Running Essentials
Lots of people are hitting the streets right now in preparation for marathon season. Whilst the fresh air and endorphin highs are a great addition to your weekly training, for some people pounding the pavements five times a week could be doing more harm than good. Running related injuries are extremely common and for many people easily avoided by incorporating some key preventative measures into your exercise routine.
My interest in fitness all started with running. A huge fan, I would head out 5/6 times a week and managed to build up a decent pace including a half marathon time of 1hr 35mins 
But along the way I pretty much sustained every injury in the book; ankle and foot sprains, runners knees, shin splints and just this week a black eye (don’t ask!) Before becoming a trainer I knew little about the importance of biomechanics and how it is vital to running, especially as you increase your mileage and focus on improving your race pace. If you’re going to run (and even if you’re not!) you need to build a solid foundation including joint stability, muscular balance, core and flexibility.
After a long battle with runners knees I’ve been on this journey and spent the last 18months regaining the stability and strength to run, jump and sprint pain free. I have learnt from the best people in the industry: podiatrists, osteopaths, physiotherapists and rehab experts. I have to give a special shout out to Jonathan Lewis, Paula Coates and Mick Habgood of Balance physio who have not only fixed me but gave me the tools to look after my body in the long run.
Running impacts hugely on the body and if you wish to always be a runner you need to adopt some insurance measures, here are just some staples which help me.
Prehabilitation
Before you commit to a standard running programme consider that everyone is unique in how they respond to a training regime. Some marathon training plans prescribed are pretty intensive and if you dive in feet first your body may struggle to cope with the intensity and stress. In between runs take days off and make time for some prehab exercises, these will help prevent injuries and encourage some body awareness. Perform controlled squats, lunges, step ups, single leg exercises and balance training. Focus on how your body moves, what muscles are activating and where you experience muscle soreness. Perform these exercises slowly and focus on building strength in your posterior chain (especially glutes and hamstrings). Watch your feet too, if they rotate outwards on squats, your heels lift up and ankles are wobbling all over the place it’s a sign of reduced flexibility, mobility and stability.
Feet First
Know and understand your feet. Ignore this and you’re heading for trouble! Flat feet, high arches, pigeon-toed or bunions it will all alter your gait. These change how your feet pronate and impact upon your entire kinetic chain, especially how your knees track and your hip alignment. Trainers and orthotics may help support foot dysfunction but ultimately you need to build strong, flexible feet. Theraband training and TPT therapy are great for this:
Ankles
Strong running involves a degree of ankle flexibility but also stability. Having reduced flexibility can increase your risk of injury, but so can too much mobility. I have hypermobile ankles and used to roll them whilst jogging but thought nothing of it until one ankle roll lead to an almighty sprain 
Ankle stability is must and I use different variations of single leg balancing to build stabilisation:
But it doesn’t all have to be prehab exercises. As a runner you should be cross training with resistance sessions. As your foundation strengthens take it up a gear and incorporate exercises like single leg deadlifts, overhead lunges and single leg presses into your training:
Trigger Point Therapy
Most days and before any training I release my hip flexors, quads and ITB with trigger point therapy and then stretch. Be aware of overactive quadricep muscles (all of them!) this is highly common and can write off all running and jumping if ignored as it affects the tracking of your knee cap. Also focus on strengthening your adductor muscles and VMO (these track along the inside of the leg/knee and keep the knee cap tracking centrally). Squats with a ball squeezed between the knees is great for getting these muscles to fire. I also perform slow knee dips, focusing on controlling my knee and firing my glutes.
Upper body and Core
Lots of runners suffer from an aching upper body due to poor posture during running sessions. This can cause both upper and lower back pain. Training your core and upper body, especially retraction (pulling) exercises is vital for improved running technique. You could use park railings to do 2-3 sets of bodyweight pull ups. In my experience most runners have poor core strength and simply rely on nothing more than a quick set of sit ups after a run. Weak core and a slouching posture are a recipe for neck, shoulder, back and hip problems so put some time aside to assess and correct these. I really like suspension training (Cross Core or TRX) for core and stability. Even simply lying on the floor, with your knees up (feet flat on the floor) and compressing your lower back gently into the floor whilst firing your abdominal muscles can help to engage all the core muscles. Planks, side planks and their variations are also highly effective:
Nutrition
Now this is a minefield at the best of times but I immensely dislike the high acidic, gluten heavy, sugar loading diets prescribed for runners. Lots of runners I see struggle with digestive issues. Running is a stress to the gut, the longer you run the worse the symptoms will become and the diets typically recommended for runners often exacerbate this further.
Yes you’re burning calories and if training for a race you can increase nutrient dense foods in your diet but believe it or not people did run before pasta! I dislike the emphasis on carb loading which leaves most people feeling sluggish and bloated. Increasing carbohydrate intake in small amounts across several meals is much easier on the gut allowing you to benefit more from the nutrients consumed. One of my favourite carb sources for runners is starchy vegetables especially sweet potato as it’s easy for most people to digest. Also brown rice or quinoa, then add in high GI carbs post run like fruits and honey (simple sugar + antioxidants).
It’s important to limit stimulants like caffeine (including sports drinks) your gut has a tolerance for these to a point. Similarly don’t rely on foods often linked to intolerances like gluten, dairy, eggs and nuts. Fruits can also be troublesome for some people, my Dad often informs of the effects pears have on his bowel movements!
I can go on about this for hours but sports nutrition is highly individual and very much a process of trial and eh…..toilet which you will figure out in your own time. My advice is keep it as natural and nutritious as you can, remember the less processed your food is the easier the body can break it down providing you with more fuel.
If you really love running and want to make sure you always can then start to incorporate some of the above into your training. I have really only skimmed the surface which is why Fitter London will be hosting a Running Essentials Workshop on 12 Feb to help people discover how trigger point therapy, mobility and stretching and understanding the best foods to eat both pre and post run will take your performance, recovery and energy levels to a level you never knew possible. More details are available on our Events page.
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One Response to Running Essentials
Vickii says on Monday January 23rd 2012 at 3:00 pm
This is a great post packed full with incredible advice! Thanks Keris!