Gearing up for a marathon or half marathon this year? Feeling a little lost regarding your training regimen and hydration recommendations? Look no further than this week’s blog post, which is part I of a two-part series examining both training and hydration recommendations to keep you in optimal shape for your big races this year.
Training Recommendations
There are many different training programs on the internet, but which one is right for you? Though the answer to this question is individualized, taking into consideration a number of factors, there are some general guidelines for training that are beneficial for runners of all levels. Initially, one of the biggest recommendations for training was to avoid increasing weekly mileage by greater than 10% per week. Though this could still be beneficial for some novice runners, this gradual increase might be too slow for more experienced runners. New insight that came out in 2014, indicates that biweekly mileage increases should be no more than 30% in order to keep injury risk down. This newer rule can be applied more generally to runners of different levels. Both of these recommendations are great ways to make it to the starting line while working towards preventing injury.
In addition to monitoring running load, it is also important to monitor cross-training. Many patients coming in for injuries sustained while marathon training does not appear to have adequate strengthening built into their regimens. Some online running programs suggest cross-training to include cycling and swimming or activities such as yoga. While these are great activities that are low impact and keep a person moving, they fail to provide adequate strength gains to support a person’s running. Therefore, it is important to build in at least 3 days of strength training per week in addition to running. This includes lifting weights for the upper body, lower body, and core that are heavier than bodyweight variations. Proper strengthening can only happen at loads of at least 60% of a person’s one repetition max. Strengthening activities help to better disperse forces through the muscles of your body rather than through the joints. This leads to decreased risk of injury and more time spent running pain-free.
How Can a Physical Therapist Help?
Though a sports physical therapist can help someone recover from an injury and get back on the race course, we can also do plenty of things to help prevent injury and enhance performance. For example, after a thorough assessment, a sports physical therapist can develop a customized strength and conditioning program for athletes to supplement their running while training for a big race. This program would include areas that a person may need to work on, such as strength, flexibility, and/or mobility. A sports physical therapist can also perform a video gait analysis to determine if there are factors during someone’s running that predispose them to injury. If you are suffering from an injury, have experienced some aches and pains along your training path, or simply want to work to prevent injury, please reach out to a dedicated member of the Set Physical Therapy Team. We are happy to help at any stage of your race training.
