Stay on Track
Track is back!
As the season starts, we wanted to provide some tips to stay healthy for the whole season.
With track season in Iowa starting in February and March, the first few practices are often held in weather that is not ideal for running. Many coaches turn to running inside in the halls. This is a great option for shorter duration running, but hall running for weeks or for prolonged periods can lead to shin splints or shin injuries. Halls are usually concrete, and for some athletes, this is the first time they’ve done a lot of activity since their last sports season. That combination can be the perfect recipe for shin discomfort. Some alternatives to early season running can be work on agilities, strength, and power with less actual running time.
Research shows that strength training for 15 minutes, 2-3 times per week is enough to gain strength and this strength may help prevent injuries as well.
For track athletes, it is important to be doing some activity in the offseason, particularly for distance runners. A base mileage of about 10-15 miles per week is a good place to start, so that you are not going from no activity to 2 hours of practice per day. Again, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for your body to adapt to these new activities, and may lead to an overuse injury.
So what happens if you get an injury midseason? Do you keep running? An easy way to think about this is the stoplight system.
Green light: no pain, you can complete your full mileage, keep going!
Yellow light: some discomfort with running (staying at or below 4/10); soreness goes away within an hour of stopping practice and you are back to your baseline the following morning. Modified practices.
Red light: Pain at or above 5/10; can’t run without limping - will need to stop running for a time.
Our goal is never to take you out of sport unless safety requires it - for example, with a stress fracture or severe muscle strain you are at risk for hurting yourself further if you continue to run. Otherwise, we very much want to work within your limitations to keep you running even to some extent so that you don’t miss out on competitions.
You may think of only your teammates and coach as part of the team, but we want to make sure we communicate with your care team too - that includes your athletic trainer, family doctor if you have one, and your physical therapists. Your athletic trainer is a great entry point to getting something checked out - they are there to help you! Letting them know sooner than later is always best - it’s easier to manage little aches and pains before they develop into worse injuries.
Lastly, keeping track of your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is important for keeping you fueled for practices, meets, and recovery from hard workouts. Aim for 8-9 hours of sleep per night, and try to put screens away at least 30 minutes before bed time. A good goal for hydration is about half your body weight in ounces of water. A balanced plate of fruits, veggies, high quality protein, and healthy fats is important to provide you with enough energy to get through those longer practices.
If you’re looking to check if you have sufficient strength (or what to work on if you don’t) check out the end of our webinar video for more information on this, and to see some self checks on your strength and some training tips!