Weekend warriors

By Kay Harrison on March 6, 2008 11:14 AM |

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Working hard is not enough for Wharfers – many spend the weekends training too.

But how can these so-called ‘weekend warriors’ get ready for the running season without getting injured?
One tip is to try to balance the type of exercise you do during the week with the running you are doing at the weekend.

Many people try and squeeze in an exercise class, cycle to work or do some rowing in the gym and feel they are fit for anything.

But running uses quite specific muscles. So if you want to be fit to run at the weekend, you’ll need to run during the week too.

Or try walking fast on a treadmill set to a steep incline.
Otherwise, pounding pavements at the weekend will be a bit of a shock to your body.
It’s not clever to suddenly launch into a totally different movement pattern. And you can get injured.
Injuries from running can include stress fractures, torn muscles and damaged Achilles tendons.
Some people try to work through injuries at an early stage, but running is a particularly repetitive set of movements.
So if a biomechanical problem, such as poor posture or gait has not been solved, it will recur.
I rarely see people being able to work through the pain and come out the other side.
Here at Waterside Physiotherapy we offer free 15-minute assessments, where a would-be runner can come along with their trainers and we can have a look at their muscles and joints and get them to run for us on the treadmill, so we can see if there are any looming problems.
Another way to avoid injury is to start training well before the marathon, running for short periods like half an hour while you build up your fitness.
Not many people are well designed for running marathons and it is best to start off gently to see how your body responds. There are some great places to run along the docks – to Wapping and back, or along the river.
A common mistake is to overtrain at the beginning because Wharfers are used to setting demanding targets.
If injury does occur, I recommend ultrasound imaging to help to assess damage and see how quickly training can be resumed.
For minor injuries, recovery is a week or two. For serious injuries it could take six weeks or more. Make sure you get niggles checked out early so you can enjoy a summer of running.
Robert Laus is a Netherlands-trained physiotherapist specialising in sports and orthopaedic rehabilitation and ultrasound imaging in sports medicine. He is co-founder of the Wharf clinic.

lWaterside Physiotherapy
Admirals Way
020 7987 8899

How to avoid injuries:

* Don’t just run at weekends
* Start with half-hour sessions
* Don’t obsess over shoe design
* Do gym work-outs that will help your running
* Look where you are going
l Carry a bottle of water