HOW MUCH & HOW SOON?
Sudden increases in activity levels that exceed your body’s ability to cope and adapt can be the main driver for injury. This can happen for any runner of any experience. These activity levels are commonly referred to as load, which includes frequency, duration, intensity and type (e.g. running, swimming, cycling). The following tools will allow you to increase your load and minimise the risk of injury at the same time!
COUCH TO 5KM (C25KM)
A commonly utilised program for beginners with a structured program and goal of 5km in mind! Perhaps you’ve never ran before or returning from injury, this is a great way to safely progress over 9 weeks. You can find this program online at www.c25km.com or download the app.
10% RULE
Achieved your 5km target? what now? The 10% rule is well known throughout the running community, due to its simplicity and ease of application to any program. The rule states not to increase your weekly training load (total km’s per week) by more than 10%.
Example:
Week 1 – 22 km
Week 2 – 24 km (+9.1%)
Week 3 – 27 km (+12.5%)
Week 4 – 30km (+11.1%)
Here you can see I have safely increased my load from week 1 to 2, shown in green.
However, after that I have increased too much shown in red. Exposing myself to increased risk of injury.
ACUTE – CHRONIC WORKLOAD RATIO (ACWR)
- Calculate a 4-week rolling average (km):
Week 1 – 22 km
Week 2 – 24 km
Week 3 – 27 km
Week 4 – 30km
22 + 24 + 27 + 30 = 103 km total
103km ÷ 4 weeks = 25.8 km per week on average
- Divide current/planned week by this 4-week rolling average to obtain your ratio:
Week 5 – 30km 30 ÷ 25.8 = 1.2
- Ensure it is within the optimal zone
Less than 0.8 is Under-training
0.8 – 1.3 is Optimal
1.3 -1.4 is Over-reaching
1.5 or higher is Over-training
SUMMARY
These tools do not mean you are risk free, with any physical activity there is always risk of injury which is influenced by a multitude of factors. If suffering from injury please seek advice from a health professional, this is not a substitute for treatment. My last few tips would be to ensure you are eating well, sleeping, having rest days, setting goals and enjoying yourself!
