Why do runners get “injured”?
When training specifically for an event we sometimes unfortunately pick up niggles that can affect our enjoyment or ability to prepare as we had planned.
Most of the time it comes down to a change in workload. Given enough time, our bodies are very good at adapting to increased workload.
If we gradually increase the distances that we run, the muscle, tendon, and bone cells can respond to this increased workload and increase their ‘strength’ and endurance. If, however, we increase this workload too quickly, these structures don’t respond well, sometimes causing pain / weaknesses. The temptation to increase training more than the recommended increments can often be due to time demands / illness affecting our plans / any number of curve balls.
Changes in workload can be due to a change in:
- Distance, time or intensity of training
- Terrain, for example more hills, harder / softer ground related to weather changes. Or if you’re used to running on pavements and you go off road.
- Footwear – new / old trainers
- Running technique – this can change for different reasons. For example when its slippy under foot, or when you run faster or slower than you’re used to…
And of course, its really important to respect the need to rest and recover, especially when training hard. It’s also important to consider considering what else is going on in our lives. Sleep quality, nutrition, hydration, general stress and activity levels….
Sticking to a training programme is the best plan and considering the bigger picture. However if you do have a niggle then take a look at your schedule and see if there is anything you realise may have contributed to the problem starting. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of making gradual changes, however if you still struggle with a niggle then please get in touch, we want to support you to ensure you enjoy your event as much as you can.

We’re delighted to be supporting the Derby 10k again this year.
We will be at the event village on Sunday 26th before and after the 10k. We will be supported by the third year Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation students from the University of Derby offering pre and post event massage.
We are offering a 10% discount for any physio services until the end of April with your race entry. So please contact us if you’re concerned about anything at all.
Here’s what some of our clients had to say about us
“I got injured while training for a marathon. When I went to see Impact 3 weeks before the run, I couldn’t walk without pain let alone run. They listened to my goals and were so encouraging. They clearly know what they’re doing too because I ran it yesterday, no stopping and no pain! Would 100% recommend”. 5/5
“Impact Physio was pro active and supportive in their treatment and suggestions on how to help me with a back injury which has stopped my running for the past few months and has cause me pain for nearly a year. I followed all the exercise programmes and a back to run plan and today i ran a full 16 minutes for the first time for ages. I cannot recommend them enough”