Assit First Aid


FIRST AID TIPS for RUNNING RACES


See the following sections:             BEFORE      DURING      AFTER      COMMON INJURIES


BEFORE:


Assit First Aid Plus Training and preperation
  • Make sure you do some training and don’t rely on the saying ‘I’ll be right’!
  • Make sure you allow enough time to prepare for the race
  • Build up slowly
  • Before you enter the race, make sure you have run the distance before
  • Don’t think you are as young as you used to be!
  • If you are injured or sick do not ‘push on’; listen to your body and lessen the training
  • Seek further medical advice if symptoms persist
  • Avoid over training
  • Remember that rest is just as important as the exercise itself

Assit First Aid Plus Acclimatisation
  • If you are coming from a different climate; make sure you get used to the current climate
  • Dress appropriately for the climate and not where you came from

Assit First Aid Plus Time zones
  • If you are coming from a different time zone, be prepared for an even earlier start

Assit First Aid Plus Medical checks
  • If you are unsure, check with your doctor about your physical abilities

Assit First Aid Plus Medical conditions
  • If you have any current medical conditions, please check with your doctor before entering the race
  • Make sure you have recorded any medical condition on the registration form (the information will remain confidential)
  • If you have a medical alert identification tag please wear it
  • If you are asthmatic and require a relieving medication, please either carry it on you or make sure that it is with an appropriate person (i.e. the medical or first aid personnel)
  • If you have severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) and you have an Epipen please make sure that it is with an appropriate person (i.e. the medical or first aid personnel)
  • If you have a blood testing kit make sure that it is with an appropriate person (i.e. the medical or first aid personnel)

Assit First Aid Plus Nutrition
  • Make sure you are properly nourishing your body during training
  • Maintain healthy eating habits
  • Avoid eating unfamiliar foods
  • You may not necessarily eat breakfast before an early race but make sure you keep well hydrated with water and maybe some sports drink
  • If you are going to do more than an hour of activity consider something other than just water
  • If you are going to use gels or sports bars, make sure you have tried them out during training

Assit First Aid Plus Fluids
  • Avoid excessive alcohol and caffeine as they are diuretics
  • Continue to hydrate with water and maybe a bit of a sports drink before a race

Assit First Aid Plus Shoes
  • Do not save your new shoes for the race!
  • Make sure you have appropriate running shoes that fit you well and are comfortable
  • Don’t be swayed by look, colour or price of a running shoes, check with the experts
  • Only use orthotics is you have been prescribed to do so as they can do more harm than good

Assit First Aid Plus Clothing
  • Wear appropriate clothing for running and the conditions
  • If it is cold, wear a layer that you can take off and place around your waist
  • Avoid excessive layers that may over heat you
  • Wear clothing you have worn before to avoid rashes and chaffing
  • If you have sensitive areas that chaff easily, apply some petroleum jelly
  • A hat can be helpful in keeping off the rain and the sun

Assit First Aid Plus Flu, colds, viruses
  • Be attentive to possible aches, pains and other ills (particularly if you have been exposed to others with symptoms)
  • You can continue running with a head cold (with no signs of high body temperature); you may need to consider taking it easy with a possibility of pulling out of the race if signs and symptoms worsen
  • If you have a high body temperature and your body aches, do not even consider running; this could seriously impair your health

Assit First Aid Plus Warm up and stretching
  • Make sure you apply sunscreen even if it is over cast

Assit First Aid Plus Sunscreen
  • You don’t need to do an excessive warm up, but walk around to keep warm and stretch the muscles in your legs, buttocks, hips and lower back
  • Use gentle, static movements

Assit First Aid Plus Familiarize yourself with the course
  • If nothing else, study the maps
  • Identify hills and landmarks


DURING:


Assit First Aid Plus Pace yourself
  • Have a plan and stick to it
  • Don’t start out too quickly
  • Don’t get pulled along too quickly by those around you
  • Go at the pace you are accustomed to
  • Don’t think about the whole distance, break it down into segments (maybe the water stations)
  • Think how far you have been, not how far you have to go!
  • Walk if you have to, Remember the tortoise and the hare!

Assit First Aid Plus Fluids
  • Use the water/food stations (that is what they are there for!)
  • Any seconds you may think you are losing in taking time to drink may be made up as minutes later
  • Make sure you are familiar with the other fluids that you drink (if at all possible)

Assit First Aid Plus Muscle cramping
  • Cramps are caused by many things
  • Leg cramps are often due to fatigue; slowing down may temporarily bring relief
  • If cramping does not go away; stop and hydrate; consider pulling out if symptoms persist or worsen
  • If you have stopped sweating and are cold, you have a problem, stop

Assit First Aid Plus Pain
  • Pain is telling you something
  • If pain persists or gets any worse, consider slowing down or even stopping
  • Pull out of the race if need be

Assit First Aid Plus Dehydration
  • Dehydration signs include: disorientation, dizziness, cessation of sweating, severe muscle cramping, headache, nausea, blurred vision and fainting
  • If you experience any of these signs stop running, Seek medical attention
  • If you see someone else with these signs, help them out until an official, marshall or medical personnel can relieve you


AFTER:


Assit First Aid Plus Fluids and nutrition
  • Slowly restore your depleted glycogen levels
  • Most races have fruit available in the recovery area
  • Keep drinking fluids
  • If you are unable to drink or eat following a race, seek medical attention
  • If your urine is scanty and dark, continue to drink until it is clear or pale yellow

Assit First Aid Plus Rest
  • Do not sit down immediately (unless you have to)
  • Walk around for a while until you have cooled down
  • If it is cold, start applying some warm, dry layers

Assit First Aid Plus Stretch
  • Take a few moments to stretch the muscles in your claves, hamstrings, quadriceps, buttocks, hips and lower back
  • Stretch carefully and not forcefully

Assit First Aid Plus Post-race illness
  • If you are feeling unwell (nauseous, dizzy, faint, disorientated, cramping) seek medical attention
  • If you are aware of other runners experiencing symptoms get medical attention immediately


COMMON INJURIES:


Assit First Aid Plus Joggers nipples
  • Sore or bleeding nipples
  • Caused from rubbing of clothing on unprotected nipple
  • Common in distance running
  • Prevent by applying petroleum jelly or tape with shiny adhesive
  • Leave to heal naturally

Assit First Aid Plus Runners toe
  • Very painful and possible throbbing
  • Joint may also be swollen and painful
  • Nail bed may start to go black
  • May have bone damage
  • Caused by shoes that are too short or does not hold width of foot firmly so that foot slides forward and jams against end of shoe

Assit First Aid Plus Runners knee
  • Pain localised to outside of knee (laterally)
  • Pain may start after a certain distance and worsen
  • Caused by iliotibial tract when its passes over the lateral epicondyle (end of thigh bone) increasing friction and causing inflammation
  • Apply ice immediately after activity
  • See a doctor or physiotherapist if pain persists

Assit First Aid Plus Calluses
  • Thickened pads of skin response to pressure
  • Different sites; heel/ball of foot/ tops of toes/medial side of big toe
  • Painful foot bones
  • Caused by laces to tight or shoes too narrow
  • Can be trimmed with a foot file
  • If problems persist seek further medical advice

Assit First Aid Plus Blisters
  • Caused by persistent rubbing against unprotected skin
  • Prevent by slowly building up and varying training
  • Make sure shoes are appropriate for you
  • If blisters persist consider changing shoe
  • Avoid by apply some petroleum jelly or slippery bandage to area
  • Do not prick a small blister
  • Only prick a larger blister in a sterile environment to avoid infection
  • If there is spreading red decolourisation around blister seek medical advice

Assit First Aid Plus Stress fractures
  • In running the stress fractures appear more commonly in the lower leg
  • Painful when running or walking
  • Painful to touch
  • Caused by over use
  • Do not continue training
  • Seek further medical advice

Assit First Aid Plus Shin splints
  • Pain along inner or outer edge of shin bone
  • Worse after exercise
  • Tender to pressure
  • May be accompanied by a stress fracture
  • Caused by over use
  • RICER
  • May consider different training regime and/or shoes
  • Seek further medical attention if symptoms persist

Assit First Aid Plus Anterior compartment pain
  • Pain in muscles on front and outside of shin after exercise
  • Tender to press
  • Caused by over use of muscles that lift forefoot and toes off ground
  • Muscles cannot expand in its tight sheath
  • RICER
  • Seek further medical advice

Assit First Aid Plus Calf muscle strain
  • May feel like a sudden kick or blow on calf
  • Hurts in calf when rising on tiptoe
  • Tender to press
  • May bruise
  • Caused by overload which tears the muscle
  • RICER
  • Seek further medical attention if symptoms persist

Assit First Aid Plus Achilles tendon pain
  • Pain in thick tendon of calf muscle
  • May develop lump if not allowed to heal properly
  • Hurts to rise rising on tiptoe
  • Hurts to run
  • RICER
  • Seek further medical attention if symptoms persist

Assit First Aid Plus Ruptured Achilles
  • Sudden sharp pain may feel like a kick or blow in leg
  • Cannot rise on tiptoe
  • When lying face down foot hangs straight down and when calf muscle is squeezed the foot will not move
  • Seek further medical advice immediately

Assit First Aid Plus Post-race collapse
  • Usually occurs in long distance events
  • Leg muscles stop working and stop blood pumping back to the heart
  • Blood pressure falls
  • Stop activity and sit or lie down
  • If systems persist or worsen seek further medical advice immediately

Assit First Aid Plus Hyperthermia
  • Low body temperature
  • Usually occurs in faster, fitter runners
  • If systems persist or worsen seek further medical advice immediately

Assit First Aid Plus Athlete’s foot
  • Fungus growing in between toes
  • Ensure socks are clean and changed regularly
  • Dry area well
  • Treat as with antifungal powder, cream or liquid

Assit First Aid Plus Groin itch/Jock rot/Jock itch
  • Infection in the groin caused by fungus
  • Ensure under clothes are clean and changed regularly
  • Dry area well
  • Treat as athlete’s foot with antifungal powder, cream or liquid (beware some lotions sting!)


Prevention is better than cure!