Spring is now here. With warm weather we see more runners out and about. Some are seasoned exercisers, while others are trying a new hobby to become or stay active. This time of year gives many an energized feeling to go out and ‘hit the ground running’. While no one is immune to injury, it’s the novice or beginner that must take some extra care to avoid injury due to overuse.
For the aspiring runner, there are some things to consider before signing up for the first 5K. Overuse injuries result simply by doing more than the body is ready for. A person is more susceptible to overuse injuries as a beginner. When it’s 70 degrees and sunny out, a two or three mile run sounds easy. The body, however, doesn’t care what the weather is like. It only knows that you are making it do something it’s not used to doing. The first step is to understand your body’s signals. If things start to ache, particularly a joint which is a common overuse injury area, it is important to slow the pace even if it means walking. The ’flight’ action while jogging and running creates much more force on the joints each time a foot is planted. Consistent joint pain could be a sign of going too hard too soon.
Some other common overuse aches and pains include shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and general muscle soreness. Shin splints are a very common overuse injury. The pain is caused by stress on the muscles along the front of the lower leg and could possibly include microfractures along the surface of the bone. Other issues that may contribute to this injury are running surface (harder surfaces increase the pain) and lack of arch support with increased foot pronation, inward rolling of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis has become a well-known injury for athletes and non-athletes alike. Pain on the bottom of the foot is the least optimal place for anyone aspiring to run, jog, or even walk. This dreaded injury is inflammation of the tendon and connective tissue that runs from the toes, along the bottom of the foot, to the ankle. Pain is commonly felt in the heel and arch of the foot.
General muscle soreness should be expected. Any time muscles are asked to do more than they are trained to do, they will be sore. Sometimes the pain lasts a day, but could extend to three or four days. The pain is simply the muscle fibers being damaged from the activity. This ’damage’ is not counterproductive, however. The fiber damage and resulting pain is a necessary aspect of increasing a muscle’s ability to perform.
No matter the type of overuse injury, the treatment is common… rest and ice as needed. In these cases, it is important to give yourself ample recovery time. If you decide to enjoy the weather with a run, keep in mind the common injuries that come with doing too much too soon.
