Game Time

The smallest malady that afflicts recreational runners can be magnified over the course of a long race like a marathon. But the key to avoiding many injuries begins long before the starting gun goes off.

Common injuries such as blisters, chondromalacia (irritation of the knee), and stress fractures can result from overtraining.

A lingering condition that might have seemed a nuisance during training can turn into a full-blown injury during a 26-mile race. Runners should listen to their bodies in the weeks and months before a race as closely as they do once they have left the starting line.

Assuming you have arrived at race day with a clean bill of health, there are precautionary measures that can reduce your chance of suffering an injury during the race.

• Warmup: To get your circulation going, jog or walk just enough so that you begin to perspire, an indication that your muscles are warmed up and circulation to muscles is adequate.

• Stretching: After warming up, allow enough time to concentrate on loosening up your calves, hamstrings, lower back, and quadriceps.

• Hydration: Drink 16 ounces of fluid 60 to 90 minutes prior to the race, then another 16 ounces during the first hour. Do not wait until you feel thirsty.

• Footwear: Wear running shoes that have been broken in (50 to 100 miles) but have not lost their cushioning. Do not wear new shoes on race day.

• Chafing: This is a problem that first-time runners usually overlook. To counter the effects of friction from shirts, shorts, and socks, use a skin lube, such as Vaseline, on the nipples, armpits, groin, heels, and the top of the toes. Also, jewelry should not be worn around the neck.

What you do after the race can be almost as important as what you do beforehand. A gradual cool-down, as opposed to stopping abruptly, is essential to a good recovery.

Drinking to rehydrate and eating to refuel should be done as soon as possible. To soothe aching muscles and joints, some runners choose ice and some choose heat.

Going in a heated pool or jacuzzi relaxes the muscles, gets the blood flowing, gets your lactic acid out and helps with the soreness. Ice can work as well, if you have some acute area of inflammation.

One mistake some runners make is to include alcohol or caffeine in their post-race celebration. These should be avoided, as both are diuretics and will hasten or aggravate dehydration.

Returning to training after running in a marathon should be a gradual process, even if you do not feel especially sore or tired. The first week should be used to rest, after which training can be resumed on a limited basis and then gradually increased.

For more information on common injuries of the active individual, visit ActivePain.com. Check out Active Pain Council's Diagnostic Tool. This tool allows the active individual to further analyze injuries and take strides to prevent such pain in the future.