Ready to get back to speedwork after injury?

5 tips for avoiding re-injury when you return to tempo runs and interval workouts

If you’re returning to running after an injury, it can be daunting to make the leap from easy running to faster paces. And to be honest - it’s reasonable to feel wary about this.

The faster the pace, the greater the forces that our muscles, tendons, bones, and other tissues have to handle. So it’s crucial to re-introduce these forces in way that gives the tissues the chance to adapt.

Think you’re ready for tempo runs and interval workouts again? Here are some strategies for reducing your re-injury risk as you’re getting speedy:

Tip #1: Speedwork should come AFTER comfortably building up run frequency and duration.

(And if you’re not quite there, see this blog for more info on the initial return-to-run process)

A simple acronym to remember this order is FDI: frequency, duration, intensity. Aim first to re-establish a consistent number of runs each week, spreading your mileage over at least 2-4 runs per week. Then, gradually increase your total run volume by increasing run duration, which may also include one longer run per week, depending on your specific training and goals.

Checking both of these boxes before incorporating faster paces will give you a strong base from which to build your speed, and puts you at less risk of generating sharp spikes in the demands on your tissues.

Tip #2: Start with short bouts of moderate intensity.

There are two main ingredients that determine the “dose” of your workout: the intensity (measured by pace, perceived effort, or heart rate), and the time spent at intensity.

Most runners associate shorter intervals with higher-intensity, faster-paced efforts; however, when you’re coming back after an injury, doing these shorter intervals at a more moderate intensity can be a vital stepping stone.

When re-introducing faster paces to a client’s training plan, I typically have runners start with 4-8 repetitions of 30 second strides at a 6-7 out of 10 effort level, or a pace that’s around or a little slower than threshold pace.

The next step might be to incorporate intervals in the 1-4 minute range at that same moderate intensity level. From there, a runner can progress to either more sustained moderate intensity tempo work, or higher-intensity intervals, depending on their goals and prior experience.

When gauging effort, the 0-10 RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale is a useful tool, and has been shown to correlate well with other measures of aerobic effort such as heart rate and pace. If you’re unfamiliar with the RPE scale, see principle #2 in this post.

Want to check on how much you’re doing? Add up the total distance or total time of your faster-paced work, and keep an eye on how this is increasing from week to week.

For instance, if you run 6x2 minute intervals this week, jumping up to 6x4 minute intervals next week would be a substantial jump in time at intensity, which could be pushing it for some runners when coming back from injury. Increasing to a workout like 8x2 minute intervals or 5x3 minute intervals would be a more conservative workout progression.

Tip #3: Progress one variable at a time initially.

When introducing something new during your injury comeback, it’s a safer bet to pick one element at a time, versus changing or building on multiple elements at once.

For instance, if you’ve been working on building volume, but are ready to introduce speedwork, you may want to maintain volume (keeping overall mileage or time the same) on the week that you first introduce it.

This approach is less likely to result in a flare-up - and if you do experience a flare-up, it makes it easier to identify the aggravating factor and to adjust accordingly.

Some variables to keep in mind: weekly volume (mileage or time), maximum long run distance, number of runs/week, number of workouts/week, consecutive run days, number of rest days, volume of speedwork (aka time at intensity), pace of speedwork.

Tip #4: Choose your terrain wisely.

Running uphill versus downhill versus on flat terrain can change the forces experienced by different tissues.

You may have heard the commonly-repeated advice that “uphill repeats are less risky” - unfortunately, this is not wholly accurate. While doing speedwork uphill can be less demanding for some injuries that are sensitive to downhill running (for example, many knee injuries), uphill running can actually be more stressful for other tissues. For instance, if you’re coming back from a calf strain, Achilles tendinopathy, a tibial stress fracture, or a high hamstring tendinopathy, you will want to proceed more cautiously when re-introducing uphill running, as these tissues all have to work harder when going up an incline.

Flat terrain is typically a good starting point for re-introducing speedwork, but if you’re incorporating uphill or downhill work, make sure you’re taking your specific injury into account.

Tip #5: Don’t forget to incorporate cutback weeks.

It’s easy to get so excited about returning to running that you forget that your body still needs recovery time. Not every week can be a “build” from previous one - sometimes the body needs a down week to catch up.

How frequently you need a cutback week can vary from runner to runner, and also depend how challenging your training is at a given time. A cutback week could mean decreasing your volume, your intensity work, or both - and will set up you to come back strong and refreshed the following week.

Need some help creating a training plan after an injury? Feel free to reach out over email or schedule a free consult call.