Avoiding running injuries comes down to two rules: never increase your weekly mileage more than about 10 percent, and stop doing the exact same run — same route, same speed, same direction — every single day. I am not an expert in running, but I am an expert in injuring myself. I went from not running at all to a 3:13 marathon, missing the Boston qualifier by three minutes, and I made every mistake along the way. In this Physical Friday I share the protocol that finally kept me healthy.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
The rule of thumb is to increase your weekly mileage by no more than about 10 percent per week. If you are running 10 miles this week, run 11 next week. Occasionally you might jump a little more, but the principle stands: build slowly. If you are aiming at a marathon program that peaks anywhere between 30 and 60 miles a week, it takes a long time to build there — you are essentially training for the training.
Too much, too fast, too soon. Your cardiovascular system adapts quickly — you could run all day — but your tendons, ligaments, and cartilage are not ready for the pounding. The injuries usually hit right when you are loving running the most and want to do more, which makes it incredibly frustrating. Running takes more patience than almost any sport because your engine outpaces your chassis.
Picture a two-mile neighborhood loop out of your driveway, same distance, same speed, same direction, every day. The road has a slight grade, so one leg is always on the downhill side taking more wear. You are pounding concrete or asphalt — very hard surfaces — with identical stress patterns daily. That repetition with zero variation is one of the easiest ways to develop an overuse injury.
Vary the distance, the speed, and the route. Some days go short and fast, some days long and slow, some days run sprints, and some days simply turn left out of the driveway instead of right. Take the same weekly mileage and break it up in different ways — one day a single mile, another day five, another day two miles very slow. Keep it different, and you will have a much better chance of increasing your mileage 10 percent a week without injury.
I have had most of them. Iliotibial band syndrome, which feels like a knife jabbing into the side of your knee. Plantar fasciitis. Calf issues, knee problems, hip problems — nagging injuries that take a long time to get over. Almost all of mine came from jumping my mileage in huge percentages instead of building patiently. They were unnecessary, and yours can be too.
Yes — I am proof. I went from doing nothing but fishing to running more and more, set a goal to run a marathon, and eventually ran 3:13, missing the Boston qualification by three minutes. It stung then, but I am proud of it now because I came from a place of not being a runner at all. Build slowly, vary everything, follow a real program, and the distance will come.
Running was the way I rebuilt myself physically. I went from nothing but fishing to chasing marathons, and the journey ended with a 3:13 — three minutes shy of Boston. Along the way I made every mistake a new runner can make, which is why when people ask if I know about running injuries, I tell them I have had them all and gotten over them all. The full story is in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is the part nobody tells new marathoners: a standard program like Hal Higdon's peaks at serious weekly mileage, and there are newer programs with less volume, but either way you cannot jump straight into it. If the marathon is on the horizon, you need to train to be ready for the training. That mindset alone prevents most of the injuries that derail first-time marathoners. I get into the details in the episode — press play in the player above.
This is the running protocol I lay out in the episode — the one I wish I had followed from the start.
I walk through each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
There are excellent running books and coaches out there far better than me — I am just relaying what I have read, what I have heard, and what has worked after doing it exactly wrong. Vary the distance, the route, and the speed, and increase the mileage slowly. If you are a prospective runner looking to get into the sport, that is my advice.
Press play in the player above for the whole episode.
running injuries · the 10% rule · marathon training · Boston Marathon qualifying · Hal Higdon · iliotibial band syndrome · plantar fasciitis · running protocol · Physical Friday · Saltwater Experience
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's Physical Friday series I share the workouts, nutrition, sleep, and mindset practices that keep me ready for long days on the water — practical fitness for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and anyone who wants to stay in the game for life.
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