You first reaction should be to reduce your running significantly. The most common reason why runners hit a wall with fatigue, injury, etc. is that they don’t cut back enough at first.
1.Aches and pains due to stress
Many runners experience more pains when under life stress or during the week or two leading to a tough goal race or other challenge. Many of these aches are due to a condition called Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) in which the overall stress level monitored by the subconscious brain stimulates it to constrict blood flow to certain areas that are already slightly damaged.
By taking executive mental action and adjusting walk break and goal focus, the subconscious reflex brain is no longer in charge, and blood flow resumes to the areas. Instead of not running, do a small amount of running with more walking—but get in your exercise. At the very least, walk for the amount of time or distance you would normally run. Exercise promotes blood flow. Many have reduced or stopped the pain during a 30-minute workout by mostly walking and visualizing the blood flow increasing to the area of pain.
Example: It’s a very stressful week at work or you have a stressful meeting, exam, race, workout, etc. that is coming up. You have been running for 30 minutes, three times a week using a ratio of R3min/W1min. With no warning (or known cause), pain is noticed in an area that has not hurt previously or has only been a minor irritation.
Action: In most of these cases that I have monitored, there has not been a significant medical issue and there is no irritation of the problem when walking. Always consult a doctor if you suspect a real injury that could get worse by any running. Otherwise, write down your objectives in dealing with this. Suggested items are the following:
To get in a light exercise session to main adaptations
To stay below the threshold of further irritation during exercise
To run ____ seconds or minutes and walk ____ seconds or minutes
To mentally visualize the blood flowing to areas where there is irritation
To stop or walk gently if there is a significant increase in symptoms
To be confident that the pain will go away
The first action is to walk with a gentle stride for 5-10 minutes. If all is well, continue the gentle walk for the full length of a normal run. Usually this works without incident. Take a day off of running and do the next workout:
Walk gently for ten minutes
Then R5-10 sec/W50-55sec. If there is no problem repeat for 4 minutes.
If there are still no problems, move up to R10-15sec/W45-50sec.
Do this for the rest of the workout if there are no problems.
Have fun and be playful!
By continuing to exercise with a plan for each day, most of my runners with TMS have returned to regular running within two weeks—or less.
Note: Not all pains of this nature are due to TMS. For medical issues you should see a doctor. Try to find one who knows about TMS and wants you to run as you are able.
For more information on TMS and running, see my book Mental Training for Runners. The best source on TMS itself is Mind-Body Prescription by John Sarno, MD.
2.Running while injured
At some point, most runners experience some aches, pains, or injuries. With the right adjustment of less running and more walking, a high percentage of these issues (even significant ones) have gone away with little or no time off from running. The magic formula is to reduce the running amount and increase the walking.
The human organism is wired to heal itself if you let the process take place. I’ve worked with hundreds of injured runners, however, who had a big race on their calendar and kept pushing through the aches and pains until suddenly…breakdown. I believe that most would have prevented injury if they had backed off and used the right Run Walk Run® strategy.
The good news is that most were able to run their race by using the method. At first, some time off of running was often required—only 3-5 days for most. Once the healing had started, either walking or running in short segments began.
Principle: Stay below the threshold of irritation. By reducing the amount of running enough, most of those who have come to me injured have been able to continue running while allowing the weak link to heal. Many have stayed on track toward their marathon or half-marathon goal.
Action: First determine whether or not walking for several miles will aggravate the injury. In most of the cases that I have monitored, walking is allowed. If not, find an alternative exercise (such as aqua-jogging or the ElliptiGO bicycle) that can maintain fitness without further irritation. Be sure there is not a significant medical issue that walking could aggravate. Always consult a doctor if you suspect a real injury that could be made worse by running. Be sure to tell the doctor that you will be running in very short segments at first (only 5-15 seconds every minute)
Next, write down your objectives in dealing with the injury. Suggested items are the following:
To engage in light exercise to maintain adaptations
To stay below the threshold of further irritation during exercise
To run ____ seconds or minutes and walk ____ seconds or minutes
To mentally visualize the blood flowing to areas where there is irritation
To stop or walk gently if there is a significant increase in symptoms
To visualize the healing circuits turned on and working to capacity
To believe in the healing process
The first action is to walk with a gentle stride for 5-10 minutes. If all is well, continue the gentle walk for the full length of a normal run. Usually this works without incident. The next day you could do an alternative exercise such as aqua-jogging or ElliptiGO bicycle.
The next workout:
Walk gently for ten minutes
Then R5-10sec/W50-55sec. If there is no problem repeat for 4 minutes.
If there are still no problems, move up to R10-15sec/W45-50sec.
Do this for the rest of the workout.
Have fun and be playful!
If you experience any problems, just walk.
Walk or run with a short and gentle stride.
By continuing to exercise with a plan for each day, most of my runners with injuries have been able to complete their training schedule while allowing the injury to heal.
Note: This advice is given from one runner to another. For medical issues you should see a doctor. Find one who wants you to continue running.
No more injuries. All of us have weak links. These are the body parts that get irritated more often, resulting in aches, pains, and injuries. If you run continuously, you can expect to have the weak links talk to you at some point.
During my first 20 years of running I only took walk breaks on runs over 20 miles. During these two decades, I experienced a significant injury about every 20 days. Then, in 1978, I became a Run Walk Run®ner! For more than 35 years, I’ve not had a single running injury. For the last 15 years I’ve used Run Walk Run® on every run from the first few seconds. I’m running marathon distance about once a month—more often than during my first 20 years!
There have been quite a few irritations of my weak links during the last three decades. In each case I did the following:
Stopped running if there were significant injury symptoms
Took 2-3 days off from running
Applied treatment to the weak link if appropriate
Tried a run with much more liberal use of walking
Monitored weak link to stay below the threshold of irritation
If there was irritation, walked gently for the rest of the workout
Significant Injury Symptoms
Inflammation—Swelling
Loss of function—The foot, knee, etc. doesn’t function as normal
Pain—If pain is felt, and walking for 3-5 minutes does not help, STOP!
3.Run Walk Run® adjustments to avoid injury
If you were using this ratio
Try this strategy
R3min or more/W1
min or less
R30sec/W30sec
R1min/W1min or less
R15sec/W20-30 sec
R30sec/W30sec or less
R10sec/W30sec
R15sec/W30sec
R5-8sec/W30-40sec
If there is still some irritation when making one of the adjustments, walk for two workouts and come back with R5sec/W55sec. If this aggravates the injury, see a doctor. If not, then do the next workout at R5sec/W55sec for the first 10 minutes and then move up to R10sec/W50sec for 10 minutes.
Principle: Even small amounts of running will maintain most of the adaptations of running. But if you drop back to short enough run segments, the walking can usually stop the irritation. You’re allowing the body to heal itself.
4.Coming back from an injury or illness
Most of the runners I’ve worked with who have experienced injury have been able to ease back into running after a few days off for healing. Illness presents more complex issues. Before resuming a strenuous training program after injury or illness make sure that your doctor has approved your return to running. The advice in this section and the book is from one runner to another. For medical advice, see a doctor.
By easing back into running using short segments, the legs, feet knees, etc. can gradually re-adapt naturally. Too much continuous running is the most common cause of injury. If walking is allowed during the time off from running, build the walk to 30 minutes. Whether walking or running, keep a short stride with your feet low to the ground.
Some runners will be able to progress more rapidly than others, but it is always best to start with very short segments of running. After about two weeks of very gentle running, most runners are able to add more running. Even then, a gradual increase back to the former level is recommended. Normally this is more than twice the time runners had to lay off from running due to injury, sickness, etc.
Principle: Stay below the threshold of further irritation of injury. When coming back from illness, be conservative in increasing workload. Too much, too soon can lower the immune system.
First run:
Walk for the first 10 minutes.
If all is well, move to R5sec/W55sec for 3 minutes.
Walk for 3 minutes
If all is well, gently try R5sec/W55sec for 4 minutes.
Walk gently for 3 minutes.
If all is well, gently try R5sec/W55sec for 5 minutes
Walk gently for 10 minutes as a warm-down.
If there are no problems after the first workout, increase the number of R5sec/W55sec segments on successive workouts, every other day, until you’re running 30 minutes. Don’t do any strenuous exercise on the day off from running. Walking is usually allowed but ask your doctor.
Monitor weak links and back off if there is irritation.
Gradually increase the amount of running and decrease the amount of walking as the body adapts: R10sec/W50sec, R10sec/W40sec, R10sec/W30sec, R10sec/W20sec, R15sec/W30sec, R15sec/W30sec, R40sec/W30sec, R40sec/W20sec, etc.
If you feel that the irritation in an injured area is coming back, take 2-3 days off and come back with just a few minutes of R5sec/W55sec.
My comeback story: Returning to marathons after a hip fracture
By March 1, 2012, my wife Barbara and I had been running a marathon every month for about three years. I had just finished two days of filming a pilot for a TV show on running, and was walking up a stairway thinking about the next marathon in two weeks in Rome. As I reached the top of the stairwell, I noticed the doors opening ahead of me and shifted to the side, not looking at the top step. My left foot caught the lip, and my hip hit the stone floor hard, causing a fracture.
X-rays and an MRI disclosed three fractures. My excellent medical advisors, Dr. Ruth Parker and Dr. Paul Parker, believed that I should not jump into surgery or other procedures. I started learning how to use crutches. Barbara was so great about helping me get around. At first, almost any movement was awkward and any slight departure from a short range of motion triggered an instant jolt of pain.
Ruth told me right away that I should keep the calf muscle active and she suggested toe raises. I found that there was no pain doing these and I quickly built up to 700 per day. This was crucial in my return to running later.
I also walked around on crutches, several times a day. One day a week, I increased the distance covered on this long crutch run. This was simply a visualization—I imagined myself running along the sidewalk. Each week I went a bit farther.
Two weeks after the fracture I was scheduled to leave for Rome. My medical team was cautious but let me go. The RunItaly tour asked me to give clinics to the runners. I experienced a few moments of real pain trying to move from one mode of transportation to another and some significant swelling during and after the flights. But I crutched my way around Rome on the wonderful tours, and advised the runners on tour about how to be strong and energized during the marathon, while recovering fast enough to enjoy the tours and Italian cuisine. They seemed to believe me even if I was giving the clinics on crutches.
I continued my 700 toe raises each day for 7 weeks. During the sixth and seventh weeks, my bone seemed to be getting stronger every day, and I started supporting some of my weight on my legs when walking, while still getting some support from the crutches. Seven weeks after the day of the fracture, I felt strong enough to walk without crutches. I had many anxious moments that week. I walked around the house, up and down the hallways, then cautiously outside on the sidewalk. I was definitely wobbling as I walked through airports to my clinics. There was a lot of weakness due to the atrophy of the gluteus muscles, but the symptoms were not the pain I received from the bone damage. I talked this through with Ruth and Paul who cautioned me to monitor warnings as I increased the distance of my walk about every other day. The remaining damage seemed to be exclusively in the soft tissue in the gluteus medius and the many tendons, ligaments, nerves, and other components damaged during the fall.
During the two weeks of walking only, I increased my long walk distance to 8 miles. At that point, I felt that I could begin short running segments. I continued to feel weakness and significant soreness as I walked, but these symptoms seemed to lessen every two days or so. On my first attempt at running I was nervous and excited. I started with a 5-minute walk. Then I tried to jog for 5 seconds. I felt very awkward and unnatural, and walked for 55 seconds after each 5-second jog. On the first day, I did ten of these R5sec/W55sec segments and walked for 10 minutes. Every other day I increased the number of minutes of R5sec/W55sec until I could do 30 minutes.
Because of my toe raises, my calf muscles were ready to run. After 30 minutes of R5sec/W55sec, I moved up to R10sec/W50sec. The running felt more and more natural so I moved up to R15sec/W45sec and then to R30sec/W30sec (one week at each ratio). At this point, I was at the Med City Marathon/Half Marathon in Rochester, MN, for clinics and decided to try the half marathon. While R30sec/W30sec felt doable at first, it was too much for the soft tissue when continuing for 13.1 miles. I shifted to R20sec/W20sec and finished with R15sec/W30sec walk.
I should have used R10sec/W20sec or R15sec/W30sec from the beginning. The extra stress of the R30sec/W30sec for that distance damaged the glut muscles, nerves, and tendons requiring a very gentle recovery week. I shifted back to R15sec/W30sec on my runs and started improving again. Two weeks later I used R15sec/W45sec to cover 15.5 miles. One month after Med City, I used R15sec/W45sec to cover 18 miles during the Grandma’s Marathon, where I was giving advice about training and how to avoid tripping on stairwells.
There were no setbacks from the 18 miles, but soreness and glute weakness continued lessening every week. I planned to do 22 miles at the Missoula marathon, three weeks after Grandma’s, and walk for the last 4 miles or so. It was a beautiful morning through the scenic Montana ranchland as I walked for 2 miles with my friends Kim and Stan. At that point, we decided to try R10sec/W20sec. It worked. At 22 miles I was having so much fun that I decided to continue and finished Missoula in 6:04.
It was my slowest of 169 marathons but I couldn’t have felt more proud or empowered.
For the first two days there was some of the usual glute soreness, but then it mostly disappeared. One month later I finished the Alaska Wild Life Marathon (one of my favorites) in 4:55 using R20sec/W20sec for the first half and then R15sec/W10sec for the second half.
The human body has an amazing ability to regenerate when challenged—if we let it.
5.Heat
Running will trigger a temperature increase. If the outside temperature is below 55°F, much of the body heat increase can be absorbed. But when running in temperatures of 65°F, 70°F, and above, core body temperature will continue to rise. Too much of an increase can result in a serious condition called heat disease which includes heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Liberal walk breaks, from the beginning of a hot run, can minimize the internal heat increase. It’s always better to err on the safe side of heat issues. Frequent walk breaks can not only keep you from overheating, you’ll recover faster and finish stronger in races on warm or hot days.
On training runs, it’s always better during hot weather to run in the pre-dawn hours, before the sun gets above the horizon. Shade will also reduce some of the heat stress generated by sunshine.
The Run Walk Run Method Page 6