I rose early this morning, as I have done every Sunday for 20 years. The old hip was a bit stiff, and a familiar twinge in the left calf reminded me that these days I ought to sit down before putting on my running shoes.I sifted through a heap

, but the joints do get knocked out of place,” he says. “This leads to the muscles around the joints becoming strained and tense and this tension moves down into Watts’s buttocks and hamstrings, and even down into the calf and ankle.” This leg pain caused

.co.ukThe Flexerciser (£55) can be set at any angle between four and 16 degrees. Stand on it, and it gently stretches and strengthens your calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Alternatively, try a Wobbleboard (from £20) to exercise the muscles and ligaments around your

, a mobile phone, and there are reflective flashes at the calf for added visibility.Contact www.asics.co.uk; 01925 241 041Nike Sphere React Dry – £50Nike's new Sphere React Dry technology at the front of the tights is water-resistant, and a double

inside so it feels soft. It’s really visible, with big reflective stripes on the calves, and very warm. One minor problem is the calf zips, which feel a bit scratchy when running.Contact www.adidas.co.ukNew Balance Tech Jacket, £40 This functional

on cambered beaches throws the body out of alignment, while soft sand places extra stress on the Achilles tendon and calf muscles compared with firm, even surfaces, according to Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.To play it safe, stick

-day muscle fatigue, without the need to log long or hard mileage," says coach Susan Paul (trackshack.com). After two to three miles easy, do six to eight reps of squats, lunges and calf raises (if you're in the gym, add leg extensions and leg curls). Do two

and building core strength for good posture will help prevent injuries," says Pierce.Here's howAfter doing the envelope run (above), do two sets of the following: 30 seconds each of press-ups, squats and crunches; 60 seconds of planks and calf raises; 90

-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

Hands up if you've never been injured. If your hand is in the air, you're in the lucky minority of triathletes who have never had to take time off training to recover from a sore calf, aching shoulder or throbbing knee.Triathlon is a great sport