Thousands of runners across South Africa stepped onto the streets on 1 May for the first time since the government declared a National State of Disaster early in March 2020. Although lockdown is not over, the 3-hour curfew (between 06:00 and 09:00 within a five-kilometre radius of your home) offers walkers, joggers, and cyclists the privilege of focusing on their fitness again and regaining a certain sense of normalcy and life as we know it.
Many athletes worked hard during lockdown to maintain their fitness and remain competitive in their respective sports disciplines.
For the majority of recreational runners, it shouldn’t be a top priority to run a personal best straight out of lockdown. Getting back into your training should be based on perceived effort until fitness is restored to a level where training can become more specific.
Running coaches across the globe are focusing their attention on reintroducing athletes back into their training routines.
Pierre Fourie (ASA and FSSACA sprint dis-tances, middle distances, long distances and cross country running coach) from Parys Multisport shares the following tips and advice with runners to transition safely back into their running routines.
Assuming that a long-distance runner had very little or no exercise during lockdown, I would recommend the following:
1. Cut back 30 per cent from your total weekly distance. Going too far too soon, could lead to impact/stress injuries. For example, if an athlete’s total weekly distance was 10 km before lockdown, the total weekly distance should be decreased to 7 km per week.
Increase the total weekly distance by 10 per cent every two to three weeks after that to avoid injuries.
2. Avoid an autoimmune response by limiting the intensity and total duration per training session to approximately 30 minutes. Going too hard for too long shortly after a long rest period could trigger an autoimmune response that presents itself with cold-like symptoms (sniffles) that could last for a few days. You don’t want to be showing any of those symptoms amid a Covid-19 lockdown.
3. Mix things up a little to become a more balanced athlete. Run every second day and fill the days between with cross-fit exercises. Variety is the mother of injury prevention. There are no major events taking place at the moment and you do not need to be too specific about your training. Focus on becoming an overall balanced athlete who will be ready for duty when parkruns, myruns and organised races open again.
4. Become a more efficient runner. Alternate between walking, jogging, running and sprinting when you go for a run. Going slowly is just as important as going fast and it’s common practice, even for elite athletes, to train at various paces. This will develop the different muscle types and energy systems in your body that will enable you to run more efficiently.
I know very few long-distance runners who don’t want to go faster, but I also know very few who know how fast they should go or how fast they can go.
5. Add some mobility training to you work-outs. Doing a few dynamic drills (hops, skips, bounds, and strides) before you run and finishing your training session with some static
stretches, will reduce the risk of injuries. It is also proven that runners with better mobility have the benefit of an increased stride length (not to be confused with over-striding, which is bad).
6. Rest is just as important as training. Athletes who train with me often hear me say that “athletes sleep more than people”. The human body repairs itself best when at rest and the hormones responsible for optimal muscle growth and development only come out to play when you are in a deep sleep. Rest is also vital if you have sustained an injury. Never run through the pain of an injury.
7. Having fun and being able to go out and enjoy your surroundings up close and personal should be the main objectives for any runner outside the competitive arena. Having fun doesn’t mean it is easy. Running never gets easier; you just get faster. If you’re not enjoying it, you’re doing it wrong.
To all fellow runners, stay safe, stay healthy, obey the rules, stick to the curfew… and have fun.
Visit www.parysmultisport.co.za for more information, or contact Pierre Fourie on info@parysmultisport.co.za with any specific ques- tions or training requirements.
