Well, after a restful holiday period and too much wonderful food, it is common to suffer some post-holiday guilt. This, coupled with the arrival of the new year sends thousands of people straight to the running shoes to kick-start those New Years resolutions.
Due to this, we have an influx of Achilles tendon problems, Knee pain, Back pain, sprained ankles etc. To help avoid these problems, here are some things to consider;
1) How old are your runners? Most good running shoes will last about 600km, and if you get to 800km you’ve done well. This means that if you average 30-50km/wk then you’ll get 3 months, but if you’re only doing the occasional run and some walking you might get 12 months. If they’re older than this then the sole has lost it’s support and they need to be turfed. Running in old shoes causes the arch, heel and forefoot support to give, leading to excessive pronation, and poor shock absorption
2) When did you last run? Trying to lose ALL of your Christmas weight in one week by running 8km every day is not smart. Try starting with a walk-run (run 500m, jog 500m four or five times). It takes six weeks to effect a large change in VO2 Max (aerobic fitness) so gradual increase is the key.
If you HAVE good shoes, and you HAVE built up gradually but you’re still having pain, try the usual – reduce activity for a short while until it calms down, then start a graduated return to normal running. If that fails, give us a call, 13009HILLS!