Common mistakes most new runners make

Pushing your body beyond what it can adapt to can lead to injuries, says Michael Fredericson, the director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Stanford University.

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To prevent injuries, he recommends gradually increasing weekly distance and doing exercises to strengthen your core, hips and quadriceps muscles. “If I had to pick one exercise, squats is probably the best thing you can do,” says Fredericson, who also is the head physician for the Stanford cross-country and track and field teams.

Shin splints are one of the most common injuries from running too much, he says. People with shin splints will feel pain along the inner border of their lower leg, which can develop into a stress fracture when “the pain becomes more focal,” he says.

Icing the legs, taking anti-inflammatory medicine and stretching out the muscles in the back of the leg help, Fredericson says. If it hurts to run on the road, cross-train by using an elliptical, swimming or deep water running.

Picking the wrong shoes and clothes

Wearing the proper running shoes or clothes can make a difference.

Travisha Gunter started running about 10 years ago with the same sneakers she wore for errands and gym workouts. Her feet would hurt after runs.

“They could have had 1,000 miles in them, but because they were clean and smelled fresh, I thought they were still good,” says Gunter, a running coach with the Montgomery County Road Runners Club in Maryland. “You can’t use the same shoe for every single thing.”

Gunter, who coaches back-of-the-pack or slower-paced runners, recommends getting fitted at a running shoe store. Feet can swell during runs and it is best to get shoes typically a half-size larger, she says.

“If it feels comfortable on your foot and comfortable when you run, that’s a good shoe for you,” says Drew Wartenburg, a running coach based in Flagstaff, Arizona. “You don’t want something too tight.”

Wearing the wrong clothes can also make running uncomfortable. It can lead to skin chafing, which happens when skin rubs together or rubs against clothing.

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Chafing can cause itching and open sores that can lead to infections, says Alexandra Bender, a dermatology resident at the University of Rochester Medical Centre and an avid runner. Common areas include between the thighs, under the arms, the nipples, under the bra band or along the shorts lining.

Friction, moisture and heat can make chafing worse, Bender says, particularly when it’s warm outside. She recommends avoiding plain cotton and opting for clothing that is lightweight, moisture wicking and absorbent. Cotton “doesn’t dry as quickly, so that contributes to the moisture issue,” Bender says.

Apply Vaseline or Body Glide to the areas where you are likely to chafe before your runs, she says.

A hit-or-miss running schedule

Consistency is key to improvement. The number of runs per week depends on the individual and that person’s goals, but you should do it enough to make it a habit, Wartenburg says.

“For someone starting out or starting back after a long time, that probably means every other day for running or run-walk,” he says. “Second week, if all is going well, most can safely progress to two days on, one day off.”

Running every week is also important. Some newer runners will run a week and take a week off, and will not gain momentum, Hodge says. Running consistently doesn’t mean running the same distance or doing the same workout every day but stringing together weeks of solid training, she says.

Many race training programs require months of running, and being patient is important for all runners – beginners and experienced alike.

“I try to remind runners, don’t let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can do,” Hodge says. “Focus on progress, not perfection.”

Know that it’s OK to make mistakes. Wartenburg likes to tell new runners to remember how far they’ve come.

“It can be a really good reminder of progress,” he says. “Follow your own journey. Keep a running log so you can see how far you’ve come and compare yourself to yourself.”

Washington Post

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