Return to Running Season
From Running Director Heidi Caldwell.
Early springtime weather has hastened the transition from skiing to running here in Craftsbury. While we optimists sniff one final snowstorm on the horizon, the weather forecast seems to stubbornly disagree. The ski community is now faced with the inevitable annual conundrum: how do I get back to running after a winter-long hiatus? Many of us begin the ski season with the valiant intention of maintaining some sort of routine running. But pristine trail conditions and sparkling snow lulls us into a season-long revelry, with running a far-off thought. As the snow pack dwindles, we are now rudely jolted awake by a cacophony of “shoot, I meant to run once a week” echoing around the Outdoor Center. Take comfort - you are not alone. Time to dust off the running shoes and take to the mud in a patient, sensible manner.
It’s easy to jump back into running and expect to be where you were in the fall. We all do it. If you head out for a run and find yourself huffing and puffing - this does not mean you are out of shape. It means you are out of “running shape”. You haven’t moved your body like this for four months, of course it feels difficult and of course your legs feel like foreign flailing jelly-like limbs. Ski training does not equal running training. There are significant differences in cardiovascular demand, muscle recruitment, and weight-bearing load, to name a few of many notable differences. Running is a far more consistent effort compared to the varied effort of skiing, which sharply elevates heartrate on uphills and substantially lowers heartrate on downhills. Skiing is also a much more full-body workout than running, leading to increased muscle mass and decreased use of isolated, running-specific muscles. The low-impact, distributed load of skiing does not mimic the pounding, full-weight bearing impact of running. All of this is a long way of emphasizing: don’t panic, it makes sense that running feels hard right now.
Not to rub salt in the wound, but yes, my first recommendation for how best to transition from skiing to running would be to run a little bit throughout the winter. This could be as simple as one or two 20-30 minute easy, conversational-paced runs every week. The point of these runs is less about maintaining running fitness and more about keeping in touch with running-specific movement, impact, and mobility. By keeping the running motion in your body’s weekly regimen, you will be much better prepared to dive back into running and a quicker return back to your regular mileage.
Here are some guiding principles as you begin your transition back to the roads:
Most importantly: practice patience and ease back into running. During this time of sheltering, many of us are eagerly exercising ourselves silly. Yes, getting out of the house for a run is a great - and highly encouraged - way to get space, peace, perspective and Vitamin D. But heed this advice: do not overdue it. Getting injured amidst the isolating days of quarantine is not what you want.
Begin with a weekly mantra of slow, short, and seldom. Start out with 2-3 runs a week, 25-35 minutes, with a day of rest or cross-training in between running days. You can bump up the running time fairly quickly, but practice caution with number of running sessions and back-to-back days of running.
Prioritize your pre and post run routines. A thorough dynamic warm-up before you set out for a run will ensure your muscles and tendons are loose, firing, and ready to absorb the shock of running pounding. Suggested baseline exercises:
Forward walking lunge to open up the hip flexors.
Sideways walking lunge to open and stretch the groin.
Zombie walks and scoops to wake up the hamstrings.
Open the gate to open up the hips.
Light core & glute activation, e.g. dead bug for core and hip bridges for glutes.
Stretch and roll after every run. If there’s one time of year to actually stick to this, it’s now. Stretching and rolling will help you avoid excessive stiffness and soreness as your body recalibrates to the pounding of running. Some amount of stiffness and soreness is inevitable, especially in the lower leg, but purposeful recovery activities can lessen it!
Pay special attention to your calves and shins. Return to running after any substantial break from running will very likely lead to swollen shins and tender calves. Calf raises are a great pre-hab exercise to do year-round to help maintain muscle elasticity and strength. Icing is a useful re-hab exercise for swollen shins, but make sure you ice your shins at the first sign of inflammation. Do not wait - your window to mitigate shin splits with icing is short!
After a week or two, work post-run strides into your running routine. “Strides” are short, light pick-ups (building up to ~85% top-speed) that help you practice efficient running form. These are not sprints, but rather a drill to hone mobility, turnover and overall running economy. Do 4-6 strides of 15-30 seconds, with full recovery in between, twice a week after you run.
If you are injury-prone or have a history of shin-splints, take a more conservative approach. Beginning with walk-jogs rather than continuous running is an excellent option.
Be COVID-19 safe. Practice solo running, give passing pedestrians a 6’ berth, and be extra smart about where you direct any spitting, snot-rocketing, and coughing.