Common running injuries and what to strengthen

People in Delta love to run. I never really reflected on that until a little kid in Payette, Idaho made me realize it.

We were there a number of years ago visiting my father-in-law when I went for a run. About halfway into it I passed a young boy standing at the end of his driveway. As I ran past him he shouted at me, “What are you doing lady?” I laughed and turned around and replied, “Running.” He didn’t quite know how to answer back to that.

Running is convenient, you can do it anywhere (including Payette, Idaho), you don’t need a lot of equipment and, for that matter, a lot of skill either.

So, it’s understandable a runner gets ticked off when they are sidelined by an injury.

Most running injuries affect the lower body, which makes sense since it’s the lower extremities doing all of the work.

Why injuries happen are due to a number of reasons: too much mileage and too soon, poor biomechanics, or maybe your muscles aren’t healthy, flexible or strong enough.

The most common injuries for runners are: plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, patellofemoral pain syndrome (also know as “runner’s knee”) and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome.

Plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel and the bottom of the foot. The “itis” let’s you know It’s inflammation, and in this case it’s inflammation of a band of connective tissue on the underside of your foot.

It’s painful and can take a long time to heal, so if you are experiencing any foot pain, get yourself to a physiotherapist – STAT.

Some things you can do to avoid plantar fasciitis include: stretching your calf muscles, working on the mobility of your ankle joint, wearing proper footwear (go visit my buddies at The Run Inn), focus on relaxing your lower leg muscles when you run, run on flat surfaces, and when running land with a mid-foot strike, instead of a heel strike. This will keep your plantar tendon relaxed.

With Achilles tendonitis, you will encounter pain on the back of the lower leg. To avoid ticking off your Achilles tendon, warm-up with a brisk walk before you run and keep your calf muscles strong and flexible.

However, if you do tick off your Achilles, ice, rest, a glass of wine and physiotherapy will get you back on track again.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain at the front of the knee, near or right under the kneecap. To sidestep this type of knee pain you have to hit the gym or a class. At the gym work on strengthening your glutes, hips and hamstrings, and then go hit up a yoga class to work on your mobility and flexibility.

Lastly is my foe iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. The IT band is a tendon that runs from the outside of the hip and attaches to the outside of the knee. If you have pain on the outside of the knee, and sometimes the side of the hip, chances are it’s your IT band.

This little tendon had me limping for a number of months back when I was doing triathlons. Luckily we have now come to an agreement.

Steer clear of IT band problems by strengthening your glutes and outer hips muscles, while also working your core, and stretching your calves, hamstrings, quads and hips on a regular basis.

If you are encountering any of these symptoms I listed, please don’t ignore them. The longer you leave things, the more damage you will do and the longer it will take to get yourself better once you finally do go to a physiotherapist.

OK? OK.

PJ Wren is a local personal trainer and writer who can be reached at www.thestudio.ca or www.fitnesswithpj.com.

(Original article 18th May 2018: http://www.delta-optimist.com/living/common-running-injuries-and-what-to-strengthen-1.23306282)