Easy steps for healthy competition

Ready, set, go!

by

Training for athletic competitions can be both rewarding and challenging for athletes with foot pain and injuries heading up the list of challenges that significantly hinder performance and progress.

With the 20th New Albany Walking Classic® in September quickly followed by the  Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Columbus Marathon in October, it’s more important than ever for walkers and runners to maintain their health.

Both annual events have had thousands of participants, all celebrating health and wellness.

Dr. Brian Tscholl, an orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedic One, is no stranger to long races, having consistently run for more than 25 years.

According to Tscholl, some athletes who train for 5k and 10k events are prone to overuse injuries. Stress fractures, Achilles issues and plantar fasciitis are among the most common foot injuries encountered, as athletes tend to push their bodies beyond their accustomed limits.

“I’d say nutrition is underrated in terms of its importance, especially when you’re running; you’re constantly impacting your foot,” Orthopedic One orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brian Tscholl says.

The length of training programs varies depending on the competition distance and the individual’s fitness level. Programs can range from 8-12 weeks for a 5k to 16-20 weeks for a marathon. However, it is important to note that these programs assume a certain level of base fitness.

As most athletes know, normal muscle soreness is expected after a run. However, Tscholl says it should improve after a day of rest or an easy run.

“Normal muscle soreness is something that you should still be able to walk through and should disappear within a day or so,” he says. “The ones that are problematic are the ones of a sudden onset of pain, like if you took a step and suddenly there was a snap or a crack. You know right away. If it’s not better within a week, that’s when you should start talking to someone.”

One of the ways athletes can injure themselves is running on a rough surface. It is better to seek out softer surfaces like smooth trails or tracks to minimize the impact on the feet. In the Columbus area, some metro parks offer excellent trail options.

“Blacktop and concrete sidewalks are probably the worst, especially because they tend to have quite a curve for draining rainwater, so you’re never quite at a nice flat surface,” Tscholl says. “Most people, just for ease, go out their front door and onto the streets and on the sidewalks. Those individuals really need a good shoe for that.”

In addition to exercising on smooth surfaces, there are several other actions Tscholl deems vital to preventing injuries.

While stretching before a run or walk can be done, Tscholl emphasizes that post-activity stretching is more important. Repetitive motions put stress on muscles, making it essential to stretch afterward to prevent injuries and maintain flexibility.

“Stretching is underutilized,” he says. “Everyone that comes in with a running (or walking) injury tends to be tight and stretching is extremely important to prevent injuries. Spending five minutes after you’ve completed your run to conduct some stretching when your muscles are still warm can be extremely helpful.”

Also, using the wrong or worn-down shoes can be detrimental for an athlete in training. Ensuring that shoes are replaced between 300-500 miles or when they show signs of wear is essential. Alternating between two pairs of shoes or finding a similar shoe from a different brand can also be beneficial.

“Often running shoes are good for about 300 miles, but much of that is eaten up by day-to-day walking,” Tscholl says.

In combination with stretching and appropriate shoes, proper nutrition plays an underrated role in foot health and injury prevention. Tscholl stresses that athletes constantly stress their bones, requiring the appropriate building blocks such as amino acids, calcium and vitamin D for bone remodeling and growth. Ensuring an adequate intake of these nutrients is essential, especially for longer training sessions.

“I’d say nutrition is underrated in terms of its importance, especially when you’re running; you’re constantly impacting your foot,” he says. “You’re constantly stressing your bone, asking your bone to remodel and put down new bone in an area that’s being stressed.

“Vitamin D, for example, we depend on sunshine for that, and for a couple of months a year in Columbus, we don’t get so much sunshine. Therefore, a lot of folks become vitamin D deficient, then, as a result, are prone to injuries like stress fractures,” Tscholl says. “If you’re simply going to be out doing a 30 or 45-minute run (or walk), it’s probably not that important. But once you get into the hour or hour plus of activity, that sort becomes more important.”

When athletes do experience foot pain during training, resting can be a simple solution. Incorporating off days into training schedules is crucial for allowing the body to recover and prevent overuse injuries.

“I find rest extremely important,” he says. “With the idea of needing to (exercise) seven days a week, there needs to be off days built into that. You need to have some days where you don’t run. Rest can mean stopping running, or instead of stopping your training, you can do lifting, swimming, biking or something similar as long as that is pain-free.”

Mariah Muhammad is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.