How to train properly

[Eric Day]

It's almost a year since I started running and I've been from injury after injury.
Last week I was running 7 miles per day 5 days a week (it was my third week with that daily mileage) plus long run of 12.5 miles.
First injury, at the beginning, was then achilles tendon, this was painfully long to get over. Also, in May got the 'goose's foot' problem, although that was 'fixed' very quickly.
Now I have a problem of 'Calf Strain on the Gastrocnemius Muscle'.

My question is simple: what am I doing wrong? too much too soon?

When I run, I feel I can run the 7 miles quite easily now and I want to push harder but won't because of my aches & pains. I don't do hills, or tempos, or fartleks, speeds or anything of that because of the same reasons.

So, please, somebody illustrate me here. What is wrong?

I really want to train harder to be better, but worried I may hurt myself badly...

Thanks for any comment or tip.

[Jeff Linger]

The first thought that popped out in my mind was recovery. Do you do any 'recovery' runs, or are they all at Steady-State? You said you don't do tempo, fartlek, etc, but do you run at the faster end of aerobic? Perhaps inserting a shorter and slower run once a week may help. The day after your long run would be the obvious place to insert this. And what about your nutrition? How's your protein intake? If you're skimping on protein, especially immediate post-run, your muscles may not be repairing themselves properly. Shoes are another question. Do you have the right ones for you? Do you retire them when they're worn-out?

[Chris M]

7 miles per day over 5 days is 35 miles, it would probably be better if you changed it around a bit so you are not running the same distance every day - do some 4 or 5 milers as recovery runs for instance

[Eric Day]

Jeff, thanks for the comment. Let me go by point.
No, I'm not doing recovery runs after the long run. I do the long run on Saturdays & then rest on Sundays. I do push my runs a little bit, not too much because of my previous achilles tendon problem. Also, usually on Saturdays, I try to have a nice steak or fish meal. Nutrition wise I think I have a steady-good diet, maybe not the best, but ok.
Shoes may be an issue. I have just ordered some Asics Cumulus 10, but I won't see these for at least 3 weeks.

Chris, maybe I should change my long run to Monday, and do a short run on Tuesday?

Thanks guys!

[April G]

Eric--I ran across an interesting article on injury-prone runners--just food for thought
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NHF/is_3_19/ai_86743839

I don't know if I pasted the link right...

[Sasha Pachev]

Eric:

I would identify two keys to running injury-free.

The first key  is to keep the consistency going strong, but cut down on the ambition. Do not try to prove anything to yourself on most of the days. Run relaxed, enjoy nature. Push maybe once every two weeks, and still hold some back, do not leave it all on the road. After another a year or two we hope the body will become injury-resistant and you'll be able to push it more.

The other key is diet and sleep. Going from a sedentary lifestyle to running requires a change in the way you think about those two. A sedentary person never bangs his body up enough to earn an injury in a month when the recovery process is not adequate. Think of it this way - every time you run you've just borrowed money. You must pay it back quickly. If you do, the profit you made using the money is greater than the amount of interest you were charged. But if you procrastinate the interest will be greater than the profit. Thus a sedentary person can make sporadic and leisurely payments and he will not foreclose on his collateral for another 20 years. A runner with the same approach forecloses much sooner - in a month or two.

You replay the loans when you eat and sleep. What you eat begins to matter more. When you go to bed and how much you sleep begins to matter more as well. Have a strict bed time. Pay attention to what foods strengthen you and what do not, and eat only the ones that do. Do not skip meals, eat plenty of quality foods to satisfy your hunger. Remember that a food eaten means some other possibly more nutritious food not eaten or at least not properly digested, and thus make your choices carefully.

[Kelli]

Eric, I noticed the same thing the first year I took up serious running!  By the time I ran the marathon I had trained for all year, I was completely falling apart.  Every inch of my was hurting, I could not sleep at night because any movement caused pain, and I HATED running.  I quit for 4 months after that.  So, this year, I moved into it much slower.  Most of my runs are very slow (in the 9's, although my marathon pace is the low 8's and my 1/2 marathon are all in the 7's).  I did get an injury that lasted forever this fall, but before that I was injury free for 9 months.  I think the key is listening to your body and letting it recover however it needs to (cross training, quitting for a bit, slowing way down, cutting out hills, whatever). 

I am not an expert, but how is that for sharing my marbles???

[Eric Day]

Sasha, thanks for the comments.
On my daily runs, I go at a pace of about 5:40-5:30 min/km. On my long runs, a pace of about 6:00 min/km. I know I can go below 5:00 min/km (my PR for a 10k is lower than that). I have focused on distance rather than 'time' in my running.
I can feel the progress fitness wise in my body: I can run 20 kms at 6:00 min/km pace and finish well, tired but comfortable.
Still, the races act as an incentive to me to continue my training (I know I won't win any for quite a while).

My wife is crazy about nutrition, so I eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, chicken, fish, not very much meat, etc. That is why I mentioned that my diet can be considered ok, but of course, can be better. I shall work on that.

What specific training program should I do then?

[Eric Day]

Kelli, I like your marbles !

But I come from a very stubborn family (and I mean stubborn) so I can't, won't, quit running. I may slow down or skip a couple of days, but then it 'eats me' and I have to run.
I've found it so relaxing, feel so much better during the day when I do run.

Just wish I could call my mommy to give me a kiss where it hurts so it could all go away (those were the good years).

 

[Eric Day]

April, sorry, link is fine. I will read when given a little bit of time. Thanks.

[Eric Day]

Thanks to all for the comments.

Diet, working at this. I have cut down, very much, on junk food. Going more for fruits & vegetables.
Sleep, mmm. Point here. I have not been sleeping very well although I -am- going to bed earlier (about 10:00 pm, and get up at 6:30am). Tend to wake up too many times during night...

On pointers on these posts and other's, would this work for me:?
    Keep on the steady mileage, incrementing a mile about every 3-4 weeks. I'll continue on 7 miles per day and do a along run of about 14 miles every other saturday (on none long run, I'll do a 10 miler at a little bit faster pace). I'll put on standby special workouts (speed, intervals, etc) for the time until I'm doing +50 miles per week over a few months.
    Continue doing races (10k and HM) about once a month but without forcing pace or trying to do PR.

How does this sound?

[Bob]

I think regular stretching and some kind of light strength training regiment (including legs) is valuable for the runner beginning a long distance program.  Both shouldn't take that much time because running is the focus.

[Eric Day]

Bob, yes, stretching is a fundamental part of my program, both before & after running. I take all the time needed to stretch; If in a hurry, I cut down the run, not the stretch.

I hope to start a strength routine when I move to our new place, but that won't happen for a few more months yet...