Going the extra mile for runners

MARATHON COUNTDOWN: THERE IS some research to suggest that if you're training for a marathon you'd do well to steer clear of running by major roads because of the fumes from cars and trucks, while it's generally accepted that pounding away on hard surfaces can take its toll on your knees.

Still, as more than 3,000 people living in the Dublin area enter the last two weeks of their preparations for this year's race day, the city's pavements are still where most of them can be seen.

Dr Eanna Falvey, a sports physician at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, cites a study from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sportswhich found that 55 per cent of the competitors surveyed in a recent Rotterdam marathon had suffered lower limb injuries during the previous year and 16 per cent had had a new injury within the month prior to taking part in the race.

Having made his own debut over the distance in Melbourne last year, Falvey is conscious of the potential problems those undertaking what can be a fairly arduous training programme can encounter.

But, he insists, those who have gotten this far with their running without any problems should be able to go on and pursue other goals in the sport without serious concerns about future injuries.

"From my own point of view, I would certainly look to get people who are getting over a problem back running on grass before they move on to hard surfaces but, to be honest, I'm not aware of any hardcore evidence that there is a significantly higher risk of weight-bearing running resulting in serious problems.

"Over prolonged periods of time," he continues, "it's true that the more mileage you do, the higher the risk that you will have some sort of difficulty. But the really significant risk factor for injury in running is previous injury."

Falvey speaks from personal as well as professional experience. He has had seven knee operations, a result of his previous sporting endeavours, and suggests it was "lunacy" for him to undertake a marathon.

What he was careful to do, though, was to seek out a training programme that put as little strain as possible on the knee - the one he chose allowed for a high percentage of cross training - and the result was a highly successful (under three hours and 30 minutes) outing.

"As long as you take account of previous injuries, address any problems early on and allow your body to rest properly in the build-up to the race then you should be okay," he says.

"Sometimes, though, people become so wrapped up in their preparations that common sense can go out the window a bit. I knew one guy who ran 20 miles the Sunday before his marathon and then did a plyometrics [ a vigorous form of exercise aimed at building speed and strength] on the Wednesday. That sort of thing is really not recommended," he says with a laugh.

For those looking to avoid spending too much of their running time on hard surfaces, the options can seem limited. Local parks are the obvious choice but only a handful in Dublin are big enough to avoid having to run endless circuits to complete a longer run.

Somewhere like the Phoenix Park is ideal but getting there and back can end up doubling the amount of time spent on a run if you don't live close by.

Dublin's four local authorities are anxious to emphasise how supportive they are of recreational runners. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Councils insist they are open to suggestions as to how they can assist runners from either clubs or individuals.

The general upkeep of parks aside, however, little enough is actually done by any of them to encourage runners with very few purpose-built tracks and major issues with poor lighting even in some of the best public spaces, especially over the winter months.

In a few of the bigger parks the councils have made some provisions - trails or more likely just distances marked out on the ground - but Coilín O'Reilly, the sport development and recreation co-ordinator with Dublin City Council, insists even where there are no actual facilities, runners are being taken into account.

"They're very much on our radar," he says. "There are 39 parks all over the city and we're very conscious of the fact that a lot of runners use the likes of St Anne's Park and the promenade in Clontarf. We're keen to facilitate them and do try to make sure that they're not hindered in any way."

O'Reilly, a runner himself and member of Liffey Valley AC, points out that many clubs would have their own training routes, mapped out to cover a variety of distances, in parks and the suggestion is people would get more out of the spaces if they linked up with their local clubs.

An initiative aimed at making that a little easier to do got under way earlier this year. The Athletics Association of Ireland, with support from the Sports Council and 27 clubs around the country, encouraged non-members to come along to what were effectively beginners training groups. In the case of Rathfarnham WSAF, more than 30 people, mainly women, came along last January and around half have stayed involved.

"Many of them have achieved things that they didn't think would be possible," says Philip Halpin, one of those involved in running the scheme at the club. "We thought it was hugely worthwhile and I think the ones who stuck at it did too."

Though he agrees a few more lights here and there would help, Halpin, who has spent his share of time in Cabinteely, Marlay and Bushey Parks among others over the years, reckons Dublin is "a runner's paradise".

Falvey, who recalls the four-kilometre track in Melbourne's Botanic Gardens with neatly marked out distances at regular intervals and even water fountains so runners didn't have to bring their own drinks, might argue with him on that one.