Running Tips Before Joining a Fun Run

Running may be considered a simple sport but no matter how simple it is, you should prepare well for it. Here are some running tips before joining a fun run to make running more enjoyable and injury-free.

Many injuries are associated with running because of its high impact nature. Repetitive stress on the same tissues involved in running without taking into consideration the external and internal factors involved for us runners to be pain-free & reach our pinnacle is detrimental.

Here we present our condensed view of insightful knowledge that may help you prepare in your next running event.

External Factors:

Make sure you have the proper gear

Poorly fitted gears could cause a lot of trouble and injuries while you’re engaging in your running activity.

Shoes: There is no such thing as the “best running shoes”. Your “foot profile” (every person’s foot-type varies from person to person) is different from others. Therefore, you need shoes that are  perfectly accustomed to your feet. Bad shoes (meaning one that doesn’t accommodate the type of foot that you have) could cause a lot of injuries like patellofemoral pains, IT Band syndrome, plantar fascilitis, etc.

Prohealth Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy Centres provide foot assessment to make sure every runner/non-runner knows his or her specific “foot profile” and the type of shoe he or she must wear for the event.

Clothing: another common, running related injury is chafing caused by repetitive rubbing of one piece of skin against another or a piece of clothing. Common areas of chafing are located in between upper thighs, nipples and armpit. Make sure to apply creams that reduces friction in those areas and wear form fitting clothes that allows sweat to dissipate properly.

Take into consideration the weather & running surface

Extreme heat could cause a lot of heat related injuries like cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke while rainy days could cause slips, trips and falls while running due to wet surfaces. Concrete surfaces can cause unnecessary impact on the knees while running on a more unstable surface like grass or trail could cause minor sprains of the ankle.

Proper hydration is advised for prevention of heat related injuries like cramps and heat exhaustion. Amounts of water to take will depend from person to person and your own body will tell you on how much water to take. Take into consideration as well that drinking too much could cause overhydration which is detrimental as well to our bodies.

Use shoes with soft cushion when running on concrete surfaces while the use of shoes with additional stability aids us when running on a trail or grassy surfaces.

 

Internal Factors:

Get the right amount of sleep

Though still debatable, sleep deprivation before running can increase the chance of injury due to weakened immune system, and can make running feel harder than they would if you had adequate sleep.

Some researchers say that 7 hours of sleep is the magical number but in reality, it always varies from person to person. Consistency is very essential when it comes to your routine and the amount of sleep you get.

If you don’t sleep the night before a race, don’t worry because research says that the adrenaline of the event overrides the negative effects of sleep deprivation, but even so we wouldn’t recommend a no-sleep regimen before running. The after effects of doing such are feelings of dizziness, nausea and general body malaise.

Engage in strengthening exercises

Although it’s common knowledge that you must do flexibility exercises before running, some still forget to engage in strengthening exercises for the legs and cardiovascular system.

Some people are unable to carry on for prolonged periods of running due to weakness of the lower legs and/or fatigue due to some kind of cardiovascular/muscular weakness.

Alongside with our facility, Pinnacle Performance is a sports performance gym that makes sure you’re always ready before you engage in any sporting/running events. Flexibility and strength go hand in hand, and without one we may be setting ourselves up for some trouble.

 

The most important part of any running and sporting event is to have fun while you’re at it & we believe that everyone should be injury-free before, during and after a running event.

 

Thank you to our friends from ProHealth Sports & Spinal Physiotherapy for these tips!

ProHealth Sports & Spinal Physiotherapy Centres is a newly opened clinic located on the 28/F of Centuria Medical Makati, Kalayaan Ave. cor. Salamanca St. Brgy. Poblacion Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. They are in the business of not only treating the aches and pains, but also providing with the very best personalized care and therapy for recovery.

Visit the center and get 10% discount on services. This is their offer to all Takbo.ph RunFest 2017 participants so can be better prepared and have an injury-free event.

To know more about ProHealth, you can check these articles: Running Injury | Pinnacle Performance + ProHealth Sports

Read more running tips here:

Top Running Tips for Beginners
Tips for a Safer Night Runs
Running Tips for New Runners