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Training Tip: To Avoid Injuries, Remember “Bark, Growl, Bite”
Running a lot of miles when training for a marathon or half-marathon is hard on your body. Cumulative mileage, speed work, downhill work, and pace work all place a high amount of stress on muscles and connective tissue. Muscle soreness and fatigue are normal, and most runners will experience some level of the usual sore muscles and overall fatigue associated with distance running.
Lingering pain is not normal. If you feel pain that lasts for days, or pain that forces you to alter your running form, or pain that prevents you from finishing a run, then you are on the brink of an injury. That is the time to assess the severity of the problem and take action to address it.
This short article is not intended to cover all the recommendations for avoiding and treating injuries. Instead, it offers a simple concept to help you recognize the severity of the problem and what to do about it. Just remember “bark, growl, bite.”
When something in your body starts to bark at you, it is letting you know that something isn’t right. Like an incessantly barking dog, it is not a major problem, but is bothersome enough that you want to take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate the barking. Typically, the pain or soreness is moderate and isolated, and generally disappears when you stop running. Consider it a warning sign that you need to address before the problem worsens. Usually this is something simple, like taking an extra rest day, backing off mileage or intensity slightly, or adding some regular stretching and foam rolling to your training routine. A “bark” can also indicate some other mechanical issue. Is it your shoes? Do you need to change your running surface (e.g., avoid a canted road)? Whatever the solution, you usually can stop the “barking” before things gets worse.
When a developing injury starts to growl at you, it means business. You need to back away carefully and avoid escalating the problem. You might need to stop running for a few days to let the issue calm down. The worst thing to do is to continue running through it. Moreover, although rest is a good way to relieve the problem, a longer-term fix is probably needed. You might need a coach to assess your running form. You might be running in shoes that are not proper for your gait and footfall. Or you might be running too hard too often. Whatever the reason, a growling injury means that you need to figure out what is causing the problem, and then fix it. Otherwise, you will probably encounter the same problem again when you resume training. A persistent growl can worsen into a “bite” very quickly, so don’t ignore it.
When a developing injury bites you, stop running right away. Consider yourself “bitten” by injury when the pain continues even after you stop running, when you continue to feel pain throughout the day or night, or when you are unable to run at all without pain. In any of these situations, you need medical attention. Consult a sports physician, i.e., a medical doctor who specializes in treating sports injuries.
The bottom line is that you must listen to your body. When it starts to bark, pay attention. When it growls, take whatever steps are needed to avoid the worsening situation that might otherwise jump up and bite you.
