Running Repairs

Book excerpt: Running Repairs is a handbook for everyone who runs - from those training for a one-off charity event, through those who run to keep fit to experienced club runners who regularly race. A recent Runner's World magazine survey revealed that over 80 per cent of runners have experienced an injury and that avoiding injury or recovering from injury is the main worry for nearly every runner. This will be the first book to specifically address these concerns. Written by an experienced physiotherapist and recreational marathon runner, Running Repairs is written in two parts. Part one covers a series of strengthening and flexibility exercises designed to be incorporated within any running schedule, designed to help prevent injury in the first place. Part two covers the most common running injuries and how to manage them. A series of flowcharts helps the reader to diagnose the most likely cause of any ache and pain and recommends a plan of action to aid recovery - from rest and ice to referral to a physiotherapist. The book also covers basic biomechanics so that runners can understand their running style and identify the specific injuries that are associated with that style, plus nutritional advice for recovering from injury. The book will be an essential reference for all runners - allowing them to treat any injuries immediately and in many cases saving considerable amounts of money on unnecessary physiotherapy appointments (the author estimates that about 50% of injuries that runners visit her practice with could be treated effectively by the patient and that the vast majority of injuries could be avoided with appropriate exercises being incorporated as part of training).