and stretching the hamstrings, as well as using motion-control running shoes and reducing the amount of hill running you do as well as your overall mileage. But the source of knee pain is still something of a mystery. "We don’t understand the pain exactly," says

and stretching the hamstrings, as well as using motion-control running shoes and reducing the amount of hill running you do as well as your overall mileage. But the source of knee pain is still something of a mystery. "We don’t understand the pain exactly," says

, diagnose and fix the basic cause of the injury, whether it is bad shoes, poor nutrition or inadequate preparation before you run. Remember that although your injury may have healed, your cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength won't be what it was before

The only thing runners fear more than rabid dogs and toilet emergencies is getting hurt. An injury means taking a break, and runners hate the thought of losing fitness, gaining weight or missing an endorphin fix. But what if you knew what injuries

tightness. Is the tensor fascia latae (TFL), which is part of your hip flexor tight? Are your gluts weak? Are your shoes correct for you or worn out?Do you use a foam roller on your TFL? It’s at the top of the ITB, just to the front of the hip. This muscle

Ferber.Action Plan Be the tortoise, not the hare. Increase your weekly and monthly running totals gradually. Use the 10 per cent rule as a general guideline, but realise that it might be too aggressive for you - especially if you are injury prone. A five

Rouzier, author of The Sports Medicine Patient Adviser (Sportmed Press). Of the shin injuries, stress fractures demand the strictest rehab: usually six to eight weeks of rest. Research suggests using anti-inflammatories can interfere with bone

, author of The Sports Medicine Patient Adviser (Sportmed Press). Of the shin injuries, stress fractures demand the strictest rehab: usually six to eight weeks of rest. Research suggests using anti-inflammatories can interfere with bone mineralisation

, rather than six, as they used to – but I would rather they only waited two days. You run the risk of an injury becoming chronic and much harder to treat if you leave it untreated for more than 48 hours, and any medic would prefer you came to see them

) or neglected (understretched, understrengthened), they’ll complain. And the result could be one of the two most chronic, hard-to-heal injuries a runner can face – namely, plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis. To avoid the dreaded ‘itises’ it helps to first