High School Running Tips

By Kevin Doyle

 

With track season fast approaching, here are a few tips to help you high school runners achieve your goals this year.

 

The key to success in any athletic endeavor is to remain injury free through extended periods of training.  It is also important to properly manage and contain injuries in the unfortunate event that they do occur.  For high school runners the most common injuries are shin splints and plantar fasciitis, although there are many others that can be brought on by the impact of running everyday.

 

To prevent these and other lower-body injuries, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of proper footwear.  The great thing about running that differs from other sports is that the only equipment that you need to get started is a pair of running shoes.  Since shoes are the most important piece of running equipment, you do not want to settle for less in the shoe department.  Brand name, style, and price mean nothing if your shoes are not properly addressing your foot biomechanics.  Come to Up-N-Running and we will assess your gait and put you in the right pair.

 

There are also a few small things that you can do to both prevent and manage injuries.  First and foremost, listen to your coaches and trainers.  They know the specifics of your training and background and will know best how to deal with your injuries.  One piece of coaching / training advice that is often overlooked by athletes is icing.  Ice your minor aches and pains before they turn into something bigger.  If you have a high tolerance for pain, try taking an ice bath.  Twenty minutes in an ice bath is not fun, but very effective.  Also stretch when and how your coach tells you to.  Proper warm-up and cool-down for workouts is essential for recovering for your next workout.

 

Stay hydrated.  That pint of milk at lunch and a few slurps of water from the fountain between classes are not going to cut it.  Go out of your way to drink more water, or better yet sports drinks.  You can save money on sports drinks by buying it in powdered form and mixing it yourself.  If permitted by your school, carry a water bottle with you to class.

 

My last piece of advice is to plan your lifestyle and activities with running in mind.  High school athletes lead busy lives, which is not always conducive to recovering and preparing for upcoming workouts and races.  World renowned marathon coach, Keith Hanson says that when faced with a decision, don’t ask yourself ‘How can this hurt my running?’ rather ask yourself, ‘How will this help my running?’  If there is not a good answer to that 2^nd question, then you may want to reconsider.