Body Language Runners Can Learn How To Avoid Serious Leg Injuries If They Listen To What Their Bodies Tell Them

Hey, Bloomie: Listen up! Your body is talking to you.

Some messages are subtle. (“Ah, flat road ahead. Activate cruise control.”)

Others are more emphatic. (“Do not take such long strides going down this steep hill!”)

Serious runners know their bodies’ language. But that doesn’t mean they always listen.

When they don’t, people like Carla Baker enter the picture. Baker - Eastern Washington University’s head athletic trainer and director of sports medicine - helps get runners back on track … and back on speaking terms with their bodies.

Baker doesn’t sweat petty complaints - the normal leg pains runners feel when they’re pushing themselves, or the predictable stiffness athletes feel the morning after a strenuous workout.

“There’s a difference between pain and hurt,” observes Baker, a 32-year-old weight-lifter. “It’s OK to feel a little bit of burn. But a sharp pain is telling you something.

“Of course, explaining that to an athlete is a whole ‘nother story,” she says bemusedly.

To avoid injuries, runners - college caliber and weekend warriors alike - should stretch their muscles before and after training runs. (“Almost no one stretches after,” Baker laments.)

And, of course, they should listen to their bodies.

But even with proper precautions, things can go wrong. Runners may step off curbs and twist ankles, or leap into overdrive to beat a traffic light and pull hamstrings.

For most training-related leg injuries, Baker offers an easy-to-remember remedy called R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Rest gives a body time to heal. Ice applied for 15 to 20 minutes soon after an injury reduces swelling, as do compression and elevation.

“Never put heat on an injury during the first 72 hours,” Baker warns, “because that encourages swelling.

“The goal of any rehab program is to decrease swelling, decrease pain and increase range of motion. You can do all that in one step by keeping the swelling down to begin with.”

If you haven’t already begun training for Bloomsday, get going, Baker urges. Buy a pair of good shoes, stretch out, drink adequate fluids and start off running modest distances - as little as one or two miles a day. “Even if you already work out every day,” she points out, “that doesn’t mean you’re in shape to run.”

Gradually include hills to simulate the Bloomsday route.

And remember: If your body tells you to ease up, pay attention.

Here are six injuries that Baker says runners training for Bloomsday are most likely to suffer:

Shin splints: A catch-all phrase for pain in the lower front leg, shin splints generally are caused by either an imbalance between two leg muscles, an improper gait or bad shoes. Solutions range from buying better shoes to stretching the foot forward before running or massaging the shin with ice for 5 to 7 minutes. The good news: Shin splints don’t usually sideline runners, Baker says.

Ankle sprain: The most common ankle injury is overstretched ligaments caused by rolling the foot outward. Sometimes runners can continue training, but should follow the R.I.C.E. strategy as soon as they finish. Ankle wraps or braces may provide psychological support, Baker says, and help runners continue training at their previous pace. But if swelling and pain persist, stay off the ankle for a few days. “If you try to run through the pain,” says Baker, “you’re going to slow the healing process.”

Tendinitis: Usually the result of overtraining and/or insufficient stretching, tendinitis among runners is most common in the “heel cord” or Achilles tendon, and the patellar tendon just below the knee. Baker instructs athletes with tendinitis to massage the inflamed tendon with a paper-cup-shaped ice cube five to seven minutes before and after each run - “just enough to stretch it out without numbing it,” she says.

Calf strain: Two muscles make up the calf - the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Loosening them up properly requires stretching the calf with the knee in both the flexed (bent) and extended (straight) position. People who run on their toes are more susceptible to calf injuries. “It’s all in the way you land,” says Baker. The solution: better stretching and a smoother stride.

Pulled hamstring: Injuries to these big muscles on the upper back leg typically are caused by over-striding, either when sprinting or climbing hills. Contributing to the problem can be an imbalance between the hamstring and the even-more-powerful quadriceps on the upper front leg. Baker recommends icing the strained hamstring with your leg stretched and your body leaning forward. A thigh sleeve or Ace bandage can help compress the area.

Strained quadriceps: Quad strains are less common, but can occur when running downhill and overstriding. Treat them the same way you do to hamstring injuries, but ice the muscle with the knee bent.

“When you start training,” says Baker, “you’re going to feel pain. You’re going to feel soreness the next day. You’re waking up muscles that haven’t been used in a while.

“A lot of times, the best medicine when you’re sore is to go for a run,” she says.

Well, what did you expect her to recommend: Haagen-Dazs ice cream?

That’s just your stomach talking. Don’t listen.

This sidebar appeared with the story: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF BLOOMSDAY Each May, tens of thousands of people take to the streets of Spokane for an event that started 22 years ago as a mere road race and has now become a treasured tradition. Bloomsday elicits strong feelings from those who join the massive spring procession and from those who stay away. The Spokesman-Review wants to hear its readers’ opinions about the event. What do you like best about Bloomsday? What would you change? Think of this as an easy opportunity to slip a note into a community suggestion box. Please include your name and telephone number, because a reporter may can contact you for more details. We’ll take your comments several ways: By telephone: In Washington, call 458-8800, extension 9892. In Idaho, call 765-8811, extension 9892. By e-mail: jonathanm@spokesman.com By postal mail: Jonathan Martin, Newsroom, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.