As a marathon runner and a sports medicine physician I am often asked, “How do I start training?” This is a very good question. Working with runners and walkers on a daily basis, I have unfortunately witnessed and ultimately treated the poor choices some people make when starting a new exercise program. As we look at the literature pertaining to injuries and injury prevention, it is apparent that one of the biggest risk factors for an injury is someone who is new to the sport. In order to minimize the risk of injury, there are some simple steps that you can take.
First, invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes that have been properly fitted for you and your unique foot type. Every time your foot strikes the ground, forces equal to 4-5 times your body weight must be absorbed by your body; most notably, your bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Your shoes are you first line of defense in absorbing these forces. It’s important to ensure that your shoes provide the support and cushioning you need to protect your body from the impact of running and walking. I highly recommend seeing a running or walking shoe expert before you begin your training program. There are several stores in Columbus that specialize in running and walking shoes.
Walk before you run! I recommend a 5-10 minute warm-up walk before running followed by a cool-down walk. This allows for increased blood flow through the muscles you will be using during your workout. Some studies have shown that this is a very effective means of reducing the risk of injury. In the beginning if you can’t run continuously for the entire time take walking breaks and start running again when you feel up to it.
Frequency – begin running / walking at least three times a week. Gradually increase the frequency of you workouts to 4-5 times per week. Don’t workout two days in a row for the first six weeks. Give your muscles and bones a chance to adapt to the new training program
Duration – when starting out, run for a specified period of time, not a distance. Your running program should be designed to gradually increase the time you spend on your feet, rather than the distance. I recommend starting with 20 minutes and gradually increasing to 40-60 minutes. Avoid drastic increases in your program. I typically recommend increasing by no more than 10% per week. For example, if you ran or walked for a total of forty minutes one week, don’t increase by more than four minutes the following week.
Intensity – don’t focus on getting faster until you have reached your frequency and duration goals. Be patient! Increasing your intensity while increasing your frequency and duration will lead to injuries. Don’t be in a hurry to enter a local road race no matter how much your friends and family pressure you.
Make it fun and find a friend or family member to train with. Camaraderie during a workout can make the time more enjoyable. It’s also helpful to run or walk with someone to judge how fast you are going. If you can’t talk to the person next to you then you need to slow down. In addition, knowing that someone else is counting on you helps to ensure you will stick with training schedule. Consider joining a training program. Columbus offers several different training groups that meet on different days and in various locations throughout the city. I happen to be a coach within the MIT – Marathoner in Training program. MIT is one of the largest marathon and half marathon training programs in the country with nearly 700 members. The program has successfully coached thousands of runners and walkers across the finish line of their goal race.
The greatest challenge of training for a marathon or half marathon is not finishing the race but making it to the starting line uninjured and well rested. Hopefully this information will greatly reduce your chances of incurring an injury along the way. Good luck and we’ll see you at the finish!