DUMB QUESTION ALERT: When should you take a day off? Injury prevention thread.

don't listen to this American trash

stick to kilometers if you want, its just as convenient

and to answer your question take a day off when your body is especially tired but try to distance the days off. a newer runner should try to get to 6 days of running and 1 off day a week

then try to go 9 days of running then your off day and continue to increase. You can also avoid injury by having 1-2 days as designated super easy recovery days a week where you just run ~5km on grass as it will be easier on your body

I'm a man, I'm 40 wrote:

idiot comment wrote:

You do know that almost every single country in the world uses the metric system, right?

Says the person that is constantly injured and can't break 45 minutes in a 10k.

Assuming you think you'e responding to me (I'm the OP) - I didn't write the comment you're responding to, and I can break 45 minutes in a 10k. You're close to correct on the injuries, though.

Try running slow on a mostly flat, not-slippery surface for 5-10 minutes. If it hurts too much to do that, or if you have to change your form to run, stop. If you change your form you can get weird imbalances that just make you get more injured later, so if you can't run normally you should just skip running for the day (you can cross train if you can do something else that doesn't make it hurt).

pro hours wrote:

Bullet in the Blue Sky spot on about not running if it alters your gait.

Also I find if I try to go for a run and the pain gets worse then stop and take time off. A lot of the time I go out with a niggle and it's fine after a few days.

This is wise advice. Keep it simple.

My rule of thumb: Be willing to head out the door and see what happens. Some pains go away after half a mile to a mile. If the pain does the opposite--lingers and slowly gets worse--then pull the plug, immediately.

Always be willing to pull the plug. Zero ego. Just let go.

I did that yesterday. My back has been trouble for many months. Yesterday I pulled the plug at 1.5 miles and wanted to kick puppies when I got home.\

Today I jogged 3 miles with no trouble and my Garmin 235, when I finished, had my VO2 max increasing from 45 to 46 when I checked at the end. The smallest lagniappe, but I cherished it.

HRE wrote:

I always found that a short easy run got things to heal faster than a day off did. But that's something everyone needs to work out for themselves. Most of the little niggles we feel are things you can train through and they'll go away eventually. If you don't run every time something feels a little "off" you'll probably never get any consistency going. It's dicey. My rule for something like you described was to run for ten minutes. Things almost always stopped hurting in that time. But if something started hurting more in the ten minutes I'd bag the run.

Yes.

chainsmoker wrote:

If you'd had recurring injuries I would argue that time off is not going to be the answer.

Something is off from a functional standpoint. Could be muscle deficiencies, form issues, etc. You would probably benefit from a slow mileage build with mostly easy running, and working in drills slowly. Butt kicks, high knees, 5-10 minutes of barefoot jogging or walking, etc. Just pick 4-6 exercises that you feel comfortable with do them well (not fast! form over speed). 1-2 days a week to start. Then add in 1-2 days a week of things like lunges, squats, calf work, etc. Then don't let up. It's just part of what you do now as you increase your mileage. Oh, and core 5x/week.

Get to the root of why you keep ending up injured. Don't just treat the point of pain...

Chainsmoker is right. Taking time off only helps if the potential injury is a simple overuse injury. Your low mileage and slow buildup indicate that overuse is not the culprit. I suggest drills and strength training.

KudzuRunner wrote:

HRE wrote:

I always found that a short easy run got things to heal faster than a day off did. But that's something everyone needs to work out for themselves. Most of the little niggles we feel are things you can train through and they'll go away eventually. If you don't run every time something feels a little "off" you'll probably never get any consistency going. It's dicey. My rule for something like you described was to run for ten minutes. Things almost always stopped hurting in that time. But if something started hurting more in the ten minutes I'd bag the run.

Yes.

The problem is sometimes you warmup, feel good, and then 2 hours after the run you realize you have made the problem worse. It is sort of an art of deciding how worried to be. I found that muscle issues where never a big deal and you rapidly learned if. you could run with it or not but things like IBTS or achilles soreness was hard to figure out if it was something that you just need to get loose or if you were better off skipping the run and doing more rehab work.

Gonna second this. I’m removing from a tibial stress reaction and have been running for about two weeks now. Past 5ish days I’ve felt mediocre when going to bed but throughout the day I feel great so I go for a run.

The real issue is distinguishing between a pain and an ache.

Generally any sharp pain means you need to stop. There are some exceptions but whether tendon or bone you’re gonna screw something up if you run on a sharp pain. Duller pains can be managed but you have to be careful. Decrease mileage and intensity

crunches and situps are useless for runners. They work your abs which are fast twitch muscles that cannot really be used at all in distance running. If you do core, focus instead on deeper core muscles with planks (front, back, and sides) and "6 inches" holding your legs up off the ground. Never do russian twists or bicycles. You could do paloff press as well.

I would recommend seeing a PT at least once to actually identify your weaknesses/imbalances. Make sure it is a good running PT not just any guy. It will save you a lot of time, effort, and frustration. Read Anatomy for Runners or just do the tests in the back of the book before reading it. If you cannot keep a flat back with in a half kneeling position without feeling a stretch in your hip flexor, it is too tight. Stretch for 3-5min each straight after a run if this is the case at least 6 times per week. 80% of runners have tight hip flexors from sitting too much. Your glutes are probably also deactivated and too weak (again most people from sitting), so do glute bridges and other glute activation exercises pre run and post run. If you can't bring each hamstring up to 75º stretch those up against a wall for 5' every day after a run. Do not waste your time with any shorter stretches post run. Always do a dynamic warmup and if you have time roll before a run. Roll after runs and get your feet with a lacrosse ball. Do strength exercises for stabilizing muscles in your hips and glutes and core every day. Make sure you can balance on one leg with your eyes closed easily. Learn how to activate the muscles deep in your core an inch below your belly button by pressing your tongue to the top of your mouth and exhaling. Learn to do this without the exhale.

To answer your original question, one day off is always worth it. I have been injured for two months now because I did not do this. It will not necessarily hurt during a run but could still get very damaged with no pain. Just take a day off if there is any question in your mind. You can always bike or aqua jog and one day will not hurt your fitness but two months will as you probably know. I really do recommend that you read Anatomy for Runners and see a PT.

Throw "metatarsalgia" into a Google search. Is this you? If so, minimal heel-toe drop, wide toebox, stiffer shoe should help.