?7 Things You Need to Know Before Your First Half-Marathon

Sad news is your musculoskeletal system doesn’t adapt to your new running routine nearly as quickly. And that’s what tends to trip new runners up the most—not being patient enough to let their bones, tendons, joints, and connective tissue (a.k.a. fascia) get used to this new workload. (That’s why you want a thorough training plan that slowly builds up your long run and has three shorter runs throughout the week, for consistency.)

While little aches and pains are a natural part of running, when you do too much too soon, you can (and likely will) land a pretty gnarly overuse injury. The most common site of problems for new runners is the knees (which take on a lot of stress as you pound the pavement), though shin splints plague a lot of people, too. Whatever the pain, when it pops up for the first time, stretching, icing, resting, and foam rolling can often help. But if a week of those things doesn’t lessen or nix the achiness, says Vandervest, see a sports physician or physical therapist, who can help diagnose and treat the root of the problem. Whatever you do, don’t sit on pain for weeks—it can derail your training, and eventually, your race.

Combat running pain with these exercises: