Being a high-impact activity, running is often accompanied by running injury and pain. Running injuries can be really painful and can force you to the sidelines for months. Sometimes, running injuries may also put an end to your career. However, if you are alert to the signs provided by your body, it is easy to recognize the symptoms of an impending injury and prevent the worst.

Running injuries are generally caused by a combination of three factors:

• Incorrect technique
• Suddenly increasing training volume
• Bio-mechanical imbalance

The earlier you respond to the pain or soreness in your body, the better will be your chances of preventing an injury or aggravating it.

Common Running Injuries

Although pain is a part of any sport, when the pain is an increasing or recurring one, you may be looking at a running injury. Here are 4 common injuries that runners often face:

1. Achilles Tendonitis
   Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation of the Achilles tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. Inflammation of this kind must be taken seriously since the tendon may develop scar tissues and in bad cases even rupture.
2. Runner’s knee
   Chondromalacia – commonly known as runner’s knee – is caused due to the wearing of the cartilage under the kneecap. It usually happens when the kneecap is incorrectly tracked while running. The symptoms include pain and inflammation of the knee when you run.
3. Plantar Fasciitis
   Plantar fascia is a group of tissues located at the bottom of the foot from the forefoot to the heel. These tissues absorb the shock of the running motion. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia is subject to scarring and tearing. The symptoms of this running injury include pain while you start to run. An acute case of plantar fascia can make running impossible.
4. Shin splints
   If you have ever experienced pain on the outside or inside of the shin while running, it was most probably a shin split. Shin splits are most often caused by stepping up the training volume too early or too soon.

Tips On Staying Injury Free

Being careful to prevent running injuries is the best thing you can possibly do for running injury free. Here are some tips you must remember every time you train or compete in running.

• Listen to your body. Never consider running if you feel extremely tired or have consistent pain or soreness. A few days of rest can save you a good amount in treatment and months limited to the sidelines.
• It is very easy to over train and ruin your peak levels. Maintain a good running base and never strive to increase your mileage by more than 10 percent a week.
• Invest in quality running shoes and replace them after every 300 to 500 miles.
• Do not forget to warm up and cool down during each session. Also include stretching in your workouts to reduce risk of injury.
• Do not continue running while injured. It will aggravate the injury, strain other parts of the body and adversely affect your performance.
• For running injury free, practice on medium-hard paths or level grass grounds. Try to avoid concrete and hard asphalt surfaces that can cause excessive pounding of legs.
• If you train hard one day, go easy the next day by settling for light running. You may also take a day off after a day of strenuous training.

With these tips and by paying close attention to the signs of your body, you can stay injury free and consistently perform at your peak levels.