Returning to Running After Winter: How to Avoid Injury
Spring has a way of making running seem like a great idea again.
The mornings are getting lighter, the weather is warming up and suddenly that pair of running shoes sitting in the cupboard starts looking a lot more appealing.
There’s just one problem.
If your running routine became more of a not-running routine over winter, your body may not be ready to pick up exactly where you left off.
You might remember comfortably running 5km three times a week. Your feet, calves and tendons, however, have spent the past few months enjoying a considerably quieter schedule.
Getting back into running doesn’t need to result in sore feet or an injury. The trick is giving your body enough time to adapt to running again.
Here’s how to make your return a little smoother.
Don’t Start Where You Finished
One of the easiest mistakes to make after a break is thinking about what you used to be able to do.
Maybe 10km was your standard Sunday run. Maybe you were running four days a week. Maybe you were halfway through a training program before winter arrived and your motivation disappeared along with the daylight.
It can be tempting to lace up your shoes and go straight back to your old distances.
Your fitness might even make you feel like you can.
But your muscles, tendons, joints and bones need time to become accustomed to the repetitive loads involved in running again.
After a period of reduced activity, jumping straight back into your previous training volume can be a lot for them to handle.
Start with less than you think you can do and build from there.
It may feel frustratingly easy at first. That’s okay. The goal isn’t to prove how fit you still are on your first run back. It’s to still be comfortably running several weeks later.
Increase Your Running Gradually
There isn’t one perfect formula for increasing running distance that works for everybody.
What matters is avoiding sudden, dramatic jumps.
Going from no running to five runs in a week is a big change. So is going from a couple of short 3km runs to a 15km weekend run because you were “feeling pretty good”.
Your body adapts to the loads you regularly place on it. Give it a manageable amount, allow it to recover and then gradually ask it to do a little more.
That might mean initially combining running and walking, keeping your runs shorter, leaving rest days between sessions or temporarily running fewer days each week.
The right starting point will depend on how long you’ve been away from running, what you’ve been doing in the meantime and your previous running experience.
Don’t Increase Everything at Once
Distance isn’t the only thing that makes running harder.
There’s also speed, frequency, hills and terrain.
If you’ve just returned to running, increasing all of these at the same time can create a fairly dramatic change in workload.
For example, you might decide that this week you’re going to:
- run further
- add an extra running day
- start doing intervals
- tackle some hills
- join your much-faster friend for their Saturday morning run.
Your enthusiasm is impressive.
Your Achilles tendons may be less enthusiastic.
Try changing one part of your training at a time. Give your body an opportunity to adjust before adding the next challenge.
Check Your Running Shoes
When was the last time you actually looked at your running shoes?
Not a quick glance while putting them on. A proper look.
If they’ve been through hundreds of kilometres, the sole is badly worn or the upper no longer holds your foot securely, it might be time to consider replacing them.
Also remember that your ideal running shoe isn’t necessarily the same as somebody else’s.
Comfort, fit, your running activity and your individual needs all matter.
Your shoes should generally feel comfortable from the beginning. You shouldn’t have to endure several weeks of blisters and sore feet because someone told you they need to be “broken in”.
Pay particular attention to the space around your toes. Shoes that are too short can cause your toes to repeatedly hit the front of the shoe while running, contributing to bruised or black toenails.
Yes, black toenails are common among runners.
No, they are not a compulsory part of becoming one.
Remember That Your Calves and Achilles Are Working Hard
Running asks a lot of your calf muscles and Achilles tendons.
If you’ve had a few months away, these tissues may not currently have the same capacity they had at the end of your last running season.
This is one reason gradual progression is so important.
Strength work can also be useful when returning to running. Depending on your individual needs, exercises targeting the calves, feet, ankles, hips and legs may help your body better tolerate the demands of running.
You don’t necessarily need an enormous strength program.
Consistency tends to be more useful than doing an incredibly ambitious workout once, becoming unbearably sore and avoiding strength training for the next three weeks.
A Little Soreness and an Injury Aren’t Always the Same Thing
Returning to exercise after a break can come with some general muscle soreness.
That doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong.
What you want to pay attention to is pain that is persistent, getting worse or repeatedly appearing in the same place.
For example, keep an eye on:
Morning symptoms can be useful clues too.
If your heel or Achilles feels particularly stiff or painful during those first few steps after getting out of bed, and it keeps happening, it may be worth getting assessed.
Be Careful With the “It Goes Away Once I Warm Up” Problem
This one catches plenty of runners.
Something hurts for the first kilometre.
Then it warms up.
The pain disappears.
Excellent! Problem solved.
Except it comes back after the run. And then it happens again next time.
Pain disappearing while you’re running doesn’t necessarily mean the underlying problem has disappeared.
Some tendon and overuse problems can feel better once the area warms up, only to become sore again afterwards or the following morning.
If you notice a recurring pattern, pay attention to it rather than repeatedly running through it.
Rest Days Aren’t Wasted Training Days
When motivation returns, rest can suddenly feel inconvenient.
But recovery is part of training.
Your body uses the time between running sessions to adapt to the work you’ve asked it to do. Particularly when you’re returning after a break, running hard every day doesn’t necessarily help you improve faster.
Walking, cycling, swimming or strength training can be useful ways to remain active without simply adding more running kilometres.
And sometimes the best thing you can do is have a day off.
Your running shoes will cope without you.
Set a Goal That Matches Where You Are Now
Signing up for an event can be a great way to get motivated again.
Just give yourself enough time.
If you haven’t run all winter, deciding in September that you’re going to run a half marathon in three weeks may create a training plan based more on optimism than physiology.
Choose a goal that allows you to build gradually.
Your first goal might simply be running consistently twice a week. Then completing 5km comfortably. Then building towards a longer event.
Running doesn’t have to become serious just because you’ve started doing it regularly.
When Is It Worth Seeing a Podiatrist?
You don’t have to wait until you can barely walk before getting a running-related problem checked.
If you keep experiencing the same pain, something feels different compared with previous runs, or discomfort is starting to affect how far or how often you can run, a podiatry assessment can help work out what’s going on.
A podiatrist can look at your symptoms, footwear, training history, strength and movement to identify factors that may be contributing.
Sometimes the answer might involve changing your training load. Sometimes footwear, exercises or other treatments may be appropriate.
The important thing is working out what your particular problem needs rather than relying on whatever stretch your running friend swears fixes absolutely everything.
Make This Running Season Last Longer Than a Few Weeks
Returning to running after winter should feel exciting.
You don’t need to rush to make up for the kilometres you didn’t run in June and July.
Start at a level your body can comfortably handle, increase things gradually, give yourself time to recover and pay attention when the same niggle keeps showing up.
A slower start now can give you a much better chance of enjoying your running throughout spring and summer.
And if every attempt at getting back into running seems to end with the same sore heel, tight Achilles or unhappy foot, come and have a chat with the team at Hurst Podiatry. We can help work out why it keeps happening and what might help you spend more time running – and less time wondering whether you should run through it.
