Everyone’s heard the saying “No pain, no gain,” and, if you’re training for a long-distance race, chances are you’ve felt some pain.
General muscle soreness and mild discomfort is common among runners, and it often is the sign of a successful training program. When preparing for a long-distance race, it’s important to gradually progress your training and not overstress your body. When you push your training too quickly, the workload can exceed your body’s normal ability to adapt to the stress placed on it, unless you give it time to rest and recover.
When putting your body through the rigorous training required for a marathon, how much pain is too much? When should you power through, and when should you take it easy and get checked out?
The most important thing is to listen to your body. Sometimes runners get into the mentality of finishing the run in progress and not listening to or responding appropriately to their aches and pain.
A lot of runners experience knee pain, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your goal, especially if:
- Your pain level is low ― 0 to 3 on a 10-point scale — consistent and doesn’t escalate.
- You don’t have swelling the day after the run.
If your knee pain is at a lower level and never changes, you can keep running, but you should have a health care provider evaluate it. Also, use ice and stretching, or lower your running intensity, to ease the pain rather than medication to mask the pain.
However, if your pain level escalates more than two points, or you wake up with swelling in your hip, knee or foot, you need to have it checked. Otherwise, you may increase the risk of worsening the injury.
Sometimes athletes avoid seeing a health care provider because they’re afraid they’ll be told they must stop training. In some cases, a runner shouldn’t continue training, but it’s likely you can keep working toward your goal in some capacity. Pain that is short-lived, improves with activity or resolves with rest generally isn’t of concern.
Researchers have found that runners can moderate knee pain with changes in pace. An athletic trainer or physical therapist can help you modify your plan and educate you about stretching and interventions so you can finish your training and race. So listen to your body and keep working toward your goal.
Paul Osterman is a licensed athletic trainer in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Mankato, Minnesota.
