When it comes to training for sports events, many mistakenly believe that more is better.
But too much training is not beneficial either. In fact, over-training can do more harm than good.
Speaking to a crowd of about 50 people who have signed up for this year's The Straits Times Run in the City, Mount Elizabeth hospitals doctors Leon Foo and Kannan Kaliyaperumal gave valuable insights into potential pitfalls associated with running.
Said Dr Foo, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Island Orthopaedic Consultants: "One of the key reasons I see recurrent sports injuries is that runners are often impatient. They don't plan their training regimens and push themselves too much. We need to be reminded that it takes time to build up stamina in your body."
On the other hand, under-training is also a problem. Dr Kannan, foot and ankle specialist surgeon and consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Centre for Orthopaedics, said injuries also arise when runners fail to adequately condition themselves for runs.
"They underestimate the intensity of the training required for the activity they are going to undertake," he said.
"Before running, it is important to check with your doctors to see if you are in the proper physical shape and condition to go ahead with the activity."
Yesterday's event was the first in a month-long programme of talks and running clinics that are being held in the run-up to the May 22 ST Run, which flags off at the F1 Pit Building.
During the one-hour talk at the Land Rover showroom in Leng Kee Road, Dr Foo also shed light on common sports injuries and the importance of good running practices to prevent them, such as choosing the right shoes and doing adequate warm-ups and cool-downs.
Dr Kannan detailed the different types of injuries that arise from running, such as trauma injuries, overuse injuries and deformity injuries.
There was also a demonstration of the proper sports taping technique by Mr Anand Sivayogam, senior physiotherapist at Mount Elizabeth Rehabilitation Centre.
Participant Basheer Ahmad, 49, who has signed up for the ST Run, said: "The talk was very beneficial for me. I used to suffer from knee and heel pain while running, so the information about how to treat such injuries and what kind of exercises I can do was very relevant."
Runner Colin Yeo, 56, who has signed up for all the clinics, said: "As a casual runner, I don't have much in-depth knowledge about how to prevent injuries. By attending these talks, I can learn more about preventive measures like how to do proper warm-ups."
•Registration for the ST Run is still open. Go to www.straitstimesrun.com
