Staying injury-free while training for the big stuff

There’s a phrase I like to use when describing the difference between training and competing over the ultramarathon distance: 

Getting to the start line is physical – getting to the finish line is mental and emotional.

As more and more people take up the challenge of running longer and running longer off road the waiting lists for the big races are expanding. Why should you bother to add your name to an already big list? Because a hefty proportion of those entered will get sick or injured in the build up and not even get a sniff of the start line. As the race distance goes up, the challenge of being really ready becomes an increasingly precarious balancing act – especially if you’re a normal mortal who has to work for a living/look out for a family and does this running lark out of free choice. 

That’s most of us then.

The trick, I believe, is to strive to be healthy first and fit second. We all know people who are fit as butcher’s dogs but fundamentally unhealthy – and that, my friend, is not the model we’re after here. Health will give us reserves to draw on which we need during the race – especially over the very long distances - and more importantly after the race so we can recover quickly and go do it all again with a smile! 

What follows here is my experience from the world of ultra distance racing which means that the lessons have been learned the hard way and the principles often tested to destruction. Whether your aspirations are 20 or 200km, I believe there will be something of value for you here. The only way to be sure? Be prepared to experiment.

The Usual Suspects

I’m going to assume that you’ve got at least a passing acquaintance with the usual suspects called on to aid recovery after a hard session or a race – and just to be clear, I’m talking about this lot:

Now you can find science to support all of these to one degree or another. 

For me and the folks I work with we’ve gone through a pick-and-mix process to find those that really do the job and fit into our priorities/lifestyle.

If you want to know more about any of these, well that’s a separate article. In my experience I can tell you that they all have a place when trying to stay injury free as you are beefing up the miles.

Neither am I going to talk about food choices and sleep patterns here. They too have a role to play.

And finally, I am not going to cover emotional stress either. (Completely different to the physical stress needed as part of a progressive training plan if we are to have any hope of improving). If there’s a bunch of tough stuff going on in one part of your life then you can – unless you’re world class at doing compartmentalization or are made of stone a la Lance Armstrong – expect leakage into another part of your life. 

Believe me, I know.

Whether that’s workplace or lifestyle in origin matters not a jot: If we’re focused on something we can’t control or part of our life is out of alignment/we’re adjusting to a big change for any period of time, then because we are one physical-mental-emotional unit the symptoms may well manifest themselves in our running. That could be something specific like sore quads or just feeling like we’re running through treacle.

So there you have it: Do the post-run stuff, nail the food choices, get enough rest and sort your life out. Or, if you want to approach it from the other end: Run lots of easy miles in locations that inspire you and you’ll find that everything else slots into place behind that.

If I left it there then this would be a complete cop-out as a piece of informative writing, so this article WILL look briefly at two training techniques, one alternative use of races, and one mindset which in my experience as a coach and competitor can really make a difference – and yet most people miss ‘em.

Back To Back Training

Instead of a  3 hour single outing make that 2 x 1.5 hours – or 2 + 1 hours spread either end of the same day or evening and morning of two consecutive days. Three main advantages:

*Great for ultras where a race is checkpoint to checkpoint and lingering in relative comfort is a real temptation. 

Stealth Ninja Mode

How quietly can you run? Have you ever really paid attention? In my experience there is a direct correlation between noise and efficiency. And if you are mechanically efficient there is less stress and strain going through your body’s systems. And if there’s less stress and strain…you get more miles out of the tank and those miles are easy miles. 

I mean, you’ve run with people who appear to be stamping holes in the ground with every footfall, right? Think about the shock going back through their legs and braking effect they are having to overcome multiple times over every mile. And then there’s loose kit flapping about and accessories with a high faff factor – and boy are there a lot of lovely running accessories available now! You may be able to put up with that over 5km but over 40km plus? Guaranteed to drive you or the people running with you nuts.