How To Become A Good Runner

Whether you are just starting running, or are an experienced runner, having good information when you run is imperative to both performance and to injury management. With City2Surf completed this weekend, and the upcoming Sydney Marathon, I thought I would discuss a few key things to consider and keep in mind to ensure that you are getting the most out of your running training and achieving those goals along the way.

Below are some key considerations that you should be mindful of before commencing your block of training:

1. Structured Training Plan: A structured training plan can incorporate different types of runs, such as long runs, tempo runs, interval sessions and recovery runs. It’s a good idea to space these throughout your week to allow for rest and recovery, and so they fit around other aspects of your life like work and play. It’s important to have this balance. This plan prevents over-training and will allow your body to adapt to the increasing demands of running.
2. Cross-Training and Strength Training: I would say that almost 90% of the injured runners that come into the clinic do NOT do strength training. It is important to not solely focus on running. Cross training helps to prevent those pesky overuse injuries and provides some variety to your training block. In addition, including strength training to build muscle strength and stability, especially in the core, hips, knees and ankles will help improve your runs to support your joints, promote positive movement patterns and improve your running efficiency. Pilates can be a great way to have an active recovery session whilst targeting some of those key running areas but there are many other cross-training options as well.
3. Listen to Your Body and be Proactive: As well as a lack of strength training, a lot of the time I see runners pushing themselves too hard too quick! Don’t ignore any signs of pain, discomfort, or fatigue during your training. This doesn’t always mean injury but may be a sign that some rest and recovery days are in order. Consulting your Physiotherapist can also help to answer any questions you may have about your aches and niggles. As insignificant as these may seem your body will thank you for being proactive with your training! Getting on top of these concerns can help you get back to hitting the pavement sooner and achieving those running goals.

Here are my quick tips:

• Start with small, little runs and gradually work up to the bigger distances.
• If needed, take a rest day off! At the end of the day, it’s your body and you know it best. If you feel you need a day off… Take it!

4. Running will NOT wear out your knees: Now this one I have heard so many times! There is evidence that running can often help prevent and treat knee osteoarthritis. Pain is often caused by muscle imbalances rather than the joint itself. Exercise helps to lubricate the joint.

1. Step Count…  counts a lot!!!:  In the age of smartwatches and smartphones, counting your cadence (steps per minute) is easier than ever. A study by Heiderscheit et al 2011 proved that even a 5% increase in step rate can lead to a 20% reduction in energy absorption at the level of the knee. To simplify… higher step rate means less load which can lead to less pain! So many people with knee pain experienced a positive change in symptoms with just this one little tip!

Let’s delve a little bit deeper into some of the more specific concepts of running that will really make a significant impact on your training.

Good Proprioception is imperative for optimal running technique. But what is proprioception??

Proprioception is defined as your awareness of your body in space. A person with normal proprioception does not need to look at their hand to know that their fingers are bent; the sensory receptors in our muscles, tendons and joints give the brain this information without any effort on our part. Good proprioception is one of the best tools a runner must use to remain injury-free or recover from an existing injury. When running, we subconsciously rely on our lower extremity proprioceptors to relay information about any irregularity in the surface we are running on. This is especially true for those who run on uneven surfaces, like dirt, gravel or sand. With good proprioception comes enhanced responsiveness and greater awareness on these uneven surfaces.

How does it work?

Proprioception works off three systems: our sight, feedback from our sensory receptors and vestibular system. Our eyes provide us with visual information of our surroundings therefore any obstruction to this input, such as reduced lighting, decreases the effectiveness of this system. The vestibular system aids us in motion, head position and spatial orientation due to the semi-circular canals within the inner ear. Finally, our sensory input comes from our muscles, tendons and joints.

How does it help improve running?

Proprioception in the foot and ankle are vital for walking and running by providing the correct foot position appropriate for the ground, whether that be inversion, eversion, dorsiflexion or plantarflexion. The more we practice and improve our proprioception the less over correcting our muscles in our legs do to result in a more stable ankle. This stability in the ankle results in more stability in the knee and hip so starting at our foundations will influence the entire chain up the body. Improving the efficiency of the ankle joint stability muscles will result in less energy being wasted and reduced muscle strains which lead to injuries. Not only are we decreasing our injury risk, but we are also improving our stride pattern and running efficacy.

How to improve it?

Fortunately, there are exercises to add into your routine that can improve proprioception. Some simple exercises include standing on one leg. The key is to perform this little and often throughout the day which is why we suggest performing these exercises around your daily activities such as brushing your teeth or when waiting for the kettle to boil. If you find it all too easy, then try with your eyes closed and feel the difference. Balance boards and Bosu balls can help runners challenge and strengthen their balance system while increasing strength and stability.

What about leg length discrepancy? Is this going to affect my running?

Worry not, as this is something that we can address at Bend + Mend. We often hear about leg length discrepancies affecting back and leg pain, but how does this affect people’s running?

Typically, in clinic leg length is measured by measuring between two bony landmarks in your hips measuring down towards a bony landmark in your ankles. However, this is often rife with mistakes and not the best clinic measure. It can be affected by the way the patient is lying on the bed, is often done lying down which can be different to a standing position or poor technique used by the clinician themselves. To combat this, it is recommended to do two or three measurements in the same session or even better done between two different clinicians. The most accurate way is to be measured via X-ray or CT scan.

When a leg length discrepancy is found, it then must be identified whether this is within the normal limits or abnormal. Typically, a difference of:

• 0-1 CMS requires no intervention or treatment.
• 1-2 CMS should be managed with conservative management like heel inserts or orthotics.
• 2-5+ CMS require more in-depth treatments including potential surgeries.

So, then what if you do define a variance in leg length? A study performed in 2020 by Vogt B at al, points out some key points regarding to leg length.

1. There may be a link between the difference in leg length and osteoarthritis of the knee but with regards to back pain it was not a significant factor.
2. There is not sufficient evidence to indicate the need for treatment based solely on measurements of leg length.
3. The clinically affected movements are those done on two legs (I.e. squatting or prolonged standing).

Regarding running specifically, it is an activity that is typically only done on one leg, meaning that the effect of a leg length discrepancy should be less. In a 2018 study by Rauh MJ et al, of almost 400 high school runners, they found that a difference of over 1.5cms were at a more likelihood to develop a lower leg running injury.

So, in summary, some form of leg length discrepancy can be normal. It will mostly affect your double leg activities but not always will cause pain or issues with them. Upwards of 2cms can be managed sometimes conservatively or in extreme cases with surgery. When it comes to running each runner must be assessed individually. As I always encourage, strengthening and motor control can be great methods of reducing injury. Although leg length may play a factor in injury, making sure you have appropriate strength and control, as well as appropriately loading will play a large factors in rehabilitation or preventing injury.

What about tracking my runs? Is this something that I should be doing?

Why track your runs

The majority of running injuries come from overuse, which is pushing your body beyond what it is capable of for a prolonged period. This can of course improve over time but is particularly important at the beginning of your training period/running journey. Another reason is to track your improvements. It is one thing to feel yourself improve with runs, but it is very satisfying to back it up with statistics.

What do I look for?

Whether you are tracking your runs on a phone or a fancy running watch, there are a few things that you should look out for.

1. The Basic Stats (Pace, time, distance)

These are the core principles of your run, measuring your simple statistics. One important thing to note is when you are progressing your running, only increase one of these at a time. For example, if you want to run a further distance, only do it at the same speed.

1. Cadence

Only some devices will be able to measure this, but cadence is the number of steps you are taking per minute. When it comes to knee and hip pain, this is a very important measure to help to decrease your pain.

1. Heart rate

Again, only some device will be able to track this metric, but measuring your heart run through a run can be helpful in measuring your overall effort. Typically done with more advance and long-distance runners, putting your heart rates into zones can be a more effective way of measuring your effort rather than pace/time.

The long and short of it, although not a make-or-break element of running, having a clear idea of your own personal statistics can be helpful in being able to ward of injury and improve your performance.

Should I taper before a run?

If you have been preparing for a long-distance race with a training program, usually the last two or so weeks of training involve drastically reducing your training load. This is known as your taper period. For a lot of runners, particularly if you’ve been training hard, the thought of reducing your training can be a scary one. So today I’ll discuss the different types of tapering and whether it is beneficial on race day.

The two main types of tapering for a race are as follows:

• Progressive Non-linear Taper

This form of tapering involves a progressive decrease in training load over time. This requires having enough time to drop your training load down but feels often like a more manageable method of tapering.

• Step Taper

In the clinic I find this the more common form of tapering. Often referenced in training programs, it is often a quicker method of slowing down but can sometimes feeling a bit sudden for some runners.

So, then it begs the question, which one is better?

I think it depends on your training program. If your training program has been rather ‘express’, then getting as many kilometres in as possible with a week of step taper at the end is probably best. If you have had a good long training program with no interruptions, then a progressive taper is better. From a research point of view a progressive taper is more beneficial to performance then step taper.

Make sure your taper covers both training volume and training frequency. Training volume can be reduced by around 50-70% while still helping the runner maintain or even in some cases slightly improve training induced adaptations. Whereas for training frequency, a decrease should be no more than 20%. The evidence suggests that training intensity should be similar during your taper as in your normal training program.

An effective running and strength training will be far more important in regard to injury prevention and race performance; however a good effective taper can really help in getting your across that finish line on race day!

At Bend + Mend we offer running assessments where you can have your running style, technique and any associated injury assessed and treated. If you would like more information on how to improve your running or if you have any questions of any of the points raised, book in for an appointment with one of our experienced Physiotherapists at Bend + Mend.