
3. Fruit
Having a diet packed with fruit can really aid all forms of recovery. Bananas are easy to digest and help replenish lost electrolytes, oranges will improve your vitamin C content which can help with muscle damage while berries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are key for clearing the muscles and helping you feel fresher on your next run. Try adding these fruits to juices or smoothies to break down the fruit faster.
4. Yoghurt
Yoghurt can make a good addition to your post-run routine. Low-fat natural yoghurt provides a good source of calcium, Vitamin D and also offers a good amount of protein. Try adding granola for additional fibre and carbs, honey for natural sweetener that gives you an instant energy hit or berries for the additional benefits of antioxidants.
5. Quinoa
Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods you can eat so adding this to your post-run food options is highly recommended. Not only does it contain protein but also iron and other nutrients that can really aid a runners recovery.
6. Mixed nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds should be a staple part of any runner’s diet. They have a ton of benefits from vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats and fibre. Almonds, for example, are a great source of Vitamin E and can help lower cholesterol while most nuts contain magnesium which can help with muscle cramps.
What to eat before a marathon
How to properly fuel yourself for your next marathon.
You’ve done all the training, you’ve got all your kit, you’ve planned your travel, now all you need to do is make sure you’re effectively and fully fueled up for your marathon.
Marathon Golden Rule — Don’t try anything new on race day
You shouldn’t experiment with any new foods or any variation from your standard diet. It’s very easy in the last few days to get nervous and be persuaded by a friend to try something new or see something new at the race expo or stores. It’s important to stick to what you’re used to so you and your body are relaxed and comfortable.
5 days to go
With 5 days till the big race, you’ll want to start increasing your carbohydrate intake by adding in more starchy foods like pasta. Don’t get bought into the outdated notion of depleting your body of carbs for the week before and then overloading it just before the race to trick your body into storing more energy. This is an old and outdated idea that doesn’t work and can hinder performance.
One way to keep your carb levels up is to ensure that a higher percentage of your calorie intake are carbs.
Do bear in mind that in the last week, you won’t be running as much as you have been so eating too much will make you feel bloated and lethargic.
48 hours to go
Your last big meal should be two nights before the big race. This will give your body lots of time to deal with the food and make sure that you won’t feel bloated on the day of the run.
A common mistake is to load up on pasta and bread on the night before the race and end up feeling bloated.
24 hours to go
The day before the race, you’ll want to just have the kind of meal you would have on a normal training day. Make sure you keep your fluid intake up. Drinking lots of water is a necessity — you could always carry a bottle of water around with you during the day to remind yourself to keep hydrated.
Your meals should consist of simple carbs such as sweet potatoes, pastas or white rice. You shouldn’t be overly active the day before the race so you may feel full quite quickly. This is normal and you shouldn’t try to completely stuff yourself.
18 hours to go
In the last 18 hours, you’ll be wanting to keep yourself topped up with energy filled food like energy bars, bread and small sandwiches. Try and avoid red-meat, fried foods, dairy and fats as these will only fill you up with the wrong stuff.
Make sure you keep drinking lots of water and electrolyte drinks to keep your water and salt levels in the right place.
4 hours or less
Before the race, you’ll want to have a small breakfast nice and early, to give yourself more time to digest it before the starting gun goes off.
Keep yourself topped up with water, but be sure not to try and down as much as possible. The trick is drink little amounts often, instead of big gulps every now and then.
You may want to knock back an energy gel just before the race to give yourself that last bit of energy before embarking on this mammoth run.
5 key stretches every cyclist should do
Do these 5 stretches to avoid risking injury by putting too much strain on your joints and muscles.
Cycling can be pretty strenuous on your joints and muscles. If you don’t stretch and loosen yourself up then you could end up with a pretty serious injury, potentially hindering your ability to hop on the bike whenever you want. Do these 5 stretches before and after cycling to give yourself the best chance of avoiding injury.
Downward facing dog
A real favourite to yoga enthusiasts and cyclists alike, downward facing dog is a great one for stretching out your lower back and your hamstrings.
Since cycling power is generated in your core and lower back, these are areas that can often become tight and fatigued so it’s great to stretch and loosen these areas, releasing the tension built up after hours in the saddle.
How? It's a nice and simple stretch. Start on your hands and knees and then slowly raise your hips up by straightening out your legs. Tense your quads and push your hips back to really stretch out your hamstrings and calves. Keep thinking about pushing your heels towards the ground to keep your legs and spine as straight as possible.
Bridge
Another one for loosening your lower back and working the legs too, the bridge pose will work your core slightly more and also stretch out your glutes, both very important after you’ve been churning out some miles on the bike.
How? Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted close to your bum. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, lift your pelvis up until you form a flat line from your shoulders to your knees. You can join your hands underneath you for extra support.
Glute sits
Testing both your balance skills and your glute flexibility, glute sits are great for really stretching out the powerful muscles at the back of your legs. Your glutes are the hardest working muscles when it comes to cycling so make sure you pay them lots of attention.
How? Sit on the edge of a chair and bring one foot over the other knee so your ankle is resting across your knee. With your back as straight as possible, slowly lean forward and you will start to feel the stretch on the back of your thighs and in your bum.
If you’re feeling adventurous, try it without the chair to test your balancing skills and work your core that bit extra.
Upper trap stretch
When road cycling, you will be leaning forward with your weight being held partly through your shoulders. This means that your shoulders muscles and your traps will likely be holding a lot of tension after you get off the bike. Make sure you stretch out your neck and shoulders so you don’t wake up the next morning in pain.
How? Either sit or stand in a neutral position and place your left hand behind your left hip. Then put your right hand on the left hand side of your face and gently apply downward pressure so that you start to bring your right ear down towards your right shoulder. Keep going until you can feel the stretch down the side of your neck. Then repeat on the other side.
Be careful not to push it too hard/far and damage your neck.
Cat / Camel
This one is great for really loosening the bottom of your spine and relieving lower back stiffness, which is very common after long rides.
How? Start on your hands and knees and slowly alternate between arching and rounding you back. Breathe deeply as you do it to ensure a full range of movement and do it slowly without forcing it as this can damage your spine and the surrounding muscles.
What to eat before a triathlon
Tips and tricks for properly fuelling yourself before taking on your next triathlon event.
Plan your meals
One of the easiest ways to keep a track of your nutrition and to make sure that you have sufficient levels of energy is to plan your meals in advance. Although meal planning is a bit of a faff, it will ensure that you can get the right amount of energy and carbs in before a workout and the right amount of carbs and protein in for recovery after a workout.
Quality diet
After you’ve decided that a meal plan is a good idea, you’ll need to work out what meals to put into it. Make sure that your meals contain lots of carbs to keep your body fuelled for all the extra training that you’re now doing. A mixture of both simple and complex carbohydrates is always a good place to stay. Simple carbs are found in foods like fruit and milk and sugars, while complex carbs can be found in foods such as pastas, rice, beans and vegetables. You’ll want to try and focus more on your complex carbs as they are slower to break down and so your body will burn through them at a slower rate and therefore they have more of an effect.
On top of this, make sure you’re having a good amount of fruit and veg and other nutrients such as protein to aid in muscular recovery.
Poor digestion? Drink water. Bad skin? Drink water. Feeling fatigued or nauseous? You guessed it, drink water. As basically the solution to just about every problem, its important to keep yourself dosed up on water.
The amount of water that someone should drink per day varies from person to person. It can rely on a persons size, sweat rate, activity levels, and even the weather. The easiest way to see if you’re properly hydrated is to check the colour of your urine. If your pee is consistently straw coloured then you’re on the money. If it’s clear and you find yourself going to the toilet many many times per day, then you might want to slow down on your water intake.
Follow the 10% rule
There’s not harm in having a some cheat foods every now and then. The 10% rule is the idea that 10% of your daily calories can come from treats or deserts, crisps or biscuits. As long as you’re keeping a healthy balanced diet, you can be guilt-free about that evening glass of wine or that bar of chocolate after dinner.
Pre-race food
Your pre-race dinner is an important one. If you have too many carbs then you can end up feeling sluggish and lethargic and the last thing you want to do is go swimming while feeling stodgy. So make sure your last supper is a nice balanced meal with an standard balance of proteins and carbs and fats. You will want to avoid foods that are high in fats and fibre. This will keep your gut happy and consequentially, keep your whole body happy when it comes to race day.
Your pre-race breakfast wants to take place 2–3 hours before the race begins, giving yourself ample time to digest and deal with your food. Again, avoid fats and fibre on the morning of the race so you’ve got a happy gut when you’re on the starting line. Most runners will have a bowl of porridge and a banana to get them up and ready for the big race.
4 post run stretches to help your recovery and improve running performance
What are your post run stretches? These are short and simple, but will make all the difference to your running recovery. Check out our top 4 stretches.
If you want to improve your flexibility and performance add these 4 stretches to your post run routine. Stretching after running is quick and easy, and you can even do them in front of the tv - perhaps while watching a running documentary.
After you’ve completed a run the first thing you’ll probably want to do is stop and take a seat, but making sure you stretch when your muscles are warmed up can make all the difference in preventing unwanted injuries and speeding up recovery. You'll also notice that stretching really improves your running performance long-term. So, if you've been failing to stretch after running, then use these simple post run stretches as a start point.
1. Hamstring Stretch
Tight hamstrings is a common in most runners and these can limit your flexibility and range of motion. It’s important to stretch these muscles out to aid recovery, improve your running stride, form and speed.
Try lying on your back with both legs extended. Raise one leg and try to keep it straight while making sure your lower back remains touching the floor. Grip your raised leg behind the knee and pull the leg back slightly towards you, so you feel a stretch. Hold this for 30 seconds and then swap your legs over. You can also add in a strap to help or if this stretch is too intense, you can bend the leg that is not raised.
2. Calf stretch
Calf muscles work hard when you’re running so make sure you stretch them out afterwards to help reduce possible strain to the shin and foot and to help prevent shin splints.
To stretch out your calfs find a wall or a structure you can lean against and place your hands on it. Keeping your back leg straight and front knee slightly bent try leaning forward into your bent leg. This should give you a nice stretch in your back leg. Try holding this for 30 seconds and then swap legs. If you bend your back leg this will help stretch out a different part of your calf muscle so give that a go too.
3. Glute stretch
Glute muscles tend to tighten up quite easily in runners, so adding this stretch to your post-run routine can really improve your running performance.
You can do this stretch either lying on your back or standing up. To do it lying down, keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and then grab behind your left knee and bring your leg towards your chest. You should be able to feel this stretch in your glutes. Try and hold it for 30 seconds and then switch sides.
You can also do this one standing up by crossing your right ankle just above your left knee and then bending down into a squat position. Try and hold this for 30 seconds and then swap legs.
4. Quad stretch
Stretching out your quads is really important both for increasing the strength of these muscles and improving flexibility, both of which can improve the recovery speed and your overall running performance.
While standing on your right leg, bring your left heel back, and grab your left foot or ankle with your left hand. Gently pull your foot towards your glutes while making sure to keep your knees together and try not to arch your back. Hold this for 30 seconds and then swap legs.
What stretches do you do after running? Let us know in the comments below.
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