Running, Fitness and Injuries: A Self-help Guide

Running is possibly as close to a universal sport as you can get. Runners come in all shapes, sizes and ages, and both sexes. They may be ace Olympic stars, orienteers, marathoners, triathletes, ultra-distance runners, club athletes, fun runners or occasional joggers. Some are fitness fanatics for whom running is an end in itself. Others seek through running fitness for other sports. Many run because it is a convenient way of keeping slim and reducing the risk of heart disease. Some enjoy the challenge of racing, some enjoy the camaraderie of running in a friendly group, while others relish the solitude of training alone. The common factor between track star, struggling tyro and fun runner is vulnerability to injury. Running seems simple enough, and safe enough. Yet it carries an in-built and well-defined risk. Too many runners injure themselves because they do not understand how injuries can happen, and why they might happen to them. Now Vivian Grisogono, the chartered physiotherapist specialist in sports injuries, describes how runners get injured, what they should do about it, and, most importantly, how the prudent runner can avoid harm. This book contains all the information a runner or running coach needs, both to avoid the pitfalls of running, and to use running for its best fitness effects.