NoviceRunnerNik's Top Tips on Starting Running - Revisited

NOVICERUNNERNIK'S TOP TIPS ON STARTING RUNNING - REVISITED

Has the recent London Marathon inspired you to take up running or return to running? Are you looking to run as a way of exercising your way through Covid-19 restrictions or lockdown?

Our NoviceRunnerNik, who has actually been a runner for the last ten years or so now (time for a new nickname?), has revised her top tips on getting started, first published in April 2019, to take into account current pandemic restrictions:

1. Start with a Couch 2 5K app or program such as the NHS Couch 2 5k – this introduces you slowly to running over 9 weeks and gradually builds up your fitness and stamina. Much more sensible than my approach of just going for a 3 mile hilly run just like that and hating the feeling of my lungs exploding out of my chest! I very nearly didn’t run again after trying that!

2. Be aware of those around you - remember to keep two metres away from anyone who isn’t in your household or support bubble and be careful stepping into the road to avoid people. The general public you may encounter might be even more anxious if they come across a runner than a walker, hopefully for obvious reasons. If you find your routes are very busy consider running at less busy times or changing where you run.

3. Run more slowly – particularly if it feels like your lungs are exploding out of your chest. If you can hold a conversation with someone (you might need to imagine that someone if you’re running alone) whilst you’re running, then that’s a great pace to run at. If you can’t, then slow down. You’ll enjoy it more - promise!

4. Buy decent, comfortable running shoes - if you can, have your running shoes fitted by a specialist running shop. Tell them your budget and what you want to do. They needn’t cost the earth. You’ll be less likely to pick up an injury wearing shoes that fit you and are fit for the job.

5. Don’t increase your longest distance or number of miles in a week too quickly, however much you’re enjoying it, or you risk overuse injury. An often quoted rule of thumb is to increase both by no more than 10% per week. Use a free phone app such as Strava to record your runs so that you know how far you’ve been.

6. Run your own run – don’t worry about what speed or distance someone else is doing. Run to how you feel, rather than a pace you think you should run at on your GPS watch or your running app.

7. Run with other people, within local pandemic restrictions – join a running club or run walk group (when they are operating). Or find a friend to run with. Running with others takes your mind off the running and motivates you to turn up and run. Running clubs will have varying routes with leaders so that you don’t even have to think about where to run. In my experience running club members are really friendly and approachable. They aren’t all elite athletes racing for TeamGB (some of my running club members do run for TeamGB but you wouldn’t know it!). And you always have running to talk about.

8. Buy some proper running clothes - you’ll be more comfortable and you’ll feel the part more and be more motivated to run. You don’t need to spend a fortune. Always wear a decent, supportive sports bra or chest support if you need it. They're vital bits of kit, especially if a few extra grams are being carried in that part of the anatomy.

9. Vary the routes and surfaces you run on – to keep you interested and to get your body moving in different ways - try footpaths, coast paths, grass, mud etc but be careful.

10. If / When parkrun is back, get parkrunning! parkruns are currently paused due to the pandemic but if you haven’t heard of parkruns they are free, timed weekly 5k runs, happening all over the country, every Saturday at 9am. You can walk, jog or run them so they are perfect for new runners and they are great for measuring your progress, if you wish. They only happen because people volunteer to organise and marshal at them so give something back now and again and volunteer too.

11. Running can be really addictive! Don’t blame me if your running habit starts to escalate out of your control!

Stay safe!

Words by NoviceRunnerNik.

What Does My Physio Think: will running ruin my knees?

What Does My Physio Think: will running ruin my knees?

Runners are sometimes told by people (who often are non-runners) that running will ruin their knees. We asked our physios and therapists if this is true:

Stuart, our specialist knee and foot & ankle physio says

“Running can actually improve knee health and stimulates cartilage when impacting through the weight bearing phases. Thus it is beneficial to overall joint health so keep on running if you can!”

Our specialist spinal physio Shari says:

“No, not unless you have been advised not to run by your Specialist consultant and/or orthopaedic surgeon. There are certain pathologies that can be worsened by running, but in general when speaking with Specialist Knee Orthopaedic surgeons 5 -10km maximum running distance is ok in moderation.”

Physio Paul, who specialises in sports injuries, says

“There is every chance of ruining your knees if you run very badly, but maintaining good alignment and control through the lower back/abs, hips, knees and ankles can reduce this risk.”

Emily, our massage therapist, triathlon coach, athlete personal trainer, comments: 

“Knee joints are synovial joints which means they produce lubricant to minimise friction. The cartilage in the knee joint is a very smooth surface that aids gliding. Your knees are supposed to bend forwards and backwards over a lifetime. Assuming there is no structural damage and the surrounding muscles are strong and supporting your joints, there are worse things you can do to your knees than running, for example prolonged sitting.”

So - keep on running! And if you’re worried about your knees, give us a call on 02030 12 12 22 to book an appointment with one of our specialist physios.

How To Stay Injury Free Whilst (London) Marathon Training

How To Stay Injury Free Whilst (London*) Marathon Training

With the London Marathon* coming up at a rate of knots, we asked Stuart, our lower limb and sports injury specialist physio, to give us his advice on how to stay injury free whilst training for a marathon:

Runners, joggers and walkers view the marathon as the ultimate fitness test and challenge with a record number of people now participating globally. Many will have never completed this kind of run before and are also not seasoned runners. However, this does not stop many of us trying to complete this challenging and arduous task and getting that medal for the 26.2. 

Training for a marathon can be a daunting task as many people are worried about being injured and how they will react if this is the first time they have ventured into the higher mileage brackets. It has been viewed in the evidence that most people who do participate in the marathon will suffer from some injury during their training or the race. For example, it has been seen that novice runners sustained 30-38 repetitive strain injuries per 1000 hours of running while marathoners running more than 200 minutes per week sustained less than 10 RRIs per 1000 hours of running.

There are many ways to help reduce the likelihood of injury such as good preparation/warm up, having a good base level of strength and stability monitoring your build up gradually and of course having rest days:

Warm up:

The purpose of a warm up is to increase core body temperature, muscle activation, joint mobility and prepare the body for activity. The ability of the muscle to contract efficiently can benefit greatly as the quadriceps can help reduce up to 60% of the load through the knee joint when landing during a run thus being warmed up appropriately can prevent any knee injuries.

For the ideal warm up we should incorporate a high number of dynamic tasks such as lunges, calf raises, toe walks, leg swings. The evidence has been shown that a Dynamic Warm Ups performed pre training can also enhance and improve performance.

Strength and Stability Exercising:

A base level of strength and stability is required to undergo any exercise or physical task. For example if we are running and have a cadence speed of 140 then we are impacting 70 times on each leg every minute that requires the ability of the body to absorb force and propel us forward while trying to maintain good kinetic chain control and stability.

Resistance training has shown improvements of up to 8% following a period of resistance- or strength-based training during a normal running training plan. This can be attributed to improving running economy and improved neuromuscular control. When we consider that any small improvement can impact running economy the benefits may have a larger impact on long distances such as a marathon. 

Training plan: 

It is a advised that you don't increase your mileage by more than 10%. The 10% rule is one of the most important principles to adhere to help prevent injuries. As most running injuries are overuse in nature the 10% rule can help prevent this. It may be a long and slow process by only increasing the 10% but it will help keep you running safe and for longer.

Rest Days: 

Having rest days helps not just your body to recover but reduces the likelihood of injury. It has been seen that less than two days rest in endurance runners had an increase of 5.2 fold of overuse injuries. Every day that we exercise causes microdamage to muscles and without adequate rest we don’t repair. Build in a few rest days each week to help recharge, reduce injury and then improve your training and performance.

If you experience any prolonged niggles or pain during your marathon training period, don’t ignore it. Get expert advice and help. Call us on 02030 12 12 22 to book an appointment with one of our specialist physios.

* Other marathons are available.

Words by Stuart Mailer.

What Does My Physio Think About: RED January

What do you think about RED (Run Every Day) January and other sign up type exercise initiatives?

What is RED (Run Every Day) January?

RED (Run Every Day) January and other sign up type exercise initiatives are becoming very popular, possibly because of the exposure they have on Social Media. People pledge to run or do another form of exercise every day for a month to raise awareness of or sponsorship money for a charity. They’re encouraged to post about their daily achievements on Social Media.

Are RED January and similar initiatives a bad idea?

Our spinal specialist Physio Shari says:

“Unfortunately this will very often lead to overuse injuries, which may range from strains, to tendinopathies, stress reactions in the bone to stress fractures. I wouldn't recommend suddenly running every day after a long period of inactivity or if your body isn't conditioned to it. I do have patients who run 6-7 days per week and love it and have been doing so for years, however there is obviously a reason that they are seeing me and it is for overuse/overload injuries and/or biomechanical problems! A balanced exercise regime is best with a gradual increase in loading and recovery days, particularly if starting exercising from a zero or low background level."

Physio Paul, who specialises in sports injuries, says:

“Be sensible! Initially you might be able to get away with a couple of bigger runs in short succession but at some point you'll need to slow down or plug in some recovery runs. Vary distance, volume and intensity through the period of time you are committing to.”

If you are intending to run every day this month or any month, do be very careful about overloading your body, particularly if you’re normally not particularly active. You could consider Moving Every Day - varying the forms of exercise that you take to reduce the risk of overuse injuries. Try cycling, walking, gym classes or weight lifting too.

Capitalise on your new found fitness too. At the end of the month continue Move Every Day sensibly to make it part of your ongoing routine to help you towards a more active life.

Patient News: We're Supporting Extreme Adventurer Alex Flynn

Patient News: We're Supporting Extreme Adventurer Alex Flynn

We're excited to be supporting extreme adventurer Alex Flynn in his challenging new project happening later this year. More on that soon! Meanwhile we’ve asked Alex to introduce himself. Here’s his story so far:

About Me

Hi, my name is Alex and I’ve had Parkinson’s disease for 11 years now. I was diagnosed at the age 36. That’s young by most people standards but it isn’t. The youngest ever diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease was a two -year-old boy. I’ll let that just sink in for a second. Two years old! What kind of life is that little boy going to have?

About Parkinson’s

What is Parkinson’s? Most people don’t fully understand what it is. It’s about rigidity. The lack of being able to move. It’s not the over abundant movement of someone flailing around like an eight-legged octopus. No, that’s just over medication; the unfortunate side-effect of taking a daily cocktail of prescription drugs to mask the effects of dwindling dopamine in the brain over many years. The product of which will take away a persons’ ability to enjoy things that most people take for granted; the ability to write, to walk, speak, have sex, not to mention the psychological impact, and many more. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s hits hard.

Many people receiving such a colossal diagnosis give up, take the medication and slowly deteriorate. I had and still have no intention becoming a shadow of my former self and neither should anyone else. So what did I do?

#KeepMoving #10millionmetres

Well, I decided to #KeepMoving by taking on a challenge called 10 million metres. My intention was to traverse 10,000 km around the planet and only the events and challenges would contribute to the 10 million metre distance. There was no master plan other than to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease and ultimately funds towards Parkinson’s research. That was in 2008. Between that decision and the present day so much has happened. Highlights include:

• Completing the gruelling Marathon des Sables (250 km race across the Sahara Desert);

• Running 160 miles across the Bavarian Alps in 52 hours;

• Running 1,457 miles from London to Rome in 30 days to meet the Pope (400 miles of which was run with a stress fractured right tibia and completing the first 20 marathons in 10 days);

• Becoming the first person to traverse the 3,256 miles from Santa Monica to New York using four distinct disciplines. I achieved this distance in 35 days and appeared on BBC One’s One show over two consecutive nights, raising awareness to over 10 million people worldwide and realising vital donations for charity.

• In 2013 I crossed 200km of the Amazon Jungle, climbed and ran 90 km of the Dolomites and 236 km across the Colorado Rockies, achieving all three within an eight-week period;

• On the 24th January 2014, the 10MillionMetres Challenge was completed at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.

I’d covered a distance more than 6,200 miles around the world!

And Then

In the summer of 2015, I entered the Men’s Health USA Ultimate Guy Competition, successfully reaching the final nine competitors out of over 1,000 including Special Forces and the US Marines. I was also honoured by the then UK Prime Minister, David Cameron.

2016 brought a new challenge of completing 5,566 press-ups in 22 days to raise funds and awareness of PTSD, which affects military personnel and first responders. This was extremely tough as each day the target to be achieved increased by 22 push-ups on top of that which had already been achieved the previous day. I managed to continue for 18 days reaching total of 3,762 press-ups before the right shoulder gave out.

In February 2017, I returned from the Arctic after attempting a 450 km expedition of Sweden’s Kungsleden (Kings trail) in freezing temperatures of -29°C. My participation was cut short due to ripping a tendon in my right ankle. Undeterred, I had to continue and pulled a 135lb pulk and 10kg backpack across a further 25km, including two mountain passes before the onset of hypothermia.

In 2018, I undertook the brutal and extremely challenging Lost Islands Ultra in Fiji. Two weeks after finishing the Fiji ultra, I completed the Virgin Money London Marathon, notwithstanding my medication failing to work after 10 miles and running the remaining distance with muscle cramps and pain. Lots of pain!

Last September was spent in British Columbia, Canada. I had flown there to take part in Primal Quest. As part of a team, which included five times world adventure racing Champion Mike Klosser, we took on the Primal Quest Pursuit Race. An event there would take us across 240 miles of mountainous and challenging terrain including glaciers, and white water rapids situated in big Bear country. The team completed the challenge in four days and five hours.

Next Challenge

None of the above come without impact on the body, whether caused by Parkinson’s or just bad luck. Primal Quest left me with whiplash after coming off my mountain bike a total of nine times while descending the second mountain stage. This is one of a long line of injuries I have had over the years which have been treated by Paul Martin at Physio Remedies. With Paul’s help, I intend to train harder than ever before for my forthcoming challenge this September where, as part of a team of four, I will take on the world’s toughest race.

Alex will be unveiling his next challenge very soon. Watch this space!

Words by Alex Flynn, image from Alex’s website.

Injury of the month: marathon injuries

Injury of the month: marathon injuries

With the London Marathon* approaching fast it’s a critical time for participants as they increase their running distances preparing for the gruelling 26.2 miles ahead.  It’s a time when niggles may well turn into more significant injuries so it is key to be aware of some of the common injuries; how to spot them and what to do to try to avoid them progressing and ensure you get to the starting line but more importantly the finishing line!

Here are two of the main injuries we see related to marathon training:

Shin Splints

Shin splints is a bit of an umbrella and non-specific term which refers to pain in and around the shin. There are two main areas which cause problems.

Anterior shin pain located in the muscles at the front of the shin occurs when there is excess load in these muscles and they can become inflamed, as can the fascia (the surrounding tissue around the muscle).  Typically this will be painful when pointing the toes and ankle up and during running, to the point where it can cause you to stop.

The other area is on the inside of the shin, MTSS (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome). Again the muscles and the fascia become overloaded and inflamed and here the can affect the bone as well. The tension from the soft tissue can place load on the bone which then becomes inflamed and in more severe cases can lead to stress fractures.

Resting pain, pain at night and significant pain to touch the shin may indicate a more severe injury. Poor biomechanics, inappropriate footwear, tight calf muscles, poor stability and excessive training loads are contributing factors.

ITB friction syndrome / runner's knee

Although not exclusive to runners, the above pathology is seen mainly in runners and in particular longer distance runners.  The actual cause of the pain itself is still uncertain but the consensus is that there it is from excessive friction between the tendon on the outside of the knee (Iliotibial Band tendon) and the structures underneath it attaching to the outside of the knee. 

The friction is mainly caused at about 30 degrees of knee flexion which is the approximate angle the foot hits the floor when running.  The pain is very well located to the outside of the knee, can be sharp and stabbing like.  The pain often comes on after a specific time or distance of running and can be severe enough to cause you to stop. As it becomes more intense, it may even be painful to bend the knee and not just be painful with running. 

Again, contributing factors can be, weak gluteal muscles, tight thigh and anterior hip muscles, poor running biomechanics, and inappropriate increase in training loads.

Treatment

For both of the above injuries it is important to get an early diagnosis as this will help prevent the injury from worsening. The quicker earlier intervention is implemented the better the chance that the injury can be managed for the rest of the training until race day.

A physiotherapist will be able to assess the injury and assess what the contributing factors are by having a detailed assessment of the body, the way it moves and also look at external factors such as training methods.

With not long to go, it may well be a case of reducing the training and substituting some runs with some rest and gym sessions to work on problem areas. Marathon runners often over train the running aspect and neglect the strength and gym work which is crucial to maintaining good biomechanics and reducing the load on sensitive structures.

As well as correcting any imbalances with hands on treatment, a physio will put together a rehab plan with exercises and self help advice to ensure all areas are covered.

As always, prevention is better than cure so if you'd like us to check out any issues or if you'd like a pre-marathon sports massage, call us on  02030 12 12 22 to make an appointment.

* Other spring marathons are available.

Words by Alex Manos.