Running, like swimming, golf, and skiing, is one of those lifetime sports you can participate in from childhood to your senior years. Draper and the Salt Lake Valley have many trails and paths that an avid enthusiast or someone new to the sport will find enjoyable. With a little searching, you can find local races to match your skill and endurance levels. In addition, running provides healthy cardiovascular exercise that can boost your energy level and improve the quality of your life.
Like most rigorous activity, running requires some preparation and training in order to avoid or minimize the risk of injury. Recognizing the injury signs early can help you avoid more serious and aggravating injuries down the road. Here are a few of the more common things to look for.
Shin Splints – The most common symptom is that your shin hurts from pressure during or after exercise. Bone associated shin splints are usually the more serious variety and are characterized by pain in the shin bone (tibia) when pressure is applied. When this occurs it is important for the runner to listen to the body. Don’t try and run through the discomfort. Your body is telling you the structures cannot stand the stresses placed on them during running. Shin pain can almost always be cured, but it can develop into a stress fracture if a runner isn't careful. Get properly fitted for shoes. Schedule an appointment with a doctor to see if you should get X-rays or an MRI. See a physical therapist. They can help by loosening the fascia covering that surrounds the muscles.
 ITB Injury - The ITB, an abbreviation for the iliotibial band, is a strand of muscle and tendon that runs from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee. With running, the muscle on the outside of the hip which attaches to the ITB loses flexibility. The result is that the muscles can begin to cause friction on the outside of the hip and knee. Runners who are developing "ITB Syndrome" will describe a pinching pain, usually on the outside of the knee, which hurts during a run. Like many injuries, ITB problems are more easily treated the earlier they are diagnosed. The initial treatment often includes a good stretching regimen, the use of a foam roller on which the athlete lays and rolls on the upper leg like a rolling pin, hip-muscle strengthening exercises and sometimes orthotics or motion-control shoes. Trying to run through an increasingly painful ITB can cause a much more prolonged recovery.
Hip, leg, and foot pain associated with running activities are probably signals from your body that something needs attention. Sometimes this can be taken care of with appropriate stretching, gradated training that allows muscles and the body to acclimate to more rigorous activity, and proper shoes. Stretching at the end of a run and icing sore areas can help the body recover and prevent more serious injuries from developing. For injuries that are causing pain, especially over an extended period of time, it is best to seek medical advice.
Running can be a most rewarding and pleasurable activity. With the proper conditioning and training, it can provide health benefits that will improve the quality of life. It is one of those sports that can either be done by oneself or with a social group providing great flexibility in your level of participation and interaction. Listening to your body and providing appropriate care when necessary will help it be a sport you will enjoy for many years.
Resources
Sports Am, LLC has a website that lists many local running events. There site is located at http://www.sports-am.com/RunningEvents/.
Active.com provides an online newsletter for runners, tips for training, and links to events all around the country. Visit their site at http://www.active.com/.
The Utah Running Club provides information for the running enthusiast about training and events. They provide social opportunities and a community for local runners. Visit their site at http://utahrunningclub.com/.
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