You know the drill – something aches, you assume it’ll loosen up once you’re moving, and you push through. Most of the time? Fine. But sometimes, that pain has other plans.

That’s where I found myself last week. A run on Wednesday ended with my shins barking. Saturday’s parkrun? Same again. That familiar niggle hadn’t just tagged along for the warm-up – it brought a suitcase.

The Sneaky Culprit?
Worn-out shoes. Turns out my current pair had racked up between 270 to 300 miles. I hadn’t even noticed. I changed them immediately. Sometimes the smallest swap makes the biggest difference.

When Pain Isn’t Just Part of the Process:
There’s a line we all walk between “normal runner discomfort” and “I should probably rest.” Some red flags to pay attention to:

• Pain that starts during the run and stays after.
• That “grit your teeth” sensation every time your foot hits the ground.
• Anything that makes you hesitate to lace up again.

Listen to the Pros (and Your Own Gut):
Luckily, my sports massage therapist helped me see sense. (I’ll be heading in for a tune-up soon.) Sometimes it takes an outside voice to remind you – you’re not a machine. Shout out to Tony at Muscle Tone Massage Therapy – go pay them a visit!

Helpful Tools: Logging Your Gear
Here’s a feature I often forget to praise:

• Strava and Garmin Connect both let you assign shoes to each activity under the “Gear” section.
• You can set default shoes per activity type (e.g., trail, road, buggy). Or log per activity you record.
• They’ll automatically track the mileage per pair, so you know when it’s time to retire them.

No guesswork. No excuses.

Takeaway:
Pain that disappears when you’re warm is one thing. Pain that sticks around? That’s your cue to rest, reflect, or replace something. Don’t let pride push you into injury.

Final Thought:
Running isn’t about ignoring pain – it’s about learning what to push through, and when to pull back. If swapping shoes and booking a sports massage keeps me running, I’m all for it.