Cross Country Running:Risks andInjury Preventioni

王建业

越野跑是人類亲近大自然的一种运动方式，是运动就可能有风险、就可能遭遇损伤、就需要做好预防措施。医学博士罗伯.B.威廉斯（Rob S Williams， MD）科普了越野跑可能带来的风险损伤，给出了一些预防措施的建议，希望对喜欢越野跑的朋友有所帮助。

What is cross country running？ Cross country is anoutdoor endurance sport that can be mentally challenging andfun. This type of running and racing has both a physical andpsychological component. You' re not only putting one foot infront of the other; you' re also thinking ahead to obstacles andchanges in the trail or course.

For example， how will you clear that stone withouttripping？

Can you pass the person ahead of you safely withoutslipping in that mud puddle？ How should you handle hills orturns-in a short burst of speed， or at your current steady pace？

Typically， cross country races take place in all weatherconditions. which means you also have to worry about environmentalconditions that can affect your race performance： rain andwind， snow and ice. hail and heat waves. It' s rare for a crosscountry race to be canceled due to inclement weather.

Many runners love cross country and its sister sport， trailrunning， precisely because running in this way is not the sameas road running. The variations in the terrain and the mentalchallenges of pacing oneself over an ever-changing course makefor a more stimulating run.

However. the same aspects of the sport that make itdiverting and enjoyable also make it rough on a runner' s body，at any age. High school runners， college runners， and adultrunners all need to be aware of the risks of injury that come withrunning cross country.

什么是越野跑？越野是一项户外耐力运动，能给参与者带来精神挑战和乐趣。这种跑步与竞赛需要身心同时投入。参与者不仅仅是简单地迈步向前，还要预想前方路上或赛道上可能出现的障碍与变化。

例如：如何清走石头而避免绊倒？能否安全超越前面的参与者而不跌入泥坑？应该怎样应对山路和转弯——是短时间突然加速，还是以现有速度稳步前进？

越野赛通常在任何天气状况下都会进行，这意味着参与者还不得不考虑可能影响比赛成绩的环境因素：风雨、冰雪、冰雹和热浪。鲜有越野赛因天气恶劣而取消。

很多跑者之所以热爱越野跑及其姊妹运动——野外跑，正是因为这种跑步运动与公路跑不同。野外的地势变化，以及调整节奏以适应不断变化的跑道所带来的精神挑战，让越野跑更加刺激。

然而，让越野跑有趣、快乐的这些因素，恰恰也会对所有年龄段的跑者的身体构成挑战。无论是中学生、大学生还是成年跑者，都需要了解越野跑会带来的伤病风险。

Risks of running cross country

By running cross country over a mix of natural terrain andgroomed or paved trails， you may find yourself pounding notonly pavement. but also packed or loose dirt. sand， gravel，mud. leaves， pine needles. tree roots. rocks， grass， moss. andanything else you might find on the ground in a natural area（including， possibly， snakes）.

Though most cross country race courses are groomed andapproved ahead of race day， surprises can come up. Weather，wild animals. and falling foliage from trees can' t always becontrolled. And on non-race days， if you train m areas that aren 't approved courses （ such as running on wooded paths or throughparks） ， the level of trail maintenance isn' t guaranteed. You mayencounter unexpected. non- natural obstacles like trash ordiscarded bottles.

All running subjects you to the possibility of impactinjuries or repetitive motion injuries. But running over irregularor slippery surfaces can add to risk by changing your gait andcreating opportunities for acute injuries. You may overstretch toclear an object in your path， or you may swerve suddenly andpull a tendon. twist an ankle or knee. or trip and fall. Withfalls. abrasions and head injuries aren ' t out of the question， too.

In addition to changing surfaces， a typical cross-countrycourse may also involve t，^rists and turns and short-but steep-uphills and downhills. These rapid course changes can subjectyour feet， hips and legs to forces and stresses that may notaffect someone running on level roads or gradual inclines.Running downhill， for example， may lead to jammed andsprained toes.

Heat illness is also a concern. In Texas. with our strong sun（and on the coast， high humidity） ， there ' s the additional riskof dehydration. sunburn and heat stroke.

Cross country running is a wonderful sport if you love theoutdoors and nature ， and it ' s mostly very safe in comparison toother team sports-but before you begin training and racing，越野跑的風险

越野跑途中会经过多种类型的跑道，有自然地带，也有清理或铺好的路径。参与者可能会发现自己的脚步不仅落在人工铺好的道路上，也可能踩到压实的或松软的土地、沙子、碎石、淤泥、落叶、松针、树根、岩石、草和苔藓，以及其他任何自然地面上可能出现的东西（甚至可能包括蛇）。

尽管大多数越野赛在开赛前会清扫并核准赛道，但仍可能出现意外。天气、野生动物和树木落叶并不总是在控制之中。另外，在非比赛日，若在未经核准成为赛道的区域进行训练（比如在林间小路上跑步或跑步穿越公园），跑道的维护水平并无保障。也许就会遇到意料之外的、非自然的障碍，比如垃圾或废弃的瓶子。

所有的跑步都可能造成撞击伤或反复性动作损伤，但在不规则或湿滑路面跑步会增加风险，因改变步态可能造成急性损伤。可能会因为清除途中障碍物而过度拉伸，或因为急转弯而牵拉到跟腱、扭伤脚踝或膝盖，也可能被绊倒——摔倒还可能造成擦伤和头部损伤。

除了路面变化，越野赛道通常还曲折蜿蜒，并且有短而陡的上下坡。赛道的这种迅速变化会使人的脚、髋、腿易受压力冲击，例如跑步下坡可能挤到甚至扭伤脚趾，而在平路或缓坡上跑步的人则不会受到这些影响。

中暑同样令人担忧。在得克萨斯州，阳光强烈（同时海边湿度高），越野跑还有脱水、晒伤和中暑的风险。

如果热爱户外与自然，那么越野跑是极好的运动。与其他团体运动相比，它通常都很安全——但是，在开始训练并参赛前，参与you should be aware ofpotential injuries and how to avoid them.

The most common cross country injuries

What injuries most commonly affect athletes running crosscountry， at the middle school level， high school level andbeyond？

Below is a list of some of the more common injuries seen incross country runners of all ages. Note that this is a partial list.

Also note that in many cases. these bone and soft tissueinjuries are more common in girls and women than in boys andmen. due in part to the female athlete "triad" of caloriedepletion， bone loss and hormonal and menstrual changes.Women also have a larger angle between the hips and ankles.Women and girls are particularly susceptible to knee injuries （ likemeniscus tears and ACL tears） and stress fractures.

' Stress fractures.

' Shin splints （ medial tibial stress syndrome. or MTSS）.

' Achilles tendonitis.

' Plantar fasciitis.

' Runner ' s knee （ patellofemoral pain syndrome. or PFPS）.

' Muscle， ligament and tendon strains （calf， hamstring，quadriceps， gluteus）.

' Dehydration and heat illness.

Preventing cross country running injuries

How can you prevent cross country running injuries？ Thebest ways for outdoor runners to stay healthy include thefollowing running tips ：

Stretch daily. For all runners and athletes， a regularstretching regimen is an important part of conditioning. Bothstatic and dynamic stretches are needed to keep your bones，joints， muscles， ligaments and tendons healthy.

Warm up and cool down. Muscles and tendons are less likelyto overstretch or tear if they' ve been properly prepared forrunning and racing. High- intensity workouts like training and者就應该了解潜在的损伤及如何预防损伤。

最常见的越野跑损伤

初中、高中及更年长的越野跑参与者中，最常见的损伤有哪些？

以下是全年龄段越野跑参与者比较常见的损伤清单。请注意，这只是一份不完全列表。

同样需要注意的是，这些骨损伤和软组织损伤在女孩和成年女性中比在男孩和成年男性中更加常见，部分是由于女性跑者的“三症候群”——热量消耗、骨质疏松及激素和月经变化。同时，女性的髋部与脚踝间角度更大，成年女性和年轻女孩都特别容易遭受膝关节损伤（比如半月板撕裂和前十字韧带撕裂）及应力性骨折。

·应力性骨拆

·外胫夹（胫骨内侧压力症候群）

·跟腱炎

·足底筋膜炎

·跑步膝（髌骨疼痛综合征）

·肌肉、韧带、跟腱拉伤（小腿肚、胭绳肌腱、四头肌、臀肌）

·脱水和中暑

预防越野跑损伤

怎样才能避免越野跑损伤？户外跑者保持健康的最佳方式包括以下建议：

每日拉伸。规律的拉伸是所有跑者和运动员训练的重要组成部分。要保持骨骼、关节、肌肉、韧带和跟腱健康，静态与动态拉伸都是必要的。

热身与放松。跑步和比赛前，如果肌肉和跟腱做了充分准备，过度拉伸和撕裂的可能性就会降低。与低冲击运动相比，这样高racing require more prep and post-workout cool down thanlow-impact activities.

Wear the right shoes. Make sure your shoes fit properly，that they are neither too snug nor too loose. Tie double-knots toprevent tripping over undone laces. If an orthopedist tells youthat you need special inserts like orthotics or gel soles. usethem. Break your shoes in before race day， and replace themregularly （after every 300 miles）.

Eat and drink enough. Competitive distance runners liketo keep their weight low. However. consuming too fewcalories can harm your body， especially if you' re a girl orwoman subject to the female athlete triad. Eat a well-balanceddiet and be sure to stay well- hydrated to prevent injury andheat illness. Remember that in Texas， especially in full sun orin humid regions of the state， you' re particularly prone toheat stroke. Drink plenty of water before and after running.强度运动的训练和比赛需要更多的准备练习和锻炼后的放松。

穿合适的鞋。确保鞋合脚，而不是过紧或过松。给鞋带打双结，以免被松开的鞋带绊倒。如果矫形外科医生告知需要一些特殊配件，比如矫正器或凝胶鞋垫，请遵医嘱，开赛前试穿磨合几双鞋，并定期更换（每跑300英里）。

充足饮食。有竞争力的长跑运动员喜欢保持低体重。然而，摄入热量过低会损伤身体，特别是对于易受“三症候群”影响的女孩或成年女性。应均衡饮食，保障充足饮水，以预防损伤和中暑。记住，在得州，特别是全日照和高湿度地区，跑者尤其容易中署。跑前和跑后都需要大量饮水。