…Progress - too far too fast?Progress - was my first three-mile run good enough?Schedule - I'm all-new. Which programme should I follow?Schedule - should I run more than alternate days?Surfaces - road or treadmill?Surfaces - which are best?Timing - early morning
, and is designed for the surface you’ll run on most often – road, track, or trail. If you’re not sure which shoe will work best for you, go to a specialist running shop where staff can advise you (there is a list of such shops at the back of this magazine). After
," they add. One of the key reasons for back injuries among runners is excessive training on hard surfaces, so try to avoid always running on roads or pavements. On these hard surfaces, any misalignment in your musculoskeletal system will be absorbed higher up
outsole doesn't offer enough traction when the going becomes steep, wet or muddy, but it's still a good choice if you venture off-road only occasionally and are after a good-value cross-surface second shoe. Contact www.hi-tec.com; 01702 541 771Inov-8
-built workouts each (their details are also stored separately, so everyone can track their progress). It also has adjustable shock-absorption, so you can change it to replicate different running surfaces, or to suit different surfaces in your house. The graphics
pulls were the second most common complaint, with shin splints coming in fourth.Why are they so common? Anyone who runs on hard surfaces, trains in worn-out shoes, rapidly racks up mileage or neglects stretching and strengthening the lower leg is at risk
calves (hold dumbbells while doing toe raises). If you've had daily shin pain for longer than a month, see a doctor for a bone scan to rule out a stress fracture.Others at Risk Beginners; people who train on slanted surfaces; women who wear high heels
tightening the laces pointless. The reinforced toecap gave the shoe extra solidity but made it inflexible to run in, as did the hard cushioning and stacked-heel effect. The low-depth tread performed well on different surfaces. Good for heavier runners
‘nearly’ woman. Plucky. Gritty. Take your pick. Just not a winner. That view barely scratched the surface of the real story; a tale of setbacks and personal demons that Holmes had battled with before toeing the start line in Athens, which had left her
