This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bucknell chapter.
As the mileage and intensity continue to increase, your muscles and joints are taking more of a beating. You may be battling aches and pains that are common to many distance runners. Some of these minor pains include shins splints, runner’s knee, IT band syndrome, and foot pain. While most of these are common and can be taken care with early treatment, long term and sustained, or sharp and focused pain are reasons to see a doctor.
If you are experiencing any of these common discomforts, there are some easy steps you can take to alleviate the pain during your runs:
- Ice the area that hurts for 10-15 minutes after your run.
- If the pain is in a muscular area, try to heat and stretch more thoroughly before your run.
- In the colder weather, make sure you let your body warm up before a workout. It is also important to wear the appropriate attire to keep your muscles warm throughout a run.
- Running on a softer surface, such as the grass, will alleviate joint pain and shin splints. Even if you don’t have shin or joint pain, try to mix running on the west fields into your routine as prevention for these types of injuries.
- Static stretching after your run can also ease prolonged soreness in muscles.
- Look into purchasing one of these for painful hotspots: http://www.power-systems.com/s-67-foam-rollers.aspx?gclid=CJDGqMqFqKwCFYHe4AodJhjG3A.
Week 5
Beginner:
- Challenge yourself to run six days this week. Four of the days, you should still run around 4 miles. One day will be a longer distance run between 6-7 miles. You can do this run at a slower pace to ensure you make the longer distance. The last run should be an easy 3 miler. (Next week, get ready to step it up again with your first speed workout!)
- Don’t worry about cross training this week. Your body needs to adjust to the extra day of running.
- Instead of going to the gym for an extra day of cardio, turn that day into an extra day of gym work. On the days that you run around 4 miles, try to go to the gym and do some of the weightlifting exercises you have been doing. If your body feels extra fatigued, don’t be afraid to lower the weight.
- More than ever, your body needs a day of complete rest and relaxation.
Intermediate:
- If the beginners increase to six days this week, it only makes sense for you to bridge that extra day as well. Four of the runs should be easy 5 mile runs. Shoot for a longer fifth run around 7 miles. Keep the pace easy. The extra day should be an easy 3-4 mile reprieve from your longer days. (Just like the beginners, intermediates will experience a speed workout next week!)
- Take a week off of the cardio machines. If you want to replace the sixth day of running with cross training, do 10 minutes for every mile you would have run. For example, if you switch out the 3 mile run, make sure to bike for 30 minutes. However, you should NOT run and cross train on the same day.
- This week, try to combine the weight workouts with the non-weight workouts we have previously. Throughout the week, appropriate two gym days to upper body workouts, and two days for lower body workouts. Your shorter days would be the best days to do your lifting.
- It is important to let yourself recover with a day off.
Advanced:
- Try to run 6 times this week. Three of your days will be easy, 5 miles runs. One of your days should be a long run around 8 miles. Take this run slow in order to get all of the mileage in. The fifth day of running will be a simulated “race day.” Take the first ten minutes to run easy and let your body warm up. For the middle 25 minutes, try to run at the pace you think you would run for a 5k. Use the pace calculator we showed you to figure out your pace. Take the last ten minutes of your run to cool down. The day after the workout, make your run very short and easy, somewhere around 3-4 miles.
- For the weight activities this week, try to do three days of actual weighted exercises. Devote one day to leg exercises. Use the leg press and calf raises machine. Use free weights to do lunges and standing dead lifts. On the other two days, use the bench press machine and lat pull downs machine. Try to even things out by using free weights for bicep curls, tricep extensions, and shoulder press. On a fourth day, try to go to a yoga class for your legs. Yoga builds lean muscle through the sustained exercises.
- Be sure to take a day off from physical activity.