Is It Just Soreness... Or Is It the Start of an Injury?

Dayna Player Robinson
Jun 8
4 min read

Is It Just Soreness...

Or Is It the Start of an Injury?

Last week ago, I had an athlete text me after a run.

My first question wasn't, "How bad does it hurt?"

It was:

"Tell me the story."

Because the story matters.

Did it hurt the entire run?

Did it get better after a mile?

Did it get worse every mile?

Did it change the way you ran?

The truth is, almost every runner deals with little aches and pains. That's part of training. But knowing the difference between normal soreness and the beginning of an injury can be the difference between a few easy days and a few months on the sidelines.

Let's talk about how to tell the difference.

Your Body Is Usually Giving You Clues

The mistake most runners make is one of two extremes:

Runner #1: Panics over every ache.

Runner #2: Ignores every warning sign until they can't run.

I've seen both happen thousands of times.

The goal isn't to become afraid of every little discomfort.

The goal is to become a better listener.

Your body is almost always talking to you before a small problem becomes a big one.

The question is whether you're paying attention.

What Normal Soreness Feels Like

Think about the day after a hard hill workout.

Your calves are tight.

Your quads are grumpy.

You feel stiff getting out of bed.

But after walking around for a few minutes, things loosen up.

That's normal.

Normal soreness usually:

✅ Shows up in muscles

✅ Feels broad and achy

✅ Improves as you move

✅ Fades over the next few days

A lot of runners describe it as:

"I can tell I worked hard yesterday."

That's very different than:

"Something feels wrong every time I land on my left leg."

One sounds like training.

The other sounds like a problem.

Watch What Happens As The Miles Add Up

One of my favorite coaching tricks is to look at the trend.

Not the first minute.

Not the first mile.

The trend.

Soreness usually follows this pattern:

Mile 1: Notice it

Mile 2: Better

Mile 3+: Barely think about it

Injury pain often follows this pattern:

Mile 1: Notice it

Mile 2: Still there

Mile 3: Worse

Mile 4: Changing your form

That's valuable information.

The Next Morning Matters Too

Sometimes the run feels okay.

Then you wake up the next day.

And suddenly walking downstairs becomes an event.

Here's what I look for:

Normal soreness tends to be:

Both sides
Spread out
Better after moving around

Pain that concerns me tends to be:

One specific location
Repeats every morning
Shows up during daily activities

Walking.

Stairs.

Getting out of the car.

Hopping on one foot.

Those activities tell us a lot.

Location Matters

Most training soreness shows up in muscles:

Calves
Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes

Especially after hills, speed work, strength training, or a long run.

The areas that make me pay closer attention are:

A pinpoint spot on the shin
Sharp heel pain
Pain on the outside of the knee
Deep groin pain
Joint pain

Here's an easy way to think about it:

Muscle soreness tends to be broad and grumpy.

Injury pain tends to be picky.

What Should You Do When Something Feels Off?

Don't panic.

But don't ignore it either.

Usually the smartest first step is simple:

Back off the intensity for a day or two
Monitor daily activities
Watch the trend

Many times catching something early is all it takes.

What gets runners into trouble is trying to "run through it" for two or three weeks hoping it magically disappears.

Sometimes it does.

Sometimes it becomes a six-week injury.

My Favorite Three-Point Check

Whenever an athlete texts me about pain, I immediately think about three things:

1. Location

Is it a broad area or one specific spot?

2. Behavior

Does it warm up or get worse?

3. Trend

Is it improving or repeating itself?

That's it.

No fancy equipment.

No complicated testing.

Just paying attention.

Your body is constantly giving you information.

The runners who stay healthy the longest aren't the runners who never hurt.

They're the runners who learn to listen.

So the next time something feels off, don't immediately assume you're injured.

But don't automatically dismiss it either.

Take a step back.

Look for the pattern.

Listen to the story your body is telling.

Your future self will thank you.

Happy running

Dayna - your fav. Exercise Physiologist

Want St Goerge Marathon training tips? Give their last podcast a listen - you might just know who is talking :-)

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