Why most marathon injuries creep up quietly

Almost every running injury we see in people training for a spring marathon follows the same pattern: a jump in weekly distance or intensity that the legs weren't given time to absorb. Your heart and lungs adapt quickly, often within a few weeks. Tendons, bones and the fascia under your feet take far longer. That gap is where trouble starts — not in one dramatic session, but in a series of ordinary ones that add up.

Around Bungay this catches people out in a particular way. The lanes towards Earsham, Ditchingham and the Ilketshalls are beautiful and largely flat, so it's easy to run the same pace on the same cambered tarmac week after week without noticing the load building. Add a long Sunday run along the Waveney and by week six the shins are grumbling.

• Increase gradually. A rough guide is no more than 10% extra per week, and a lighter week every fourth week.
• Change one thing at a time. Don't add distance, speed and a new pair of shoes in the same week.
• Keep some runs genuinely easy. If you can't chat, you're training too hard for that session.

Shin splints: the classic early-season problem

Shin splints — medial tibial stress syndrome, if you want the proper name — show up as a dull ache along the inner edge of the shin, usually in the first couple of miles before easing, then returning afterwards. It's an overuse response in the bone and the tissue attaching to it, and it's common when mileage climbs on hard surfaces.

Prevention comes down to three things. First, build volume slowly and avoid sudden switches between surfaces; going straight from months of tarmac lanes to a long run on Outney Common's grass can be just as provocative as the reverse. Second, strengthen the calves and feet with regular single-leg calf raises and short barefoot walks on a safe, soft surface. Third, shorten your stride slightly and let your cadence rise — a quicker, lighter turnover reduces the peak force through the shin. If the ache becomes a sharp, pinpoint pain that hurts at rest, stop and get it assessed; that pattern can suggest a stress fracture.

Knee pain: usually a hip and control issue

Pain around or behind the kneecap — often called runner's knee — tends to appear on downhills first. If you've been running the gentle drops into Beccles or the dip at Broome, you'll probably recognise it. The knee itself is rarely the culprit. More often the hip and glute muscles aren't controlling the leg well enough, so the kneecap tracks under uneven load.

• Strengthen the glutes. Side planks, hip bridges and step-downs from a low step, twice a week.
• Walk the steep descents while you rebuild, rather than running through the pain.
• Vary your route. Constant camber on the same road loads one side more than the other.

Most runners find that a few weeks of consistent strength work and slightly reduced downhill running settles things. Pain that persists beyond three or four weeks, or that swells the knee, deserves a proper look.

Tendon trouble: Achilles, calf and plantar fascia

Tendons respond to load, but slowly and grumpily. The warning signs are stiffness in the first steps of the morning, a thickened, tender Achilles, or a sharp pull under the arch. These are signals to reduce load, not to stretch harder — aggressive stretching of an irritated tendon often makes it worse.

What helps is progressive loading. For the Achilles, that means heel drops off a step, done slowly, building from both legs to one, with a weighted backpack once bodyweight becomes easy. For the plantar fascia, calf and foot strength plus a temporary reduction in hill work and speed sessions usually does more good than anything else. Keep running if pain stays mild and eases as you warm up; back off if it's worsening day by day.

A ten-minute strength habit that pays for itself

Twice a week is enough. You don't need a gym — a step, a wall and a bit of floor space will do. Warm up with a short jog or a brisk walk first, and keep the quality high rather than chasing numbers.

• Single-leg calf raises — three sets of ten on each leg, full range.
• Step-downs — three sets of eight, controlling the knee, not letting it collapse inwards.
• Hip bridges — three sets of twelve, squeezing the glutes at the top.
• Side planks — three sets of thirty seconds each side.
• Single-leg balance — one minute per leg while you brush your teeth.

Do this consistently through the winter months and you'll notice the difference when the long runs get serious in spring.

Shoes, surfaces and the local running community

Shoes matter, but not in the way advertising suggests. There's no single correct pair — comfort is the best guide. Replace them somewhere between 500 and 800 kilometres, and consider rotating two pairs so the foam has time to recover between runs. If you're doing most of your miles on the lanes, a slightly cushioned road shoe is fine; save aggressive trail shoes for the muddy stretches of the Angles Way.

Training alongside other people is one of the most underrated injury preventers. A club run or a Saturday morning 5k in a neighbouring town gives you company on the long, slow miles, honest feedback when you're pushing too hard, and a reason to turn up on a cold February evening when the sofa is winning. Marshalling at a local race counts too — it keeps you involved in the running world while your legs recover.

Most importantly, treat niggles as information rather than inconvenience. Runners who adjust early — a few easier days, a bit more strength work, a chat with a physiotherapist — almost always make it to the start line in one piece. The ones who push through often spend marathon day spectating instead.