Throughout the DMV region, the cherry blossoms are blooming and spring is truly in the air. Along with the return of the flowers, spring also marks the return of the racing season for many with an accessible race from a 5K to a marathon just about every weekend. If you’re like us, many of you have signed up for your target race this spring and are training to achieve your desired goal for that race. But don’t lose sight that one of the major goals of training is to be able to lace up on race day healthy. 

This time of year, we see countless runners for running-related injuries experienced during the build-up to that coveted race. We’re here to help you get back to your training when this occurs, but we also want equipped you with ways to decrease your chances of experiencing one of these injuries. 

By gradually increasing your workload, you can push your limits and achieve your goals. Training load is the cumulative product of the external loads such as mileage, pace, and duration along with the physiological internal loads (daily stress, tissue damage, energy expenditure, etc.) that you experience. All running-related injuries are all training load injuries. Here are six key strategies to help you develop your training load capacity and become a stronger runner.

1. Have a Plan and gradually make progressions

Optimizing load capacity is the first step to decrease your chances of experiencing a running-related injury. Through progressive loading, the three elements to focus on are frequency, duration, and intensity.

Frequency is how often or how many days you run each week. The duration of your weekly running can be easily tracked with mileage or time run per week. Your running intensity can be tracked using heart rate or rating of perceived exertion (RPE) zones. It is encouraged to progress only one of these elements at a time. In fact, research shows runners who change more than one of the variables in their velocity, distance or frequency were more likely to be at risk of injury.

Old coaching wisdom recommends increasing weekly mileage by no greater than 10% a week. Research does not deny this wisdom but suggests some runners can advance their weekly mileage more quickly; whereas, other need to do more slowly. Context matters in making this decision. Things like running history, injury background, goals, and non-running stressors help to inform this decision. When in doubt progress slowly and take a down or plateau week every month.

2. Run Slow and Faster

As it becomes time to progress the intensity of your training, an effective model you could utilize includes the 80/20 method. This highlights 80% of your running within a given week should be at low intensity, while 20% should be at an increased intensity for various desired effects.

To find appropriate easy and hard intensities, you could use recent races or time trial times to inform running paces. Common calculators like V.O2 or the McMillian Running Pace Calculator can inform how hard or slow you should run. If you have not raced in a while a simple, yet unpleasant, method is to find your local track and run a mile as fast as you can.

Other methods you can use to inform running effort could be heart rate zones or rate of perceived exertion. In heart rate zones, 80% of your time should be spent in zone 2 and 20% should be spent at zone 3 or higher (see chart below). When it comes to RPE, 80% of the runs should be in at a level 3 to 4 out of 10 (zone 1 or 2 in the chart below) and 20% of the runs will be at 5 or greater (zone 3 or more in the chart below).

3. Incorporate strength training and cross-training.

In addition to gradually increasing your mileage, incorporating strength training and cross-training into your routine can also help increase your training load capacity as a runner. Strength training can help improve your overall muscle strength and endurance, while cross-training activities like cycling or swimming can give your running muscles a break while still maintaining your cardiovascular fitness.

Evidence is favorable on strength training in runners. First, if you are a runner who wants to run faster, there is ample evidence to suggest strength training can boost your running economy and performance. For example, a 36 minute 10k runner can improve their time by 40 to 100 seconds by adding plyometric and resistance training to their running programs.

Additionally, a study of 433 runners found those who were “highly compliant” with their strength and foam rolling programs were 85% less likely to sustain a running related injury.

Not sure where to start? We can help! This is our specialty!

4. Focus on proper nutrition and hydration.

Proper nutrition and hydration are essential for increasing your training load capacity as a runner. Make sure you are fueling your body with a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. Aim to eat a meal or snack containing carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes of finishing a run to help your muscles recover and rebuild. Additionally, staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining your energy levels and preventing injury. Aim to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day and consider adding electrolytes to your water during long runs or hot weather.

5. Get enough rest and recovery time.

Stress+ Rest = Recovery

What’s the best workout a runner should do? One they can recover from…

Rest and recovery are just as important as training when it comes to increasing your training load capacity as a runner. Make sure you are getting enough sleep each night, aiming for 7-9 hours. Additionally, incorporate rest days into your training schedule to allow your body time to recover and repair. Active recovery, such as yoga or light stretching, can also help improve circulation and reduce muscle soreness. Finally, consider getting regular massages or using foam rollers to help release tension and prevent injury.

6. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

One of the most important strategies for increasing your training load capacity as a runner is to listen to your body and adjust your training accordingly. If you are feeling fatigued or experiencing pain, it may be a sign that you need to take a break or reduce your training volume. On the other hand, if you are feeling strong and energized, you may be able to increase your training load gradually. It’s important to find the right balance between pushing yourself and avoiding injury, so pay attention to how your body responds to different types of training and adjust your approach as needed.

When it comes to pain, we like to use a traffic light analogy. Pain that is < 2/10 and goes away in 24 hours or less is safe. This is a green light to continue running. Pain that is less than or equal to 5/10 is appropriate. This pain should subside in 24 hours and improve in 2 weeks with similar activities. This is a yellow light to proceed with caution. Pain that is >6/10 is a red light. Stop this activity!

Conclusion

Finding your optimal training workload will result in improved running performance while also minimizing tissue damage accumulation through sensible progressive training. With your spring race(s) coming up, it’s important to be dedicated to your training but even more importantly to optimize your training so that you arrive at race day healthy and ready to set a new PR. 

Injuries and training can be complicated. We are experts in running related injuries and can help you in your journey.

References:

Hamstra-Wright KL, Huxel Bliven KC, Napier C. Training Load Capacity, Cumulative Risk, and Bone Stress Injuries: A Narrative Review of a Holistic Approach. Front Sports Act Living. 2021 May 28;3:665683. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.665683. PMID: 34124660; PMCID: PMC8192811.

Warden SJ, Edwards WB, Willy RW. Preventing Bone Stress Injuries in Runners with Optimal Workload. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2021 Jun;19(3):298-307. doi: 10.1007/s11914-021-00666-y. Epub 2021 Feb 26. PMID: 33635519; PMCID: PMC8316280.

Damstead. IS THERE EVIDENCE FOR AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CHANGES IN TRAINING LOAD AND RUNNING-RELATED INJURIES? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2018 Dec; 13(6): 931–942. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6253751/

Neilsen. Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014 Oct;44(10):739-47. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25155475/

Hutchinson, Alex, Outside Online. https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/how-strength-training-makes-you-faster/

Desai. Effectiveness of an 18 week general strength and foam-rolling intervention on running-related injuries in recreational runners. Stand J Med Sci Sports 2023. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/sms.14313