One must maintain a healthy body if he or she wants to be able to train one’s body to achieve certain running goals, thus it becomes absolutely essential to keep ones body free from injury, and the consistency of training will yield a great return in your personal running performance.

#1 – Foam Roller

A foam roller is a circular tube structure made out of high density foam that is used release tension in muscles and tendons. When you roll your body on this piece of equipment, primarily used for the legs, you are able to significantly loosen up injury-causing muscle tension and increase “healing blood flow” to your muscles and tendons.

Cost – $35

Where – Local running specialty store (Marathon Sports) or online.

#2 – Strength Train

The parts of the body that are susceptible to injury are the ones that do not have sufficient muscle tone. The majority of running injuries are not do accidents, slips, falls, but rather tendons, joints, muscles that are not supported by adequate muscular strength. The most important strength training for runners is going to be multi-directional movements and core strength.

*See training tips – “Strength Training” tab for more information.

#3 – Hydrate!

The body is made up of more than 70% water, and it is essential that you have a body that is fully hydrated before you go out for your runs. The muscles and tendons in your body are not able to move, slide, glide if you are not properly hydrated! You should consume about 2 liters of water per day.

#4 – Proper footwear

A pair of proper running shoes can go a long way in providing you with a good running experience. The best way to find a shoe that is going to be right for you is to be “fit” for a pair of shoes at a running specialty store. The professionals will be able to analyze your foot shape, bone structure, and foot landing position and provide you with a shoe that gives you a smooth running stride, which will greatly reduce the chances of injrury as moving through the “gait cycle” with proper mechanics can usually be achieved with being fit by a professional. One of the largest, and most reputable stores providing this service is “Marathon Sports”, with locations from Welsley to Norwell. The process is free, simply requires you to do a few brisk walks and takes less than five minutes.

#5 – Know your body

The best coach is… YOU. Some of the best runners in the world are self-coached, and have a great understanding how they can “push” their body. There is such a thing as “good pain” and “bad pain” and your ability to know when to push your body and when to call the quits is an invaluable skill. Being able to take smart breaks from running can be the difference between staying injury free, and being sidelined away from training for a few weeks. Be smart and listen to your body, if you have deep pain and aches in your tendons and ligaments it may be the right time to take a week off and ice your areas of pain. If you legs are fatigued and you are simply tired of running you may consider pushing through this phase of training and align yourself with your goals of why you began running