Running injuries can occur in different areas of the leg and can vary from a muscle strain, to tendinopathy, to a bone stress fracture……and they don’t always mean you have to stop running. Despite the odd ankle sprain, the majority of running injuries are due to overload. Overload means doing more than your current capacity can cope with.

Why do Running injuries occur?

Spikes, or sudden increases in training loads are usually the culprit in causing running injuries. Understanding what load means in the running context is important if you are to manage your running program well and run pain free.

Running Injuries and load increase

What is an increase in load? This may be

• a sudden increase in pace or doing more speed training,
• adding hills training,
• starting to run with a running partner (who runs faster than you, which you make you push your training harder),
• new shoes,
• returning from a break with no running such as holidays or if recovering from an injury or illness.

KEY POINT: Any changes in your running program or how you run need to be done slowly and progressively, to avoid a running injury.