Running injury? Or Running niggle? When should you back off?
On the whole, there are not that many of us who are lucky enough to get through multiple seasons of running training without experiencing some kind of niggle or injury. For triathletes, running is the discipline which induces the most force and impact that we need to experience and control. Typically in the region of 2 to 2.5 times your body weight on each leg, every stride! It is because of this force that it’s worth spending a bit more of your time on conditioning work, and being slightly more conservative when considering training load. Read on to find out how to manage the differences between running injuries and running niggles and when it is wise to back off.
Prevention
Of course, the best solution to any problem is to not let it happen in the first place. You can achieve this by general conditioning work, prehabilitation (which is conditioning specifically aimed at the prevention of injuries), a steady build-up of training load, and ensuring that you recover well (rolling, stretching etc). Everyone is tempted to wait until you have a problem before getting stuck into these kinds of things, but by then you will have already impacted your training. Given the current situation in the world (COVID-19), now is the perfect time to work on this, due to:
a lack of certainty with regards to races
a sensible drop in the intensity and volume of training (to help bolster your immune system) will give you more time and opportunity to fit these sessions in
most people being confined to or encouraged to spend more time at home...which is the perfect place to work on these prevention strategies
Injuries vs niggles…how to decide which is which
So the first thing to determine if you start to get some warning signs, is what actually is it?
A niggle is likely something you’ve noticed before or an old injury that you’ve already worked through making itself known again. It doesn’t really stop you continuing on with your training plan in some form - it’s more annoying that it’s back than anything else, as you’ll have to work around it!
However, as endurance athletes, we all put up with discomfort to some level or another on a regular basis (it’s how we prompt the body to increase its capacity in whatever we are asking it to do). The scale below can help to clarify what you are dealing with - run of the mill and nothing to worry about (1 or 2), maybe keep a close eye on it (3-5), and definitely consider getting a professional opinion (6 or 7):
Tired
Heavy
Stiff
Tight
Sore
Tender
Painful scale
Be aware that some injuries will get worse after a workout (as the muscles are warmed up during exercise), and it could be the following day (or the next!) before the full extent is revealed.
Niggles getting better a few minutes into your activity could well be a sign of tightness. If this is the case then it could be a prompt from your body to improve warm-up, recovery or conditioning routines (or possibly all three!). Often we don’t stretch enough and are mobility and posture compromised for some reason, and this can make itself known at the start of your run.
Niggles and how to manage them
When dealing with something you are certain is a niggle, not an injury, consider the following. Be aware of your limits during training, and if unsure, be cautious. Slightly less training volume/stress for a session or two is much better than an injury and a significant period of zero training. Learn to listen to your body. Training is tough but it shouldn't be painful! If you have one, talk to your coach about how you can manage or adapt your training, but also if there are any exercises you can do to mobilise, activate or strengthen any particular muscle groups that could be contributing factors.
Injuries – what to do
If you think it’s more like an injury, then go and see a professional (but of course still let your coach know!) If you live in the UK, a good starting point is to ask for recommendations for experienced sports physios in your area. Sports physiotherapists, ideally those with specific experience in your sport or discipline in which the injury is causing the issue, will be able to give much more precise and practical guidance. As athletes, we don’t fall into the normal model of the general population that many practitioners will have built up the majority of their experience with. Be aware that free physio on the NHS does require a referral from a GP however.
During Events
If something flares up during a race, things can be significantly more complicated by the psychology of the situation. However tempting it is to push through, it is important to be prepared pre-event if you think things could crop up. Before starting the race be clear on what this event means to you vs the rest of the season. Are the possible consequences worth it for a few minutes off your finish time? Or is this your A race, one of your old niggles, and you’ll just need to hang on? It’s a personal and situational choice, but make sure it’s considered, and not just a default decision that ‘I have to finish’, made mid-race in the heat of the moment.
If, after weighing everything, up you decide pre-event that the race is critical, and the expected problems occur, then try not to focus on the sore area. Instead concentrate on the area(s) that should be doing the work, in order to ease the pressure on the problem. If you understand how to do this going into the event then you are not only better set up for a successful outcome, but also a lot less likely to have a difficult conversation with yourself that is hugely distracting, during the race.
We’re here to help
Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.
The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.
If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.