187: Are Your Long Runs the Biggest Risk Factor for Injury?

The episode begins with the hosts preparing for the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, sponsored by ASICS, where they discuss their excitement and the shoes they'll be wearing from the new Rise and Shine collection. The focus then shifts to injury risks in running, particularly discussing insights from a study conducted by Aarhus University in Denmark, involving over 5,200 runners.

Traditionally, many have adhered to the 10% rule, which advises against increasing weekly mileage by more than 10% to avoid injury. However, the study reveals a more complex relationship between training loads and injury risk, specifically highlighting the acute chronic workload ratio and single session distance as more critical factors than the weekly percentage increase.

The hosts detail how the study measured week-to-week ratios and found that a sudden increase in single run distances—even by a small percentage—can dramatically raise the risk of injury. They share statistics indicating that increasing a run by just 10-30% could lead to a 64% hike in injury risk, whereas doubling a distance shows a reduced risk relative to the small spikes.

This sheds light on the necessity for runners to manage their training loads intelligently, especially when transitioning back from periods of less running or aiming to achieve longer distances. The episode concludes with discussions about the challenges of marathon training, recovery, and the critical importance of approaching training adaptations cautiously.