You probably take them for granted, but a healthy pair of feet are a person’s best friend. After all, your feet hit the ground 1,500 times per mile. With each stride, they absorb a force several times your body weight. They land, roll forward and push off. Again and again and again.
Fortunately, the foot’s 26 bones, 33 joints and 112 ligaments are perfectly designed for running. Treat your feet well, and they’ll give you many miles of pain-free workouts and excitement-filled races. Of course, feet can and do get injured. The pounding of the road, the friction of ill-fitting shoes, the germs in a locker room – these and many other problems can lead to foot injury or disease. So you can never afford to take your feet for granted. To help you protect your feet, here are the most common foot ailments, including how to treat each injury, how to prevent a recurrence and how to get back on the road. Follow this advice, and you can keep your feet running healthy for many miles to come.