Managing last-minute marathon injuries

Marathon season is now in full swing and an injury in the last few weeks of training is one of the major worries for runners as they near the big day.

The final two to three weeks is the time when runners taper down the volume of mileage to ensure they are in optimal physical condition to take on the 26.2 miles. After stacking up those big miles over the last few months, picking up a niggle at this stage is not uncommon.

Here are some tips on how to manage those last-minute niggles and get yourself in good shape for the start line……

Don’t panic! You are now reducing your miles as part of your taper, so your body is going to have more time to recover and heal.

The running you do in the last two weeks before the marathon is not going to influence your performance; have confidence that you have the important miles in the bank already. The most important focus now is rest and recovery, avoid trying to squeeze out extra miles which will further aggravate a niggling injury.

Keep moving but reduce the load: Lean into to cycling, swimming or elliptical to reduce the weight bearing loads through the tissues and optimise your recovery. The bike is a great way to keep both your cardiovascular system and legs ticking over whilst also offloading your injury to help your recovery.

See a physiotherapist to ensure you have a clear diagnosis and plan to give you best chance of being in good shape for the marathon. With a diagnosis as to exactly what the problem is they will be able to offer the best treatment and advise you on key things you can do to help your recovery.  Modalities like taping can make a big difference on the day and your physio is best placed to help give you the best strategies to get you to that start line.

Stay consistent: Don’t make any big changes in response to your injury issue. Switching running shoes or trying to change running technique at the last minute is generally a bad idea unless you’ve been specifically advised this is the cause of your injury issue by your physio.

Do the basics well: Sleep is one of the most valuable tools we have to promote tissue healing and recovery so make sure you have a good sleep routine in place. Keep moving – keep doing the light exercise that you can do comfortably.  

Ensure you remain well hydrated and stick to a healthy well-balanced diet to ensure you’re best prepared for race day.

Adapt your plan: Be prepared to adjust your marathon goal: having a Plan B is always a sensible approach if you’re not feeling 100% going into a marathon. Being mentally prepared to adapt your plan can ensure you get that finish line and enjoy the day rather than hobbling through. Your back up plan might involve some run-walk intervals, using the drinks stations for to take a quick break, stretch and replenish or just reducing your pace for segments of the run.

You can do this!  If you’ve had the all-clear from your physio, stick to the plan, trust in your training and resilience and enjoy this amazing experience. Good luck!