Your muscles are going to ache during training. Foam rollers are effective in helping you roll out these sore spots. Using your body weight to lean into a roller in a particular spot can relieve pain and ease muscle tightness in a way that stretching cannot, especially in your hips, quads and calves. Another popular tool to roll out sore muscles is The Stick. With this tool, you exert pressure through the apparatus, while rolling it up and down against a sore muscle.
For tough-to-reach areas, like your feet or back, rolling them against a golf ball or tennis ball can do the trick. While you can accomplish pain relief with a foam roller at home, a massage therapist can often push your muscles further than you would on your own. A sports massage is not a relaxing massage, but it is designed to break up knots. It may hurt a little bit in the process, so communicate with your massage therapist if something hurts too much.
Look for a professional who has earned a certificate in sports massage therapy, but if you find yourself sore or bruised three days after a massage, find another practitioner.
If you are sick above your neck — a head cold, sinus infection or allergies — you can most likely run and be fine. Get better first, then be on your way. Not sure if you feel up to it? Run a half mile. When training for a marathon, you are certain to have your days of soreness and fatigue. A lot of small pains and soreness can be resolved with rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Use the acronym R. Taking time off may make you anxious and worried about hitting your goals, but your top priority should be to get to the starting line healthy. If that means taking two or three days off to rest a sore hip or a turned ankle, so be it.
Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon, which is what attaches bone to muscle. Tendonosis is more extensive damage to that tendon. These injuries can happen almost anywhere in the lower body for runners, but common spots are hips and feet.
If you have either of these you will feel a dull ache, especially when you try to move the affected joint. The Fix: Since these injuries are caused by overuse, rest can help. So can strengthening the muscles in the affected area so they place less stress on the tendon. Tendonosis typically requires longer periods of rest and may end your training. If you try to run through it, tendonosis can often lead to a stress fracture.
Stress fractures occur when a muscle is so fatigued it stops absorbing the stress that running puts on your body. Instead, that job is sent to the bones. With too much stress, the bone fractures a little. For runners, stress fractures can happen anywhere along the lower body, from your pelvis down to your feet.
They are much more common in women, especially if they are not menstruating, said Dr. Stress fractures will cause localized pain when you run and sometimes when you walk. They are often caused by running too much without sufficient rest, increasing intensity too quickly or running on a hard surface, like concrete. The Fix: Rest.
No way around it, said Weber. Stress fractures require significant time off and will end your training. It will cause pain under your knee that is difficult to pinpoint and can feel worse after sitting for a prolonged period of time.
It can also be caused by weak muscles in your thighs or tightness in the hamstring or calves. The Fix: Stretching can help lengthen your hamstrings and calves.
Strength training exercises for the quads and hamstrings can also help. Sometimes called IT-band syndrome for short, iliotibial band syndrome is an inflammation of the ligament that runs from your thigh to your shin. The Fix: Rest, along with stretching or strengthening the hips, quadriceps and gluteous muscles can help.
Try the one-legged hip raise! Running on an angled street can create an imbalance between your legs that causes your IT band to stretch, causing this syndrome. Take your runs to flatter ground. Plantar fasciitis is a common foot pain caused by inflammation in the band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes.
If the underside of your foot screams when you take your first morning steps, you have most likely developed plantar fasciitis. The Fix: Stretching your feet will usually help. You can also wear a splint at night to keep your foot stretched as you sleep. Compression socks can also contribute when they add too much pressure to your toes. The Fix: Affected toenails eventually fall off, so be patient.
In the meantime, find better-fitting shoes. See a podiatrist or physician for advice. Blisters can happen as a result of poorly fitting shoes. They can also occur when you start to increase your speed or distance. Vlahovic says to leave the outer skin of the blister on because it protects the raw skin underneath. You can also apply lubricant like Body Glide to your feet before running. Medical tape can also help. Jen A. Miller is the author of "Running: A Love Story. Twitter: byJenAMiller.
How to Set a Goal Do you want to set a personal record or just finish? Get More Running Tips From Well Our weekly email for runners delivers practical tips, expert advice, exclusive content and a bit of motivation to your inbox to help you on your running journey. Your email address Sign up now. October 30, Training for the Marathon on 1. Strength Training Strength training is an essential part of training for a time-based marathon. Build Muscle Efficiently It can be hard to find the time to lift weights when you are already running four or six days a week.
One-Legged Hip Raise This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius muscle around your hips to increase your lateral stability, preventing hip injuries from the constant pounding of the road. One-Legged Hip Raise A good exercise to strengthen your glutes, abdominals and lower back. Deadlift and Front Raise This is a great all-in-one exercise that engages your lower back, hips, shoulders and upper back. Deadlift and Front Raise This exercise targets your lower back, hamstrings, biceps and triceps.
Knee Tucks The previous exercises strengthen the muscles that support running, but this one directly works the muscles used when you run. Knee Tucks This challenging exercise builds your hip and abdominal muscles.
Mentally, early morning runs take commitment to stick to because it's much easier to hit the snooze button. Benefits: A lunchtime workout is a great way to put some energy back into your day. It fights that afternoon lull so you'll be able to finish the day with more focus. In a study from the University of Illinois, researchers found that a short aerobic workout boosted brainpower.
If you're not a morning person, an afternoon run won't pull away from that extra hour of sleep or that time at home after work. Drawbacks: Time is limited during the lunch hour, so you'll have to be efficient and plan ahead by packing your gym clothes and nutrition needs beforehand. You might not be able to get in your intense or long runs during this time. More : 25 Healthy Snacks for Runners.
More Running Articles. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Cancel Yes. Join Active or Sign In. All rights reserved. Go Premium. Until the morning habit is hardwired into your brain—and you feel as if something is wrong if you don't run—give yourself incentives to achieve consistency. If you're not fully in the morning spirit yet, the worst thing you can do is run the same course morning after morning.
Doing so may only add to the ennui you're already feeling. To mix things up, plan your morning run the night before, determining how far and how long you'll run. You can map a route in advance using Google Maps, finding new landmarks to visit or hills to conquer.
There are even mapping apps you can download onto your phone that provides topographic details of a planned route. The more you keep things fresh, the more enjoyable the morning habit will be. Finding a running partner is great because it obligates you to keep with the program.
If you usually run by yourself, try recruiting a friend or family member to join you, even alternating days with different partners. If you enjoy running in packs, you can find or even start a running group through Meetup or Facebook. However, when selecting a partner, be sure to find someone who is of a similar fitness level.
If you and your partner don't match up, it could be embarrassing for the slower partner and frustrating for the faster one. Be selective, and don't let exercise get in the way of a good friendship.
It is never good to run on an empty stomach. After a long night's sleep, you are in a fasted state and have little to draw upon in the way of energy. If you head out the door having eaten nothing all, you may feel weak and nauseated. Worst yet, you may convince yourself that you're "not made for morning runs," when, in fact, you're not feeding yourself properly.
Rather than heading straight for the door, take a moment to grab some quick energy foods , such as a banana, breakfast bar, or slice of toast with peanut butter. By eating the right foods, you won't risk overeating and feeling ill.
After 7—8 hours of sleep, your body will already be partially dehydrated. Running without replenishing your fluids is a big mistake.
While you certainly don't want water sloshing around in your stomach, 6—8 cups won't usually cause you any discomfort if you give it a few minutes to settle. You can also bring an electrolyte-rich sports drink with you to sip along the route.
The general rule of the thumb is to drink 3—6 fluid ounces for every mile you run. As such, when planning your morning route, you may need to pinpoint restrooms along the way so that you are not forced to run home with a bursting bladder. It is important to remain safe when on your morning runs, especially during daylight savings time when the sun is rising late.
To ensure you are fully seen in traffic, wear reflective clothing able to catch the headlights of approaching vehicles. These include jackets, vests, hats, and even running shoes. The best products have bold neon colors that glow in the dark.
There are even some with flashing lights you can switch on and switch off. When running on your own, never leave without your cell phone. Always carry some sort of identification with you, such as a health insurance card or an ID bracelet.
You can even download an emergency app, like Kitestring , which contacts all of your emergency numbers at once and provides them with your GPS location. For safety's sake, it is better to run with others if it is dark outside. If you do run alone, keep to the busier, well-lit public streets until the sun is fully up and other runners are around you.
Whether you're looking to run faster, further, or just start to run in general, we have the best tips for you. Sign up and become a better runner today! American Sleep Association. Wilson PB. Sports Basel.
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