life. So, if you are 40, a blister the full thickness of your epidermis (the superficial layer of the skin) will take one month to heal, grow new skin and toughen up. Your blisters may just need time, exposure to air and less repetitive trauma
Q Im a 53-year-old male who races all distances from 5K to the marathon. I train six days a week: four hard sessions, two easy ones, plus a rest day. Do you think this is too much for someone of my age?A The real key to making any training programme successful is to get the rig...
Q. Why should I bother with energy drinks? I know that I need to keep hydrated during training and racing, but isnt water good enough?A. As you run, two things happen: (1) you lose water as your body uses it to cool down and (2) you use muscle carbohydrate reserves to fuel you...
Q I recently started training more heavily for some upcoming 5Ks and 10Ks. I run six days a week, including speedwork. Im a fit 24-year-old, but Ive noticed my sex drive flagging. Could my running be causing this?A There certainly can be a relationship between hard training a...
Q I often suffer from stomach pains when running. Ive tried antacid tablets, but without success. The pain sometimes eases when I bend over. I think that Im eating correctly and not too soon before running. What do you suggest I do to solve the problem? A When you have food i...
Q After suffering from some internal bleeding, I underwent a series of medical tests. These showed that all my baseline bio-readings were normal, but that my liver is larger than average, which my doctors suggest could be the cause of the bleeding. I know distance runners develo...
Q Ive been suffering from a very sore Achilles tendon and hamstring problems in my left leg for nearly a year. I can still run on it, but at the end of the day I cant wait to jump in a warm bath because of the pain. Oddly, it gets worse if I stand on hard floors for long period...
Q Following a partial tear in my Achilles tendon, the scar tissue thickened, resulting in stiffness, aches and swelling. I am due to have an operation to remove this scar tissue, which means that my leg will be immobilised for two weeks. Im told that, with physiotherapy, I shou...
Q Id only been running for a few months when I noticed a twinge down the outside of my left ankle, which was accompanied by some swelling. After a two-week rest I started to run again, but within three days the ankle was again very painful. An X-ray revealed a stress fracture. ...
Q I have a lump at the back of my knee which is always there, but it seems to get bigger after each run. It doesnt cause me any pain and doesnt hinder my running in any way, but should I be worried?A It sounds to me as if you have a Bakers cyst a herniation of the synovia...
