| HELP FOR AVOIDING CHRONIC INJURIES |
| THE important point to remember is "take action quickly" for ANY injury, no matter how slight. This will prevent something relatively minor from becoming a chronic injury |
| There are 3 things you can do: 1. Train using common sense. 2. Check-out that minor nagging pain. 3. Get professional medical help if you need it. |
| TRAIN USING COMMON SENSE: Increase your training by no more than 10% per week. If you are currently running 10 miles per week, the following week you should add no more than 1 mile to the total miles you have run. Here's a chart to help covering 12 weeks: WEEK 1 - 10 miles WEEK 2 - 11 miles WEEK 3 - 12.1 miles WEEK 4 - 13.3 miles WEEK 5 - 14.6 miles WEEK 6 - 16 miles WEEK 7 - 17.6 miles WEEK 8 - 19.3 miles WEEK 9 - 21.2 miles WEEK 10 - 23.3 miles WEEK 11 - 25.6 miles WEEK 12 - 28.1 miles |
| Increases in mileage should be limited to a 12 week period. After which you should give your body some well deserved rest. (About one week off or at least one week of easy running) |
| Crosstrain !! You should strive to develop all your muscles and increase flexibility. A triathalon friend of mine said he has stayed injury free for over 12 years of competition because he crosstrains with weights. It can only help !! |
| CHECK OUT THAT MINOR NAGGING PAIN: If you feel some discomfort the following morning after a workout, this may be a sign of overuse. It is associated with ligaments and tendons and should go away after you have been up and about for a while. If it does not, take it easy until you can wake up without any pain. |
| If you finish running and you feel pain, ice it down and keep the effected area elevated. After two days of ice, and if any inflammation is gone, try heat (hot packs, hot bath, whirlpool) and massage to increase healing. |
 |
| GET PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL HELP IF YOU NEED IT: As mentioned on the first page of this site, seek professional medical help if the pain persists after conservative treatment. Medical professional have ultasounds, TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) units, and they know the correct drugs to use, if necessary. |
| DO NOT TAKE ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES (OR ANY PAIN MEDICATION) TO COMPLETE YOUR WORKOUT!!! |
 |