Running Intensively & Being Injury-Free: A Facts-Backed, Anecdotal View

Image by Terry Tan.

RUNNING 60km week by week can be a heavy loading experience.

The common refrain is that running intensively can hurt your knees, and it sticks in countless conversations.

Can one truly stay injury-free by committing to such a training regime? I was asked by a few folks about this because this is what I do for the past years.

There’s no sign of stopping for me. Fortunately, no injury strikes so far.

I’m not an expert on my personal fitness, but there is a good deal of factors I can deduce from probable, rational and anecdotal standpoints.

As we all know, no one factor can by itself be a cause of a significant outcome. A result usually materialises from the convergence of various circumstances.  

So take it as you will whilst considering the following points:

 

Minimalist shoes and style of running

Image by Terry Tan.

There was a time when barefoot running and the infamous Vibram FiveFingers are the rage. And then Hokas and maximalist shoes became the next big thing — thus, the era of footwear that weighs like a brick is born.

I still swear by the minimalist way, and had run with Hokas; yes, they really feel like a brick. For me, minimalism is the most natural approach to running, as I enjoy years of light-footed movement without an injury.

This is precisely why minimalist footwear is created. That they can help mitigate or even prevent injuries are pinpointed to them allowing a low-impact gait (by which runners land on the midfoot or forefoot) and having a lightweight build.

That said, the minimalist/forefoot/midfoot way is NOT a foolproof solution. Between this and heel strikers, there are specific injuries that each group are prone to. Heel strikers were found to be more susceptible to knee injuries, while mid- and forefoot strikers had increased chances of hurting their ankle or Achilles tendon.

It’s a matter of people being physiologically different from each other when it comes to running style — I simply found a way of running that works for me.

 

Core muscles    

Image by unknown.

Remember, though, as much as running is itself an exercise, it is not The Exercise which you will only live by. Work is also required for the core muscles, which act as shock absorbers for the repetitive pounding on concrete. Without these firm pounds of flesh, the impact of landing hits straight at leg joints and the low back, and the likelihood of injuries rises.

My core workouts consist of push-ups, pull-ups, hanging leg raises, sit-ups, squats and deadlifts.

Sure, they may not be the set of core exercises commonly prescribed for runners; it is probably safe to argue that they collectively scale up the cores, which become tougher assets to bear the rigours of running.   

 

Running speed

Image by Terry Tan.

I had assumed that since I don’t really do speedwork in my training, I’m spared from injuries that are incurred from going faster and landing harder.

But if one study by the University of Maryland is to be taken at face value, running fast more often may not give you stress fracture  — on the contrary, moving slow could.

How is that the case? According to the study, it was discovered that slow-paced running — and not fast running — leads to the most tibial load.

As it is explained:

“...when the runners went easy, they took shorter strides, and thus were on the ground more often than when they were going fast. That meant that there was more opportunity for impact since the runners were hitting the ground more often… Running at a normal, or moderate, pace actually caused less cumulative tibia load than running the same distance in fast or slow speeds.”

My moderate/normal pace would probably be 6+ min/km to 6:40+ min/km, which is the range I usually function in. This may have saved me from some hurt, but the jury is perhaps still out on this issue.  

 

Running surface

Image by Terry Tan.

Most of my runs were done on a mix of asphalt (park connector paths) and concrete (pavements) surfaces.

Concrete is supposedly the most adverse of all surfaces since “the ground doesn’t absorb any of the shock that travels through a runner’s feet, knees, hips and lower back,” Timothy Noakes, author of “Lore of Running” says. This can therefore result in a higher possibility of injury.

The impact of concrete on my legs may have been offset by my running on asphalt-surfaced park connectors. This, together with a proper running form and strong core muscles, would have concerted toward a lower chance of injury.    

As an Advanced Orthopaedic Centers article points out, asphalt is usually “soft and level” and exerts “less strain” on the Achilles tendon, thus “making it one of the better running surfaces.”

However, it should also be noted that running on asphalt and other surfaces — grass, sand and rubber track — does not spare runners from injuries.

Grass, for example, can produce 25% more shock “to the body than running on asphalt,” the same article states. And soft sand can raise the risk of injury to the Achilles tendon.  

 

Food consumption

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It’s common knowledge that what you eat has a significant influence on how your body grows. For the runner with a regular training schedule, nutrition is going to have a huge part in their development.

I don’t strictly keep track of my daily diet, but it’s safe to say I should at least receive decent levels of calories, fats and calcium in my system.

A sufficient amount of calories can prevent your muscles from cannibalising themselves — an event known as a catabolic state. The harms of catabolism entail the interference of tissue repair, thus hampering muscle recovery and increasing the likelihood of injury.

Fats can contribute to the formation of cell membranes that can endure damage during workouts, while some types of fats can aid in mitigating injuries.

Calcium is crucial in reducing the chances of bone strains and stress fractures.

 

Never dependent on one factor

As I have previously suggested, I don’t believe my injury-free condition, despite my ‘intensive’ running schedule, is contingent on one big factor.

A multitude of factors, I opine, is part of the larger scheme that ensures I can get my legs out the next day with little hitches.

But who knows; there might be an X-Men athlete out there who can emerge unscathed from the most damaging workout without adhering to any of these factors.

For the rest of us normal folks, it’s all about stepping out of the door with some cautious allowance for trial and error.

Not wanting to risk an injury is simply an excuse.