Pen Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 what are your --or an athlete in your family's-- best exercises, nutrition, or other approaches to avoiding injuries and strengtheniing these parts of body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 Follow the 10% rule when adding on mileage - don't add more than 10% of your weekly mileage at once to avoid injuries. Listen to your body and rest if you feel an injury. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 I just had my feet assessed by a podiatrist following a foot injury. She says I have a congenital twist in one foot that can be balanced with orthotics. Apart from that, I have used the strength and stretching exercises from these pages http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/knee-exercises.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/how-to-stretch-after-a-run.aspx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 Keep nails clipped. Wear good fitting shoes that come from actual running stores. On long runs (half marathon and above) nails may turn black and fall off. If they do, try to keep them on as long as possible with bandaids so that a new nail might grow underneath. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plagefille Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 Good running shoes! Get evaluated at a running store for shoes for your feet and gait. Also, running on sifter surfaces like grass, rubberized tracks, can be softer in your body than the road. And cross training is great. Addimg something Swimming and biking are great ways to help build up endurance without the pounding. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 CEP compression socks. Once I discovered them, I wore them every run. For sure, any run over 5-10 miles (or whatever your longer runs of the week are). They are truly, honestly, completely miraculous. Compression socks after long runs for half a day is also awesome. For me, that was reserved for runs over 15 miles or so. When I was running most days, I ended up needing 4 pair to always have a clean pair. (I'd wear one pair for a run, and then after bathing, if it was a really long run, I'd put on a clean pair for the rest of the day.) Ice post run if anything hurts and do it preventatively on your super long runs (for me, anything over 15 miles or so when I was in marathon training). I love, love, love the Mueller wraps. They allow you to ice and compress at one time, and you can still do your stuff/drive/whatever so you have no excuse not to do it. Get them at Amazon or wherever. Buy two to start. If you love them as much as I do, you might end up wanting 4, so there's always a cold pair in the freezer. https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Cold-Wrap-Elastic-Black/dp/B000F5SWHI/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1506208113&sr=8-1&keywords=mueller+cold+wrap Stretch a lot after the run. Google up some stretches you like and do them for 5-10 minutes after every run, before you get in the car to go home. I always do it at the trailhead, before going home. Don't stretch cold before a run, but if you are having issues, or you stop for a break, stretching anytime once you are 15 min or more into the run is great, too. Moleskin and/or bandaids for blisters. Excellent socks are the best guard against blisters. Remember your feet swell during long runs. This is why most distance runners end up buying running shoes half a size or more larger than their "normal" size. Keep your toe nails really short. On super long runs (4 hours plus), it's common to get black toe nails from the beating against the inside of your shoe. Short toe nails help minimize this. Carry blister-equipment on your runs. I always have a few bandaids on me somewhere, and moleskin, too, for super long runs. Great shoes that fit and are comfortable for you. Running stores will allow you to run-and-return for at least a couple weeks (usually more like a month). Do NOT hesitate to return/exchange a pair if they don't work for you. If a new pair of shoes is making your feet hurt, run, don't walk back to the store! Focus on your cadence. You want to be taking light, quick, soft steps. Ideal tempo is around 180 steps per minute. When my PT/running God taught me this, it changed everything about my legs for the better. I had to run with a metronome for a few weeks (count 1-2-3, NOT 1-2, as you don't want to unevenly emphasize one foot!), but then it became internalized, and I can knock out 180bpm within a couple bpm readily, as I just KNOW it. It is absolutely the key to running health, IMHO. Everything else follows. Your cadence should actually remain the same no matter your speed, just taking shorter steps for slower speeds and longer steps for sprinters. I take really short steps, lol. Despite it being utterly contrary to instinct, the best way to recover from a tough run and sore legs . . . is another run. :) A short, slow run ("recovery run") the day after a killer run is absolutely helpful in minimizing injury and speeding healing. If anything hurts sharply, that's injury, and it's time to stop, walk to the car, and reassess. If it's more of an aching pain or soreness, and the pain subsides over the run, you're cool to keep going. But, if the aching/sore/tender pain is getting worse, then at some point, you've got to bail and . . . walk back to the car. Work up to the long distance slowly. Your cardiovascular system and muscles can be trained a lot faster than your tendons, ligaments, and bones. I find most people get hurt around months 5-12 in their distance quest . .. around the time they approach 10 miles . . . It's easy to go too far too fast when you are enthused. Ideally, take a year to get from 5k to 13 miles. And another year to get to 20+ miles. I went faster than that, but I spent a lot of time and money at the PT. :) Find a fabulous PT who knows a lot about athletes. Ideally, a great runner. They can help you improve your form/style to prevent injuries, and of course, can help you heal when all your best laid plans fail. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 (edited) DH uses a foam roller regularly. I just stretch my hamstrings and IT band every morning in the shower. That has kept my back from seizing up in years, yay! ETA: Hmm, that doesn't address your question though, sorry! Edited September 23, 2017 by SusanC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted September 24, 2017 Author Share Posted September 24, 2017 Thank you for all replies so far! For more specifics, this is a question for me to be able to help my ds better. He just moved from JV cross country to Varsity team, which are 5K races, with that much or more for daily practice running most days. (In spring he runs the longer races for track and field.)H He has had plantar fasciitis problems repeatedly--his doc told him to roll his foot on a tennis ball. It has only helped a little. He gets frequent sprained ankles. His knees are... weird. When I put my hand on them as he moves them they seem to have a ratchet like stiffness and a "crunchy" feeling. He has been getting some painful feelings in an area that I think may be the lateral cruciate ligament. His coach told him to use ice or take an ice bath after running. Ds has not done that. He does do biking and walking and hiking, a lot. Like today he had a race this AM and is now out on a many hour hike. Today he did not complain of problems from his race, which could be in part due to my having gotten him a 3/4 arch support insole which I thought might help the foot pain / plantar fasciitis, and maybe also put his leg in a better position for his knee and ankle. I just ordered two of those Mueller cold wraps. What compression socks are good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted September 24, 2017 Author Share Posted September 24, 2017 DH uses a foam roller regularly. I just stretch my hamstrings and IT band every morning in the shower. That has kept my back from seizing up in years, yay! ETA: Hmm, that doesn't address your question though, sorry! It probably is a part of it. . If the IT band is a problem, where does it hurt? That might be what he was complaining about on the outside part of his knee. Or even if not, it might be that it is somehow related. I expect that hamstrings are related--that some of injury in one spot may be due to tightness or weakness elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted September 24, 2017 Author Share Posted September 24, 2017 Just realized that CEP is the name of the type of compression socks. Thanks! Will order him a pair. How about similar for knees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted September 24, 2017 Share Posted September 24, 2017 (edited) Just realized that CEP is the name of the type of compression socks. Thanks! Will order him a pair. How about similar for knees? CEP is by far the best brand in compression so far as I know. LOVE them. $$ but worth every penny. No compression for knees. They've gotta be free. :) (You could do running compression tights, but fat chance you'll get your teen boy to wear them (well maybe in the winter, lol). That level of compression is largely about muscle recovery/performance, though, as opposed to the socks which are, for me, mostly about supporting the various structures and preventing injury (although they do help with recovery and performance, too) Legs and hips and back, etc are so intertwined that many times an injury one place will *feel* in another and/or actually spread around. Good stretching and overall body health is key. If I were you, I'd get him a really great PT, ideally one who is a serious runner. The PT will be a zillion times more helpful than any MD for this sort of thing. Sports docs are for surgery . . . A good PT can make sure your injury never goes that far. Ask all around for the best running PT, and get him for an evaluation . . . all those weird creaks and aches and pains will be figured out pretty quick by a great PT. Since there's no serious current injury, he won't likely need lots of sessions. Just a good evaluation and maybe a couple follow ups to learn the right stretches and exercises. Changing a shoe, adding a support, etc, can sometimes cause more harm that it does good. A good PT can help him figure out what HE needs, and get him running safely and healthily for a long time. An ounce of prevention . . . you know the rest. :) Edited September 24, 2017 by StephanieZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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