Running Injuries in Long Distance Runners

Long distance running is a gruelling sport. Not only does it require physical fitness and stamina, it also requires mental toughness to deal with the solitude. Alan Sillitoe’s novel ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner’ may have nothing to do with actual long distance running, but it’s a title any endurance athlete can empathise with.



Sometimes, though, breaking through the pain barrier is not a good thing. Long distance running can be the source of a range of different injuries, from top to toe. One of the most common running injuries is damage to the ankle, such as a sprained ankle, or in more extreme cases, a tear or rupture of the Achilles tendon. In either scenario, damage can be avoided by wearing correctly supportive shoes and warming up thoroughly before exercise.



The symptoms of an ankle injury are pain and swelling in the area (you may even hear a snapping sound if your Achilles tendon has ruptured) and medical assistance should be quickly sought if you suspect you’ve damaged your tendon. In the meantime, your immediate response to any injury should be to follow the PRICE procedure: Protect the injured part; Rest the injury; Ice-packs should be applied to reduce swelling; Compress the injury using bandages; and Elevate and support the injured body part.

Feet are another trouble area for long distance runners, falling prey to maladies from bunions and blisters to black toenails and stress fractures. Correct footwear and thorough warming-up and cooling-down should prevent most running injuries to the feet, but in some cases it may be poor biomechanics (body movement) which is to blame – seeking advice from a sports medicine professional can help you to diagnose and discover solutions for incorrect body movement.



Biomechanics can also be to blame for injuries to the legs, knees, hips and back, with muscle strains, ligament injuries, joint disorders or stress fractures all afflicting long distance runners who fall victim to tumbles or blows, or who exercise with muscles that are tired, weak or not warmed-up properly.



Some maladies, such as osteoarthritis, have not had their direct causes established as yet, but in all cases, wearing correct supportive footwear, warming-up properly before every run, and ensuring that you give your muscles time to recover between training sessions, will help to keep you fit and in action.



Last, but certainly not least, is the slightly embarrassing, but no less painful, affliction of ‘jogger’s nipple’, a chafing of this sensitive area caused by the nipples rubbing against clothing during sustained exercise. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to prevent by wearing tops made from soft material for men, and soft fibre bras for women, or, if necessary, deploying surgical tape or petroleum jelly over your nipples.



Long distance running may carry a risk of bodily injury, but most running-related maladies can be prevented with simple common sense and self-preservation – conquering the battle of wits in your mind as you push through the mental pain barrier, though, is a challenge only your brain can take on.