Avoid injury in the lead up to City2Surf
Unfortunately, many of us will experience an injury during the course of the training but the good news is a lot of the injuries we pick up are preventable . If you want to get to the start-line in one piece and avoid missing any training time firstly it is good to know if you are at risk of getting an injury and if so how to practice injury prevention.
Part 1: Am I at risk of getting an injury?
There are many factors that may contribute to picking up an injury and the following are some of the most likely reasons to watch out for:
Training error
Research suggest that 60-70% of running related injuries are due to training error. The most common error is “too much, too soon”. That is, a sudden change in volume and/or intensity. Our bodies need time to adapt to the increase in kilometers so any increase in weekly mileage should be done gradually.
Previous injury
A history of previous injury (this can be related or unrelated to running). An injury sustained in the last 12 months may make you more susceptible to picking up another injury.
A high Body Mass Index (BMI)
Increased BMI is associated with increased risk of injury. You have a 30% increased risk of sustaining a running related injury if your BMI is more than 25kg/m2 compared to those with a BMI of <25kg/m2.
Poor movement control and running technique
The way we run can be a significant influencing factor in running injuries. A person with an inefficient running action is more likely to a suffer an injury than someone with good mechanics.We now know that some movement patterns are linked to injury. For example, excessive hip adduction (where the knee falls or moves inwards towards the other leg) is a risk factor for ITB and Knee pain.
Lack of appropriate muscle strength
Often when we plan our training schedule we can make the mistake of focusing purely on the running. Lack of strength can mean reduced resilience to repetitive loading in some tissues. Strength training can lower your risk of injury and may also benefit your performance.Stay tuned for Part 2!To improve your running technique and reduce your risk of injury, enquire about our running assessment service.