Why That Callus Is a Bigger Problem Than You Think

Admittedly calluses are not among the most feared running injuries. But they can be annoying and give you the sneaking suspicion that there’s something wrong. That suspicion is correct. Ditto for blisters. It’s true that sometimes you can get blisters or–longer term–calluses from poorly fitting shoes. But if this is a persistent problem for you … Read more

Fix Tight Hip Flexors Instantly

You’re out on a run and begin to feel a tightness in the front of your hip joint. Steadily, step by step, it gets worse, until all you can think about is stopping to stretch it. If you do, though, you’ll only feel better for a little while. Then slowly but surely the tension and … Read more

Why You Have Forefoot Pain

Metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuroma, or just an undiagnosed achiness under the ball of your foot just below your toes…this is one of those running injuries that can hang around for a long time. Most often, runners find they can keep running if they wear cushioned shoes, but there’s no denying it nags, niggles, and holds you … Read more

Why Runners Shouldn’t Use Ice (and what to do instead)

Do you go straight for the ice when you hurt yourself? Do you use ice baths to speed recovery from tough workouts? You’re certainly following authoritative advice in doing so — doctors and physios have been recommending this since 1978. That’s when Gabe Mirkin coined the acronym RICE, for “Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation,” the four … Read more

Solutions that Work for Sore Quads

The past two weeks I’ve explained what a pattern of frequent post-run quad soreness indicates about your running technique, and I’ve explained why a lot of the popular solutions both to manage the discomfort and try to solve the underlying problem don’t work. Now let’s look at what will. The fundamental problem underlying frequent quad soreness is … Read more

Are you taking Ibuprofen? The truth about inflammation for runners.

Are you taking Ibuprofen? The truth about inflammation for runners.

Running injuries usually involve inflammation, right? Over our years working one-to-one with clients we’ve found that injured runners often make mistakes in dealing with that inflammation in their efforts to avoid pain and heal more quickly. One of the most common mistakes is to take NSAIDs (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen, naprosin, acetaminophen, or … Read more

How to Fix Runner’s Knee

When nonrunners think about running, they immediately think about knee pain. It’s fundamental to the popular image of runners. Never mind that running is actually better for your knees than being sedentary, the image persists because so many runners have knees that hurt that there’s an entire injury–runner’s knee–named just for us. Fortunately runner’s knee isn’t the … Read more