Runner's Lament: Injuries Are Inevitable, By: Brad Walker

This month I wanted to introduce you to a great source of information and articles specifically for runners and those involved in running related sports.

James Raia has traveled the globe to write about athletes and sporting events from the Tour de France to the Boston Marathon. His newsletter, "Endurance Sports News" is always packed with a multitude of topics for anyone looking to run harder, faster and longer, while keeping injuries at bay. Do yourself a favor and sign up for James's free newsletter, Endurance Sport News.

To follow is an article that James published a few month's ago. It's a great interview style article and covers a number of important tips about staying injury free. I hope you enjoy it.

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There's little disagreement running is the most versatile cardiovascular exercise. Weight control, endurance, maintaining low cholesterol and various heart benefits have been documented in volumes.

But the curse of running - the dilemma faced by nearly all runners - is that it takes its toll on the body. Chances are, if you participate in the sport as part of your lifestyle, you'll eventually suffer a running-related injury.

Pedorthists (foot care specialists) know runners' injuries as well as any medical personnel since runners' feet bear the repetitive motions of the sport with each step.

As an instructor at New York College of Podiatric Medicine, Bob Schwartz is a lifelong runner, speed walker and an athletic foot-problem specialist.

And since runners' woes about foot pain and related difficulties are ever-prominent, following are his opinions:

Question: What's the most common foot problem among runners and why?

Bob Schwartz: Heel pain is the number one problem runners identify themselves with. Heel pain is caused by the excessive motion runners go through, particularly during the part of running when they are pushing off, which is called the propulsive phase - when the foot propels forward and you push off of it. It creates a lot of strain back through the arch to the heel.

Once a running shoe is worn out even a little bit, it doesn't provide the stability you need to push off and thus it creates excessive force to the foot. Also, the more we run the more we tend to pronate, which also results in excessive force to the foot during that propulsive phase of gait.

A lot of runners don't do enough posterior muscle stretching and soft tissue stretching. In particular, the Achilles' tendon, calf muscles and the hamstrings need to be more stretched out. Running is a repetitive stress process, and the more you use the more you overuse.

Question: Are there some preventive care things for runners that can help?

Bob Schwartz: Stretching before and after running is very important. Make sure you train in training shoes rather than in racing shoes because training shoes have more support and more stability and are more durable. Do not run through pain. When pain comes, stop running. There is no such thing as "good pain" while running. Change your running shoes every 300-500 miles. A running shoe is a disposable shoe designed to run for up to 500 miles maximum.

Get longer running shoes because running shoes tend to shrink as they wrinkle and crease. Also, your feet get bigger through running. To prevent heel pain, you can put a little heel lift in shoes to prevent some of the stress to the heel and to reduce the amount of pronation of the foot.

Ready-made orthotics are extremely valuable for runners; they redistribute pressure, absorb shock, control pronation and reduce sheer force. Maintain a running routine. It doesn't matter how far you run, but try to run regularly, at least two times a week. Then, when you want to run more your body will be ready for you. If you stop running altogether for a period of time, starting up again will be more difficult.

Make sure you buy your shoes with the socks you plan to wear, especially if you like a padded sock, so that the shoe will be big enough to accommodate your sock.

Question: What's the biggest mistake runners make when purchasing running shoes?

Bob Schwartz: They buy them too small. Runners should buy their shoes after they run, when their feet are swollen and at their largest. Even people who don't run or exercise will have their feet enlarge during the course of the day just from routine activities. So buying any kind of shoe before you've moved around much is never a good idea.

Question: Any easy "tricks to the trade" to pass along to runners to keep themselves as injury-free as possible?

Bob Schwartz: Stretch and stay under your pain threshold. Know and listen to your body. Replace your footwear more often than less often. Know that feet get bigger as we get older and we need to accommodate them. Purchase ready-made orthotics, since orthotics are definitely an ounce of prevention.