Yes, You Can Run More and Not Get Hurt

Signed up for a half marathon or a marathon? Want to build up your running base? Or just feel like running more miles? Before you bump up your mileage, there are a few questions to ask yourself to avoid an injury inflicted by the “terrible too’s”—too much, too soon, too fast. This may be the number-one reason runners get injured.

Question 1: Are You Starting From a Solid Base?

I don’t mean just a base of running—do you also have a solid base of strength, stability, and flexibility? Running is essentially jumping from one leg to another. If you can’t land on a single leg with control and good alignment, you’re setting yourself up for an overuse injury and worse performance.

Try this test: Stand on one leg in front of a mirror. How’s your balance? Now, perform a single-leg squat. Can you maintain your balance? Do your trunk, hip, knee, and foot stay lined up as you squat or do your hips drop out of alignment, your standing knee collapse inward, or your ankle wiggle around?

Any limitations in strength or mobility that affect your single-leg alignment, from head to toe, will be even worse if you add miles. If you haven’t already been doing some regular strength training and foam rolling, now’s the time to start. It will not only help prevent injury but also help improve your running performance.

Question 2: Do You Have a Training Plan?

Being strategic about how and when you increase your mileage will help both to minimize your risk of injury and reap the greatest benefits from the extra miles. Rather than just running more and more, develop a plan or follow one from a reputable coach geared toward your goals and abilities. Most training plans incorporate rest days and include a variety of workouts—some focused on building endurance, others on speed, and others on active recovery.

There’s science and art involved in adding mileage, and there are loads of great, experienced coaches out there who can offer valuable guidance.

Question 3: What’s Your Overall Level of Stress?

Stress is not necessarily a bad thing; it can lead to positive changes, like when you do interval workouts and get faster or take a course and get smarter. But there’s a point when additional stress can outpace your ability to recover and lead to breakdowns in fitness.

Running itself is a physiological stress on your body that builds on other life stresses. If you’re taking on a project at work, have a new baby at home, are recovering from an illness, are skimping on sleep, or have any other major stress in your life, this may not be the best time to add on more miles. If you can’t work extra recovery into your schedule, you may want to wait for a better time to commit to more mileage.

With a strategic approach to ramping up your mileage, you’ll become a stronger, faster, and more durable runner!