A lot of people ask me what the worst injury I’ve suffered as a runner is. They’re amazed when I tell them a few lost toenails. The way I avoid injury is threefold: cross-training, diet, and flexibility training.
Cross-training
Too many runners just run. They fail to do anything to condition those muscles, micro-muscles, fascia, ligaments and tendons that support running. This is a mistake and can lead to a body that’s grossly out of balance. To avoid this, I incorporate both strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Not only do I focus on building leg strength and explosive power, I also work on my upper body and core to help me maintain form and biomechanical integrity as the miles pile on. Finally, I never sit down. My entire office has been converted to standing level and I do all my writing, email correspondences and phone calls while standing upright.
Diet
I’ll never live down the story of once ordering pizza delivery while out on a long run. But people change, and my diet has become more refined over the years. I now completely avoid all foods that cause inflammation, like sugar and corn syrup, highly processed and refined foods, overly salted and high-fat packaged goods, and artificial sweeteners and colouring agents. My diet has evolved to include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, high-quality protein from coldwater fish, such as wild salmon, and spices that have been shown to reduce inflammation, like ginger and turmeric. I feel better following this diet, and I heal more quickly.
Flexibility
There is a saying in yoga circles: “Yoga helps running, but running does not help yoga.” I can attest to this, because when I first started attending yoga classes my flexibility was practically nonexistent. Over time this has changed and I’ve found that the better I become at yoga, the more my running has benefitted. Personally, I’m a big fan of hot yoga (aka bikram) or power yoga. Both of these provide a strenuous workout and also help with heat acclimatisation.
I hope these tips can improve your running and allow you to avoid injury for many miles to come. May you live long, and run longer…
Dean Karnazes is a renowned endurance athlete and NY Times bestselling author of Ultramarathon Man, 50/50: Adventures in Running 50 Marathons, in All 50 US States, in 50 Consecutive Days! and RUN! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss.
