Even if the temperatures are still cold, the start of March is an exciting time for runners. The promise of spring lures runners outdoors, away from the treadmill. The anticipation of spring races shifts our mindset from just surviving winter running to training hard with long runs and workouts.
All the excitement to get outdoors and run all of the miles in spring comes with an injury risk, however. The transition between winter training – low mileage, often on the treadmill – and spring training – outdoors, with harder workouts and long runs – can increase injury risk, which is the last thing you want as soon as it’s nice outside. You can take some smart steps in your training to injury-proof your spring running.
Your current fitness determines your training – not where you want to be or where you were a couple years ago.
If your marathon plan begins at 35 miles per week, don’t just jump straight into 35-mile weeks if you have been running 10-15 miles per week for all of winter. You don’t have to follow the 10% rule (see below), but you also don’t want to risk injury from a 175% increase in mileage in just one week. Likewise, if you only did easy runs in winter, don’t jump into a long tempo run or 800m repeats for your first workout.
What you ran in the winter months determines the first few weeks of your spring training. If you maintained a solid mileage base with a few workouts, you can transition easily into race training. If you opted for more cross-training in winter, spend a few weeks transitioning between winter maintenance and race training.
The treadmill provides a softer and more consistent surface than outdoor running. The higher impact forces of pavement and extra demands of tendons and muscles of uphill and downhill running do make outdoor running harder on the body after months of treadmill training. Some runners make the transition without any issue, but injury-prone runners may need to take extra caution.
Try these steps to transition from the treadmill to outdoor running without getting injured:
If you are building back to previous mileage, you can ramp up at a quicker rate than if you were building to a new training load. You can safely increase at a rate of 20-25% per week until you reach your previous mileage. For example, if you normally run 40-mile weeks but cut back to 25 miles per week for winter, try increasing at a rate of 25 miles-30 miles-35 miles-40 miles. Another approach is to add one mile onto each run (4-6 miles total per week) until you reach your mileage goal.
If you are building mileage to a new level, you can take one of two approaches. One is the 10% rule, in which you increase your mileage every week. The other approach is the build-adapt rule. You increase your mileage about 15-20% for one week and then repeat that same number for another week to allow your body time to adapt before adding more load. For more on how to safely increase weekly mileage, read this blog post.
The trap of doing too much too soon is one of the most common causes of injury- especially when it comes to speedwork.
Just as you gradually build up mileage and the duration of your long run, so will you gradually build up the intensity of your workouts. Start with shorter amounts of work at a comfortably hard effort early on in the season. This will reduce injury risk and avoid overtraining – and prepare you for hard workouts closer to your race.
While the track is a softer surface than the roads, the responsive surface can encourage runners to run too fast for early in the season. If you do run on the track, be mindful of controlling your intensity. Otherwise, opt for effort-based intervals on the roads or a smooth dirt trail.
Hill repeats are a great option for transitioning into speedwork. The impact of running uphill is lower than on flat ground and uphill running encourages good form (such as no overstriding). Try one of these hill workouts for runners.
If you don’t live in a hilly area, try short interval fartleks or one of these early season speed workouts to ease into speedwork.
A strong body is resilient to injury. Even if you do everything right when it comes to training, you can still get injured if you have muscular imbalances or poor form. Strength training reduces muscular imbalances, strengthens the core, and makes your muscles more resistant to the impact of running.
Many muscular imbalances come from weak or misfiring glutes. If your glutes aren’t doing their share of the work, your quads, hip flexors, hamstring, or calves will take on more work than they are supposed to. Weak glutes also contribute to IT band syndrome, since your glute medius cannot control hip adduction. The flat, repetitive surface of the treadmill can encourage inactive glutes if you are not diligent about strength training and activation.
When you add in the extra demands of wind resistance, the muscular strength required for uphill running and the eccentric forces of downhill running, outdoor running requires strength to stay injury-free.
Try one of these strength workouts to prevent injury:
Hip, Core, and Glute Resistance Band Workout
Six Injury Prevention Workouts for Runners
Lateral Strength Exercises to Improve Running
Resistance Band Exercises (from Runner’s World)
Mini Band Glute Exercises (from Happy Fit Mama)
A good coach will take into account your fitness background, your recent training, injury risk, and goals to develop a plan to safely – and successfully – prepare you for a spring race. A coach removes the guesswork from training, provides support, and makes adjustments to your training before you might even realize you need them.
To celebrate the start of spring training, I’m offering 33% off the first month of coaching to all new athletes who sign up between now and March 8! Email me at [email protected] or fill out the contact form on the coaching page to get started.
Linking up with Coaches’ Corner!
[Tweet “Ready to get off the treadmill and start training for a spring race? Here’s how to injury-proof your #running this spring via @thisrunrecipes #runchat”]
What’s your favorite part about spring running?
What makes a difference for you in preventing injury?
9 Responses
yes I see so many of our MRTT members jump into a marathon training program that is way advanced from where they are now and just leads to injury or burnout
Since I’ve been doing much more TM running this winter, I’m amazed at the difference in my paces compared to road running! But road running feels so much easier to me now. So I guess all those miles on the TM are useful!
I will comment that now that I am much slower and throwing in walk intervals, my injuries have really decreased. While I miss my speed, it is definitely nice to not be sidelined with injury.
So many runners, even experienced ones, don’t realize that they need to gradually build their base again after time off or reduced mileage. Great tips! I think that if I had to run on a treadmill all winter I probably would be very bad about keeping up any mileage! 🙂
Great tips! You need to ease into marathon training gradually. Jumping right in at 35 miles per week is an invitation for injury.
These are great tips! Most of my running has been light and has definitely been on the treadmill. I will slowly start adding outdoor runs back into my routine next week but I need to get my butt in gear! It’s actually warm where I live so there’s really no excuse for me not getting back to it!
My biggest concern for runners I work with is reintroducing speed work prior to them being ready. This is a good reminder that I shouldn’t force speed work just because the calendar turns. Thanks!
i cannot wait to get into late march when spring arrives and the chance for snow really ends! Love those springtime runs before it gets too hot.
I’m laughing at using trails to transition! Up here, they’re still a snowy (fresh snow falling), icy, and/or muddy mess.
I’m “lucky” that I got in most of my runs outdoors, but there were definitely some treadmill runs too. I actually think once a week on the treadmill can actually help with injury prevention too!
That’s interesting about increasing by more than 10% and the build/adapt model.
Every runner definitely needs to keep these tips in mind as they transition outside and start getting ready for races this spring. I’ve tried to run outside all winter, but I’ve definitely been inside on the treadmill more than I’d like to be. Transitioning outside with the warm weather in Utah this week is a welcome blessing! The other thing I would encourage to do for injury prevention is to slow down. If you’ve been on reduced mileage for a while, don’t expect to run all your miles as fast as you previously were. Take it slow and build your fitness to prevent injury: https://runningmybestlife.com/80-20-running/.