Injury Prevention

Elastic sports bandages are great during non-workout time, but do not rely on them for support during a work out. They are designed to give way to pressure and the pounding of your body weight during a workout is likely to cause them to move out of position, and leave the injured area vulnerable.

If possible try to avoid the added pain caused by swelling once you experience an injury. Always keep an elastic sports bandage in your workout bag just in case you become injured. By wrapping the bandage around the injured area immediately you will minimize the inflammation.

Wearing a brand new pair of shoes in a race without having worn them before, shoes too big or the wrong pair of socks may cause you blisters. A good pair of technical running socks should solve the problem. For long distances applying Vaseline directly on the feet avoids blisters (Vaseline is also great to avoid abrasion on the nipples and in between the legs due to the repetitive movements of the running).

If you have to choose between spending time on your warm up or warm down, choose the warm down. After you run, your muscles will be tight and full of blood. Take time to return your short, tight muscles to their longer, resting state. Stretching your muscles after a workout will help return them to their normal state, which will avoid you experiencing sore muscles days after your workout.

Good equipment, including appropriate footwear, is a key requirement for injury free running. Moreover, proper warm-up techniques are essential. The most important rule is to always listen to your body. Whenever you don't feel well on a workout day, you should reduce your speed and mileage. If you have a fever, you should not run at all. Running with a fever can result in an inflammation of the heart or the heart valves. Generally, running has a very low risk of acute injury. In those rare situations, when an acute injury occurs, first aid should include:

• Rest
• Elevation of the injured extremity
• Compression to reduce haematoma
• Ice to reduce local inflammation
• Seeing a doctor at the earliest opportunity

In most cases, running induced injuries are caused by overload. This is a discrepancy between load and the ability of the body to perform. Changes in mileage, speed, running shoes, ground, and training techniques are common causes of overload. If you are not certain which parameter you changed recently, and a reduction in training intensity does not bring relief within a few days, you should seek professional help from a doctor.