Prevention is the Cure

Medical Issues: Coach's advice is given as one exerciser to another. For medical questions, ask your doctor.

*Speak up if you have any aches or pains that could be the beginnings of an injury. If you stay below the threshold of irritation of the "weak link", with liberal walking, etc., you can train through most. You don't want to push through pain, swelling, or loss of function in the foot or leg during a run--as this produces a lot of damage quickly. When in doubt, stop the workout.

* Don't stretch the achilles or the calf or the hamstring. Mr Galloway says, "In general, I don't recommend stretching. I also recommend against lower body strength work, as this can increase leg muscle recovery time. If you have found stretches that help you, and don't hurt, continue to do them." I enjoy yoga.

* To monitor nutrient intake, Mr Galloway recommends using fitday. I subscribe to MyFoodDiary. Lance Armstrong's website also offers a free nutrition calculator. I highly recommend Tom Venuto's new book, The Body Fat Solution.