Increasing your running load, with regards to training for a big event, can be both exciting and challenging, but also something that requires preparation, thought and balance.
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The human body will generally have a significant response to an overly quick and intense increase in training load which can:
1) Exacerbate historical and/or minor ongoing injuries
2) Lead to development of pain in new areas
3) Lead to elements of unwanted mental and physical fatigue
Most injuries come from a mismatch of asking your body to take on more than it has been trained and conditioned to handle, causing tissues and structures to react. There are two ways we can combat this. First is to ensure that your body is being trained for your desired activity, and the other is to manage the stress placed on the body.
Part of training for running is ensuring that the muscles of the torso and lower body are strong and have sufficient endurance. Important muscle groups include the abdominals, gluteal muscles, hamstring, quadriceps and calves.
Some good early tests are if you can:
1) Perform 25 continuous single leg calf raises to prove adequate calf strength and endurance
2) Perform 25 continuous single leg glute bridges to prove adequate gluteal muscle strength and endurance
3) Complete a single leg squat with balance and control
Adding strength exercises in your weekly routine that target your current weaknesses is a proactive way to make sure your running stays on track.
With respect to managing the physical stress of training on your body, it is good to plan out how you will manage your training, such as what activities you will do on which days and how often. It is also good to consider things like making sure your running shoes are not too old.
We also all come from different levels of running experience and so it is good to tailor your early training to your level of recent experience. The ‘Couch to 5km’ is a great online accessible running plan, which can help those with no running experience safely work towards running 5km. A link to the resource can be found here: