Have you ever wondered why so many runners get injured? The statistics vary but typically over 50% might get an injury in a single year.
There are many reasons but the most common is doing too much too soon. It can help to understand why this is a problem. As you train there are three physiological aspects to consider: your cardiovascular system, the muscles and then your bones and tendons. These all adapt to training at different rates.
The cardiovascular system adapts quickest, typically in 2-4 weeks, your heart gets stronger, blood plasma volume increases. You are no longer so out of breath on your runs.
The muscles adapt next, slightly longer at 4-6 weeks. Your muscles start to grow and neural adaptation occurs. You will feel stronger going up hills. You start to feel good running.
Lastly there is your connective tissue, the bones and tendons. These take much longer to adapt, 8-12 weeks, sometimes longer. The problem is that you don’t notice this. You only notice then they give up. An Achilles problem is very typical of connective tissue failing due to doing too much too soon.
So whilst you feel less out of breath and stronger, increasing the training too quickly leaves you at risk of injuring your bones and tendons. This is also the same if you have completed a hard race – you might feel ready to resume full training but your tendons might need a bit more time than you think to recover.
A good training plan or a coach will manage the increase in training to help prevent these types of injuries. I am a big fan of strength training – having a stronger and more robust body can also help prevent injuries.