Ready to Run? 6 Tips to Get Started

Whether you are new to running, or an avid marathon runner, here are some tips to keep you on the road this spring!

Tip 1: Wear running shoes. Not all sneakers are equal! When running, you need footwear designed specifically for running. There are 3 major classes of running shoe (Venables):

• Cushioned shoes, also called neutral shoes are for those with less than 5 degrees of pronation
• Stability shoes are for those with 5-10 degrees of pronation
• Motion control shoes for those with greater than 10 degrees of pronation

Pronation refers to the degree to which your arch rolls in while running. Most running stores can offer an initial assessment; if not, check with the running health providers in your area to see if they provide screens.  Most runners will start with a neutral or stability shoe.

In terms of shoe length, marathon distance runners require a thumbnail’s width of space from the longest toe to the front of the shoe; short distance runners can have a little less length (Venables). There are many shoe variations available for the advanced runner, but these tips should help get you started.

Regardless of your running experience, you should generally replace your shoes every 300-500 miles (Venables)

Tip 2: Consider the surface. Running surfaces are a known factor in contributing to running injuries (Wen). Cement sidewalks are 5x harder than asphalt (Wen). Roads with a slope in them can also provoke muscle imbalances if you run the same path frequently. Running on grass will decrease the impact force, but it can be uneven and take up more energy.

So what is the right answer? If you have access to a local school or community track, this is likely to be your best bet. If not, certainly use what you have access to, but vary your path to avoid building up muscle imbalances from running the same curves and slopes all the time. If you are on a track, be sure to select days where you can alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise runs.

Tip 3: Warm up. Your warm up should be approximately 5-10 minutes in duration and your heart rate should be under your anaerobic threshold (Clark, et al). You can gain an estimate of your anaerobic threshold by calculating 180-your age (Maffetone). For example, if you are 40 years old, your estimated anaerobic threshold is 140 beats/minute.

You should also include dynamic movements in your warm up such as leg swings and arm circles; save your static/stationary stretches for post workout (Gallas; Heiderscheit & Straker)

Tip 4: Log your mileage, speed, and duration. > 40 miles/week, high intensity, and rapid increases in mileage or intensity > 10%/week have all been associated with increased risk of common running injuries (Wen).

Creating a log can help you to know if you are staying within the 10% rule. Your speed is one way of gauging intensity, but you could also use your rate of perceived exertion or heart rate if you are more familiar with these methods.

Tip 5: Film a few steps from the side view. Ideally, you can get a running analysis at your local running store or with your allied health providers in town. If not, grab a friend, or set your cell phone to record and run in front of it so that it captures your side view.

Instead of focusing on what part of your foot hits the ground first, focus more on where the foot is compared to the knee when it hits the ground. If your foot is striking the ground in front of the line of your knee, this is called an overstride. Overstriding has many associations with higher ground reaction forces to the bones, joints, and ligaments, as well as higher risks for injury (Heiderscheit & Straker).

Increase running cadence to decrease overstride with running

Figure 1 (Norman): Overstride (Red) vs. proper alignment at foot strike (green)

If you find an overstride, you can correct this by increasing your cadence. Cadence refers to the number of times your foot strikes the ground in a minute. This is different than your running speed. Speed refers to your miles per hour.

Tip 6: Calculate your cadence. Set a timer for 30 seconds. Count every time your right foot hits the ground within that 30 seconds. Multiple the number by 4. This is your cadence. For example, if your right foot hits the ground 30 times within 30 seconds, then 30 x 4 = 120. Your cadence would be 120.

While there are methods that advocate 180 as an optimal cadence, this is not always true for every individual. However, if you found that you overstride and have a cadence < 180, then increasing your cadence can help to decrease this stride length (Heiderschiet & Straker).

Once you know your cadence, you can practice cadence training. To do this, you need either a metronome or a smart phone cadence running app. Start by setting it’s beats per minute to 10% more than your current cadence. During part of your run, turn the app on and try to keep your feet on the beat.  Increase the beats per minute by 10% / week until your overstride has been eliminated (Heiderscheit & Straker).

Need a sample program to get started running safely? Give this one a try! Start by repeating each week’s workout 2-3 times with at least one day off between running workouts; then try to progress to the next level.

(Adapted from Rehabilitation Dept, Brigham and Women’s)

In conclusion, whether you are new to outdoor running, or an experienced runner, I hope you find some of these ideas to be helpful in keeping you on the road this spring! Have a question or comment? Leave us a post! We look forward to hearing from you!

References:

1. Clark M, Sutton B. Lucett S. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. Jones & Bartlett:Burlington, MA. 2014.
2. Gallas J. Functional Rehabilitation and Prevention of Common Running Injuries. Cross Country Education.
3. Heiderscheit B, Straker S. The Running Course: The Next Step. North American Seminars. 2010+ version.
4. Maffetone P. The MAF Heart Rate white paper. 2016. Retrieved from: http://36iusc2tb88y2g492si2bqd1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MAF-WP-Heart-Rate-v1.5.pdf
5. Norman K. Image from: Running Technique 3 Simple cues. Denver Fitness Journal. 2016.
6. Rehabilitation Department. Running Injury Prevention Tips. The Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
7. Venables J. Fitting the running shoe to the patient: Paul Langer, DPM. AMAA Journal. 2005; 18:9-11.
8. Wen DY. Risk factors for overuse injuries in runners. Curr Sports Med Rep 2007; 6:307-313.