I’M still seeing a lot of Sunday morning footballers out running at the moment. And that’s a good thing.

But what I’m about to say comes with a bit of warning that I had brought to my attention by a chance conversation that took place in my local cricket club on Monday, while watching Hartlepool against Great Ayton.

Andy, a midfielder in his late 30s, told me that he’s been doing lots of running around the Headland in an attempt to be extra fit for the new season (he plays in midfield).

And, much like the top players who do the same, he has been doing it on hard surfaces that are almost unavoidable at this time of year. Andy continued to tell me how he’s been training once or twice per week with his team mates, and as well as that he’s been pounding the surfaces of the roads too doing about 5-6 miles a couple or three nights per week.

But, what’s happened is that he’s picked up an injury known as ‘Plantar Fasciits’.

It’s basically an injury which you’d recognise from a very sharp pin prick-like pain underneath your foot. It can be caused from doing too much running, having a long-term problem with an Achilles tendon, wearing football boots or running trainers that are too tight (a common trait amongst football players who like to get a better feel for the ball), running a lot on hard surfaces, which causes muscles to tighten and joints to stiffen, or a weak lower back. Take your pick! Either way, it’s not nice.

It can be very painful, particularly for the first 20 minutes or so when you get out of bed, and it’s effect is made more likely by running on hard surfaces in an attempt to increase cardio-vascular fitness. Playing on hard grass is also a factor, especially at this time of the year.

Now, another injury I’d expect to see happen a lot more at this time of the year than any other is shin splints. Again, it’s an overuse injury that mainly happens to grassroots footballers because of over training. In the professional game shin splints is not as common. The reason why? Simply because they are better prepared when it comes to having core stability muscles working to limit the risk this injury happening, which commonly occur from being on hard surfaces.

At this stage of the season in the Premier League, you’re likely to see a lot more impact or sudden ankle and foot injuries, such as the ones suffered by Manchester United’s Ander Herrera and Marouane Felliani. It happens because of the hard surfaces players have been training on and playing on over the last few months start taking their toll on bones and it is very difficult for anyone to avoid – even the guys at the top.

So, my tip for you to maintain fitness but limit stress and help avoid plantar fasciitis is simple - vary your training. Get on your bike, go swimming and do things like the cross-trainer or rowing machine at the gym until the surfaces become a little softer.

It’s the combination of both that will add up and make injury and frustration more likely.