MARATHONING AND THE 10% RULE
Marathon season is to PT’s and orthopeadics what tax season is to accountants: unbelievably busy.
Marathoners, that bunch who run a distance most people don’t want to drive, generally don't seem fazed by shin splints or tendonitis. And that's the problem, which is why many local PTs' office hours are booked solid during the months before major marathon seasons such as April-June and again Oct-Dec.
Marathon runners, especially those new to long distance running, set these huge goals and they run and they run without enough rest, and then they start having problems. The thing is, many of the common injuries will fade away or never even show up if you take just a short break, and most runners who have gotten the marathon bug won't. The feeling is they will lose too much if they take time off. The exact opposite is more the reality. They have a lot more to lose if they do not take the rest the body needs.
The staff at Elite Runners & Walkers stresses that overdoing it as you ramp up your mileage can cause long term issues and may even prevent you from finishing the marathon. However, they also stress that if you gradually build up and listen to your body the chances of injury are slim. They suggest living by the 10% Rule. This means never increasing your total mileage more than 10% over the previous week and never increasing your longest workout more than 10% over the previous week’s long one. This allows the body time to adapt to the additional stress a marathoner will put on their body.
In addition, recent evidence suggests that bodies strained by prolonged and strenuous exercise without proper rest are vulnerable not only to muscular and skeletal problems, but to infections and perhaps even disease. The gradual build up and rest promoted in the 10% rule mentality helps instead to turn exercise into a very positive thing for the body. In many cases it helps reverse or put off degeneration of the body from basic aging as bones are stimulated to continue growing and muscle tone is kept up. Runners and avid walkers also tend to be less prone to infections and many companies have noticed this long term healthy trend. Some have even gone as far as offering insurance discounts to employees who exercise routinely.
Bottom line is, 26.2 miles is a long way to go at once, but if you take your time getting there more than just the finish line awaits.
