Your Road Map to Increasing Mileage and Staying Injury-Free

Going for longer runs is a common part of running, especially if you have a particular goal, like a race. And those extra miles can feel thrilling. However, unless you have a structured time frame and use the right products for strengthening specific muscles, that increase in weekly distance can come with an increased risk of overtraining and subsequent injury.

Since substantial force is absorbed by the body whenever one foot hits the ground, and this happens repeatedly—sometimes thousands of times during an outing—running is considered a physically high-stress sport, according to Alina Kennedy, CSCS, a certified running coach and physiotherapist in New York City. Published: Apr 11, 2023 10:52 AM EDT.

“Whenever a runner increases mileage, their body has to get used to this new volume of stress,” she told Runner’s World. “The joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles have to adapt and build up enough stress resilience—otherwise they’ll break down and get injured.”

Published: Apr 11, 2023 10:52 AM EDT.

“People assume that if they improve their aerobic fitness, their musculoskeletal fitness will simply keep up, but that’s not quite true,” she noted. “Bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles require more time to get strong compared to the heart and lungs. That means you develop aerobic capacity faster than musculoskeletal fitness. When you increase mileage too quickly, the heart and lungs can adapt, but the rest of your body isn’t ready yet.”

The Most Common Overtraining Injuries

Increasing mileage too fast can happen in several ways, but generally you’d either be running for a significantly longer duration than you did previously, or you’d be running more often—which means doing more miles per week, cutting down on your recovery time. It’s also possible to do both. However you’re adding up the miles, injury risk will be running right alongside. Kennedy said these are the five injury types she sees most often due to overtraining:

Achilles strains or tendinopathy
Medial tibial stress syndrome (also known as shin splints)
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All of these injuries are non-traumatic overuse issues, which means they occur gradually. For example, if you start running more but your Achilles tendon isn’t strong enough to handle the extra stress, it may start to break down and become inflamed and painful.

“If your knee is suddenly bothering you, your calf is tight, or you have a tender spot in your glute, it’s probably a sign you’re running more than your body is tolerating,” Kennedy said. “Also, pain is never normal and shouldn’t be ignored. That doesn’t mean general post-workout fatigue—it’s pain that’s specific to one body part or area and doesn’t go away after a couple of days.”

Reducing Injury Risk During Your Runs

Gradual progression is key when adding mileage. Adjusting your training plan accordingly is the most important strategy for preventing injury, said Kennedy. You can also build in additional safeguards, such as using kinesiology tape in an effective way, she added.

“As runners, we’re notoriously bad at addressing little issues like aches and soreness until they are full-blown injuries,” she said. “But making a few changes to your training plan and supporting the part of your body that might be bothering you can speed up healing. For the latter aspect, KT Tape How Cold Is Too Cold to Run Outside.”

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Because of its unique elasticity, the tape pulls back on itself slightly and creates wrinkles or bunches in the skin. When this happens, Kennedy said, it can increase blood and lymphatic flow beneath the skin, which helps the tissues below recover more effectively.

You can also use the tape to re-train muscles that have gotten weak or lost function. For example, a Study Says VO2 Max Better Health Marker Than BMI of 60 subjects showed improvements in posture when participants used the tape on their necks and upper back areas.

Shoes & Gear full library of tutorial videos for each body part and injury on the KT site, recommends Kennedy, who often suggests them to clients because they’re so thorough.

“For runners who are struggling with an injury due to overtraining, KT Tape can be really useful in helping to reduce pain, improve mobility, and increase strength,” Kennedy said. “When used alongside physical therapy and rehab-specific strength training, this can boost recovery and get you back out running pain-free sooner.”

Steps to Take After Your Runs

Recovery after a run is also crucial, particularly if you’ve just come back from one where you’ve challenged yourself with slightly more mileage. Kennedy said a massage and some icing can do wonders—and the good news is that you don’t need an in-home massage therapist and cold plunge tub.

“Massage balls are a fantastic tool that I recommend all runners have at home,” she said. “You work through any tired, tight muscles on your own, which helps you recover faster between runs and can help prevent injuries. If you are increasing mileage and training often, you will certainly get some tight muscles, so having a massage ball at home is very handy.”

Recovery after a run is also crucial, particularly if you’ve just come back from one where you’ve challenged yourself with slightly more mileage.

Another smart recovery move: strategic application of ice. It can reduce inflammation that occurs as training intensity increases, she said. This can not only alleviate mild aches and pains, but may also help with recuperation from more significant injuries, such as tendinopathy.

“Old-school, traditional ice treatment requires either holding a bag of frozen peas on your body or submerging yourself into a full ice bath, and neither option is enjoyable or convenient,” said Kennedy. “KT has an ice sleeve that makes icing your injury so much more pleasant. You can just slip it on over your injured body part and rest on the couch.”

Health - Injuries How Cold Is Too Cold to Run Outside that combines the best of both strategies, and is particularly helpful if you’re short on time. Other options include a recovery patch, topical Published: Apr 11, 2023 10:52 AM EDT, and the Health - Injuries—an electromagnetic-therapy device that’s lightweight and wearable.

“Spending more time and effort on your post-run recovery can keep you on track as you’re increasing mileage over time,” Kennedy said. “Plus, it will help you reduce muscle soreness, so you’ll feel better, sooner.”