Many people have the idea that running is easy. While the activity seems pretty simple to do, it can be challenging when you do it at high speed at a long distance. For long-distance runners, running is challenging because of the number of issues and hurdles they face.
The first step to becoming a long-distance runner is knowing what to do and avoiding what you should not. If you want to run as well as your body allows, make sure to forget making some of these mistakes many runners make:
1. Having No Rest Periods
Although the main job of long-distance runners is to keep putting one foot in front of the other until they reach the finish line, it’s crucial to keep in mind that you must also have some rest periods in between. Like during working out, long-distance running is a highly physical activity that requires rest and recovery.
Your body isn’t a machine—you can’t expect your legs to remain strong and your joints to allow your body to move if you don’t take some time to pause and take a breather. Regardless of your running program, you need to rest!
When you invest enough time to let your body recover, it will work how you want it to, successfully adapting to the required changes for better running. We recommend dropping the number of kilometres you run every four weeks so that your body can recover and you’ll feel much fresher and rejuvenated.
2. Forgetting to Care for and Check on Your Body
Your physical health is paramount to your success as a long-distance runner. When you don’t listen to what it says, it will eventually force you to stop your running plan and pay attention to the condition that’s threatening your health.
Remember that becoming a successful runner doesn’t just involve running and doing nothing else. Although it’s great to feel passionate about running, you shouldn’t let your passion get to the point where you forget to take care of your body. Overrunning is never good—there will come a time when your muscles give up on you and refuse to cooperate.
To succeed at long-distance running events, you must invest in sports physiotherapy. A physical therapist can help you improve your performance by assessing your physical condition, offering personalised advice, and expertly treating injuries.
3. Overlooking How You Run
The way you walk or run doesn’t matter in everyday life, but it’s a whole different story to long-distance runners. Just because you’ve analysed your foot arch once before and wear the right shoes doesn’t mean that you’ll become a better runner—you must undergo an entire Running Gait Analysis to determine whether you’re running the right way.
A running analysis covers how different body parts move, such as the arms, hips, and knees. Through RGA, you’ll be able to sustain your run at a higher speed over a long distance, ultimately improving your performance.
Moreover, RGA helps prevent future injuries. You won’t make mistakes that could lead to a knee or shin splint by correcting your running style.
Conclusion
Running is no joke when you take it seriously. Like other sports or physical activities, you’re susceptible to injuries, health conditions, and problems. However, as long as you avoid the mistakes above and do everything right, you’re sure to reach the finish line faster than you expect!
If you’re thinking of undergoing sports physiotherapy to improve your physical condition, you’ve come to the right place! At Invigor Health, we can radically improve how your body functions, now and for years to come. You can rely on us to help you feel active, pain-free and resilient to injury so that you can keep doing what you love. Book your online physiotherapy consultation!
