Today on the Doc On The Run Podcast we’re talking about how to do your first test run outside.
How to do your first Test Run outside. When and How.
I know you want to run. You are runner! I get it!
Once you think you are sufficiently healed, you don’t want to just dive into long runs and speed work.
Before you can resume training and ramping up your running, you have to make sure running will be safe. That’s where the “test run” comes in….
First confirm you have the obvious signs of improvement. If you have no swelling, no pain, no tenderness when you palpate, squeeze or push on it, you have signs of improvement.
You also want make sure before you try to do your test run, you should have no pain walking around (even if you are using pads or modified insert).
Don’t do the test run if you have pain when you are just walking.
If you think you are ready for the test run, pick a safe surface. Run on a track, smooth flat jogging path or a level road. Do NOT run on a rough trail, sand, grass or a sidewalk that has driveway cutouts.
Wear your most protective shoes with the modified inserts or pads that decrease stress to the healing tissue.
Go out and run.
During your first run, make sure you run slow and steady. Maintain the best form you can. Run with short even strides. Focus on you running form. Try to land with a gentle mid-foot strike.
Run slow and stay at your base training pace, same slow pace as if it were a long run.
If you haven’t run in 1 month or more only run 1 mile.
if you haven’t run in 2 weeks run 2 miles.
if you have only stopped running for 1 week or less, run 3 miles.
When you are running, pay attention and try to notice if you have any pain.
STOP if you feel any pain at all.
If you are sore at all after the test run, do the contrast bath routine.
Pay attention that evening. If you have no pain, that is a very good sign!
The real key is when you wake up the next morning. If you have no pain when you get up and step out of bed and start waling around, you have confirmed that the test run was safe, under those conditions.
But that is all it confirms…only that that distance, at that pace, on that running surface was safe. It doesn’t mean you can go right back to running 10 miles. You will ramp up gradually from there.
Take the next day off. Rest, swim, ride a bike or go to the gym.
We have created a perfectly simple Runners Pain Journal PDF for you. Just download it. Its free.
When you get injured you really only have 3 signs of worsening injury: Pain, Swelling and Bruising.
Pain is the easiest and most informative of all these signs. Pain tells you something is wrong and may indicate you are doing damage.
Pain is dynamic. It can give you immediate feed-back. And because of this, it can be extremely useful.
A pain journal helps you convince yourself that you are getting better.
The same way a training schedule helps you see progress, see that you are realizing your goals, mapping your recovery with a pain journal can help you see trends and note progress. Since an injury is so stressful, you need to be able to see improvement.
The more closely you track and evaluate your pain as you recover, the faster you can adjust, increase your mileage and ramp up your running intensity without having to wonder whether or not you are staying on track.
Again, the goal is to keep increasing your milage and intensity without the pain creeping back in. You can really only do that if you are keeping track with a pain journal.
To make things easy for you, we created the perfect Runners Pain Journal PDF for you. Download it now.…Its free.
To print out your copy of the pain journal, Download here:
If you have a question that you would like answered as a future edition the Doc On The Run Podcast, send it to me, and then make sure you join me in the next edition of the Doc On The Run Podcast. Thanks again for listening!
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