It’s not uncommon to be a little sore after a long or hard run, and muscles certainly get fatigued. Yet too many runners ignore aches and pains because they don’t want to think anything might be happening that could ruin their marathon plans.

Listening to your body is very important. If you’re too tired or sore to run one day, rest or lightly cross-train instead. Sometimes just a day or two of extra rest is all you’ll need to be back to normal. And sometimes pushing too hard on fatigued muscles and joints for just a day or two is all it takes to get injured.