Q Until two years ago I ran three times a week on woodland trails, but have recently joined colleagues for lunchtime runs, mainly on pavements. Since then Ive experienced pain in both legs from just below my calf muscle to the Achilles tendon
Q Severe osteoarthritis in both knees has forced me to stop running. Some time ago I read about a pioneering operation that was performed on a professional footballer, in which sections of the knee cartilage were removed, regrown in a laboratory
, training too much and training too little.So I went to Plan B: I interviewed the best running-injury experts in the world. Like the medical studies, the experts didn't always agree. But certain principles emerged. From these, I developed 10 laws of injury
Q Ive been suffering from pain in my right calf for a couple of weeks. I rest for a few days and then run, but I cant seem to shake it off. How long should I rest for, and are there any exercises I can do to speed recovery?A With any injury
Q Why is it that almost exactly 48 hours after a long training run, and particularly after completing a marathon, my leg muscles hurt most? If the race is on Sunday, then I always dread Tuesday because I cannot walk down the stairs without adopting
Q I suffer from what I believe is called Mortons toe, where my second toes are longer than my big toes. This causes great pain during and after running. A pair of shoes half a size larger than normal sounded like a good idea, but it has failed
Q I suffered from pain in my hip and back for about 12 months. Then my back suddenly stiffened completely while I was out running and I had to stop. It has been variously diagnosed as a slipped disc and a trapped L4 nerve, but after treatment
hobbled home distraught and way off target. I took on plenty of fluid as soon as I felt my legs tighten, so why didn’t this help? Or could it be that at 50 I’m just too old for marathon running?A You say that you were careful with your fluid intake
Q Im an overweight beginner who can now run three to four miles every other day at a steady 10 minute/mile pace. But a few years ago I suffered fallen arches, which caused quite considerable pain. My GP recommended arch supports, which I stopped
kind or another. Often, people returning to running make the mistake of thinking that, because theyve run before, they can very quickly increase their training without risking injury. But the legs in particular require a gradual increase in the amount
