sat at the finish, watching runners trudge up the final switchbacks like a swarm of ants, I wondered what had happened down there. What exactly was that misery I'd experienced early on? What purpose had it served, and why had the pain evaporated

right calf was screaming at me and my ankle was making noises. If it could talk, I would have heard, “F**k you Jamie and your running.”I found myself pondering where I could pull out and how I could get my training partner to pick me up after he

-Marathon in March, I've suffered from unrelenting tightness and pain in my lower left calf.After the race, I rested up for a month (a whole month!) but then, refusing to admit defeat, I was back pounding the pavements. On days off from the gym bike, I've been

Q I have only just been bitten by the running bug, and although I feel no pain while running, the next day I get a niggling discomfort on the outside of my left hip. It doesn’t hurt when I touch it or when I’m sitting down, but I’m aware of it when

and really enjoying the buzz of the day.At Mile 15 I trod on a discarded waterbottle and jolted my ankle - not too badly but it did hurt a little.  Anyway, I carried on running but over the next five miles an intermittent twinge in the side of my leg, just

statistically more significant among particular people," says Ryan. "Women are more likely to experience one kind of knee pain – patellofemoral pain syndrome – while men are more likely to experience another – patellar tendonitis." Ryan and Taunton's findings

be other influences. Disruption of the ligaments within and outside of your knee, arthritis in its many forms and ankle, shin, thigh and hip injuries may all affect knee movement and produce secondary PFP.Self-treatmentOne factor in knee pain may

and being able to relax," he says. "I recommend an easy leg massage every day - especially after riding - to flush your legs and release tight spots. It will relieve pain and improve function day to day." Here's how:Warm up your legsSit in a relaxed position

. Also, don't run within two hours of eating a main meal or a large drink. Or at least consume small amounts of fluid frequently rather than gulping a large drink.Twisted AnklesTurning your ankle halfway through a run has to be right up there with a tax

you can’t explode off your left ankle, you can’t rotate your right femur properly, and the right knee will take the impact," he says. "Often the cause of a runner’s knee pain has nothing to do with the knee."As he narrated his knee dissection, Dye said