Training injuries are common in long distance runners due to improper technique. Common injuries include shin splints, muscle strains and tears. These injuries can negatively impact a runner's performance and ability to train. Runners can lower their risk of injury by improving their form, taking rest days, and learning prevention techniques like ChiRunning. Researchers are also studying new ways to prevent running injuries through better training methods and shoe technology.

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Wade Godfrey
Mrs. Lester
Adv. Comp.
4 October 2011
Training Injuries in Long Distance Running
In the running community, composed “of the estimated 24 million runners in the U.S., the
majority will stop training during the year because of an injury-an injury most likely caused by
improper technique,” (Dawson-Cook). Improper training can lead to many different types of
injuries such as shin splints, physiological strain, muscle tears and strains. These injuries can
lead to runners no longer being able to run or losing skill in long distance running. To prevent
these problems, athletes could learn new techniques, such as improving their form, to decrease
the chances of injury. In the future trainers or physical therapists may have new styles to
decrease damages of the body. Training injuries in runners can be prevented with the knowledge
of different types of injuries, the effects they have on this sport, prevention methods, and the
future technology available.
First, many different damaging injuries are common in long distance runners. For
example, some of the “risk factors that have been significantly related to running related injuries
(RRIs) are excessive weekly running distance, previous injury, lack of running experience and
competitive running,” (Bredeweg). Also, if runners train, large numbers of injuries are more
likely to occur. And, if a runner has a previous injury, then he has a higher risk of receiving

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another injury (Dawson-Cook). In fact, when athletes over train they get “overuse injuries which
occur when repetitive stress is applied to a muscle, tendon, or bone, ultimately resulting in
micro-traumatic damage when adequate time to heal or repair has not been allotted,” (Kriz)
Again, if runners have strenuous excessive training, they are at a higher risk of not competing
due to an overuse injury (Kriz). After athletes, especially distance runners, get an overuse injury,
they need to give it time to heal or another damaged body part is most likely to occur (Bonacc).
Distance runners need to take a day off during their workouts because “when applied stress is too
high or the recovery time is too short the tissue of the musculoskeletal system will be weakened
and the likelihood of sustaining a subsequent overuse injury is high,” (Bredeweg). Interesting
enough, sometimes when the human body is pushed to its maximum physical limit, tissues and
tendons wear down to a stage where injuries, such as sprains and tears, can occur frequently
(Bredeweg). Thus, recovery time in an athlete can be the deciding factor between a competitive
victory or loss. So, in order to stay away from different types of injuries, distance runners need
not only to keep in mind the risk factors that cause most all injuries, but also the effects of these
injuries.
Secondly, the effects of these injuries on runners result in their inability to
compete. Likewise, a distance runner can get “an injury-induced restriction in training that can
result in detraining, which may negatively affect performance, cardiorespiratory health and
neuromuscular control,” (Bonacc). According to Andrew Vickers explains that soreness can
result in a poor performance, and it “typically develops 24 hours after exercise; is usually
perceived approximately 24 hours after the exercise and may linger up to additional 48 hours.”
And so, being sore from strain or muscle development can hold the runner back because
sometimes the pain is so severe that he has to take a longer break than really needed, which will

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cause a decrease in his performance (Vickers). When distance runners overwork their bodies,
“physiological strain occurs when they stay on a pattern of workouts and when performance day
comes the body and brain overworks itself to do better,”(Esteve-Lanao). Also, when an athlete
trains, that runner typically has a routine that he follows religiously every day. Having a set
routine like that is actually bad because the brain gets used to what it has been doing and on race
day becomes strained due to the fact that the brain is not accustomed to the workout the body is
completing (Esteve-Lanao). Also, it seems that “nearly one-half of the athletes responding to the
postseason questionnaire reported an episode of exercise related leg pain (ERLP) during the
season, and almost all of those athletes (98%) reported a history of ERLP,”(Reinking). It proves
that, if a runner has already received an injury, it is more likely for them to continually feel the
pain or receive other harsh damages. These pains and damages will affect the training process of
the runner and potentially ruin the progress he has made (Reinking). Obviously, injuries can have
damaging effects on a runner’s potential, but there are ways to reduce the injuries athletes can
incur.
Most importantly, athletes can learn different prevention techniques to decrease injuries.
A program that is helpful for runners is ChiRunning: “ChiRunning isn't just for distance runners,
it's for anyone wanting to practice injury free running,” (Dawson-Cook). ChiRunning is a
program that teaches the runner how to align and balance the body to lower the pressure on areas
and have equal pressure on all parts of the body (Dawson-Cook). Many different types of
literature and programs teach runners to reduce the risk of injury. In fact, there are certain aspects
of the body that should be the main focus: “the six key focuses to developing a fantastic running
form are: posture, relaxing lower body, pelvic rotation, arm swings, intake of breaths, and stride
length,” (Dawson-Cook). These focuses will take stress off of the body and cause less strain and,

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therefore, fewer injuries. Thus, the six aspects are the main parts of the body that are worked
while participating in long distance running, so changing how they are used should affect the
outcome dramatically (Dawson-Cook). Throughout studies it is shown “that humans regulate
their effort during competition based on the anticipation or estimation of when the exercise will
end,” (Esteve-Lanao). Most of the time in the human body as anticipation rises the adrenaline
rises as well. When adrenaline rises it makes muscle stronger therefore, making it harder for the
muscles to be damaged (Esteve-Lanao). Although there are many ways to decrease injuries, there
are still many researchers working on new and improved ways.
Encouragingly, many physical therapists are working on finding new ways to decrease
damaging injuries. Many influential people can provide solutions as well; for example,
“clinicians play a critical role in the education of parents, coaches, and young athletes regarding
the risk of childhood and adolescent sports injuries,” (Kriz). It is true that adults are the most
likely to become injured because their bodies are weaker than when they were children
(Kriz). Teaching children at a young age how to properly exercise and run will lead to their being
more prepared as adults, lessening injuries. Having a “greater muscle activity prior to and in the
initial phase of ground contact may enhance running economy by increasing leg stiffness and
maximizing exploitation of stored elastic energy,” (Bonacc). Making strides harder when
running can decrease injuries since the leg is stiffer it is harder to break. Indeed, companies make
shoes to help the impact of the foot as it is hitting the ground (Bonacc). Some of the best “future
prospective studies could further identify variables which are most responsible for running
injuries, and determine easily measurable variables that may correlate to these risk factors,”
(Ferber). After all, there are many studies that are now being made to find ways to decrease
injuries (Ferber). These studies are being done by professors at colleges or people with a

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profession that has to do with improving the body, for example, a physical therapist. Since there
are many new studies and helpful aspects for distance running, the injuries should decrease in the
future.
All in all, many damaging effects can happen with training and the body if training is not
properly executed. For example, physiological strain, shin splints, muscle tears and strains, make
the runner unable to train and improve their running. To help these injuries many athletes learn
news ways to run, for example, reading different types of literature. Also trainers, coaches and
professors are trying to learn and experiment with different techniques so there are fewer injuries
in the future. These damages can be prevented by being aware of the different types of injuries,
the effects they have on running, solutions to the problems, and future prevention measures.

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Works Cited
Bonacc, Jason. “Neuromuscular Adaptations to Training, Injury and Passive Interventions Implications
for Running Economy.” Sports Medicine. Galileo Ebscohost. N.p., 1 Nov. 2009. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
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7d014a851565%40sessionmgr104&vid=4&hid=112>.
Bredeweg, Steef W. “The GRONORUN 2 Study: Effectiveness of an Ereconditioning Program on
Preventing Running Related Injuries in Novice Runners. The Design of a Randomized Controlled
Trial.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. Galileo Ebscohost. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
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b6d589cd9ef1%40sessionmgr114&vid=7&hid=106>.
Dawson-Cook, Susan. “ChiRunning, Getting Smarter as You Move.” American Fitness. Galileo Ebscohost.
N.p., 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/
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Esteve-Lanao, Jonathan. “How Do Humans Control Physiological Strain during Strenuous Endurance
Exercise?” PLoS ONE. Galileo Ebscohost. N.p., 2008. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
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Kriz, Peter. “Overuse Injuries in the Young Athlete.” Medicine & Health Rhode Island. Galileo Ebscohost.
N.p., July 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/
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