Director of Physiotherapy at Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital Dr Mark Nelson competes in the Queenstown Marathon.
Does slow and steady really win the race? When it comes to running, the answer is a resounding yes.
Running brings untold benefits for mind and body, and it has never been trendier to chuck on the sneakers and hit the bitumen.
It’s hard to throw a rock of a morning and not hit a run club with their popularity on exploding on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But running takes a toll on the body over time, and pushing your body to hit that next goal without the proper precautions can leave you in a vicious cycle of injury.
Director of Physiotherapy at Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital Mark Nelson said the key to avoiding injuries was prioritising consistency, recovery and load management.
“As physios, we regularly advise those recovering from injuries to increase their load gradually, and the same thing goes for running,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter where you are on the running spectrum, whether you’re just starting out or very experienced; if you have a sudden spike in your training load, you’re putting yourself at an increased risk of injury or niggles.”
The secret is giving the body time to adapt.
“As you gradually increase the load, you need to give your body the chance to recover and absorb the load that you’re putting it through.
“It’s all about a consistent, gradual build.”
Cementing good running habits early in life is a long-term investment that reaps rewards later in life.
According to Dr Nelson, staying injury‑free is about doing the simple things well:
- Gradually build load
- Allow time for recovery
- Fuel properly
- Warm up
- Be consistent
- Be realistic
Many runners try and hit the ground running after an injury, which often leads to a nasty cycle of overtraining, further injury, rest, and premature return.
While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to achieve fast fitness gains, pushing your body to breaking point will do you no favours in the long run.
Having the right fuel for your body is also important. Hydration and carbohydrates before a run support performance, while protein afterwards aids muscle repair and recovery.
“Consistency is really important as well,” Dr Nelson said.
“If you’re running three or four times a week for a month, and then you don’t run for a few weeks and try to pick up where you left off, that’s going to make you susceptible to injury.”
The busy husband and father, 42, has been running consistently since his mid-20s and has completed seven marathons and 16 half marathons.
But the days of jumping out of bed and going straight for a run are long behind him.
“You don’t necessarily need to be doing a 20-minute stretching routine before a run, but some sort of warm up is always a good idea,” he said.
“If I’m going for an hour-long run, I’ll use the first 10 minutes as my warm-up. I’ll run significantly slower at the start and ease into it.
“The reality is as we get older, we become more susceptible to injuries if we’re not careful, and recovery takes longer. But it’s not just purely linked to age.
“I know for myself and the mates I run with, we’ve got young kids, and we’ve found the most challenging thing is finding the time to both run and recover within a busy schedule.
“Be realistic about your circumstances. Piling high-intensity running on top of a new baby, poor sleep, sickness, and work is when things can go awry.”
Dr Nelson said managing the time pressures of work and family life means finding the time to run on a tight schedule.
“If I have a 60-minute window when I get home from work before the family dinner and bedtime routine starts, I can go for a run, or I can set an early alarm and get a 30-minute run in before work. I sometimes even run to and from work just to get a run in,” he said.
“There are not too many hobbies you can slot into small windows like that. I like my golf too, but I certainly can’t wake up and play 30 minutes of golf before work.”
While the post-pandemic rise of fitness influencers has highlighted the huge benefits of running, Dr Nelson stressed the importance of not taking their advice as gospel.
Since the vast majority aren’t professionals, he stressed the importance of being mindful of your sources.
“Influencers can promote generic advice that works for them. But everyone is an individual and it’s about finding what works for you,” he said.
Ultimately, reaping the physical, mental and social rewards of a hobby like running only requires a pair of shoes – and a reminder that slow and steady often wins the race.