running injury

OnSugar blogger Running Nina needs some advice. She's training for a half-marathon and is dealing with a knee injury. Can you help her get through it?

It is now less than a month to my first half-marathon. Despite not running for 2 weeks because of being sick I feel ready for it, well, almost. I still have a few more long runs to tackle first!

I ran an eight mile run yesterday and it went pretty well. I had to run on the treadmill because it was too hot outside, so I finished in 77:20. I'm sure it would have taken longer had I run outside. However, on race day I'll feel the energy of the other runners, and it should be around that time when I get to the eight mile mark. It is cooling off this week so hopefully I will be able to run outside on Friday for my nine miler. The only thing that will stop my nine miler is my knee. The last 1/2 mile of my run, it started to hurt. I finished my run and the pain stayed. I can walk, but going up/down stairs and fast walking hurts.

Any suggestions on what to do other than ice it and elevate it? It isn't swollen and doesn't hurt to the touch. Rather, I can feel the soreness/stiffness on the inside.

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When I say that Jennifer Aniston is somewhat of a streaker, it's not what you think. Although also used to describe a person who runs naked in public (I can't help but think of Will Ferrell in Old School), the word streaker is also used to describe a certain type of runner: one who runs seven days of the week, without missing a single day. Jennifer recently declared, "[I] run, work out every day. I do a lot of running — exercise is so important." It's unclear though if she runs every day, but if she does, Jen is a streaker.

As of today, Mark Covert of Lancaster, CA, holds the longest running streak, running at least one mile every day since July 23, 1968. He explained to the Washington Post,

"I've trained through illness and injury, run plenty of times when I shouldn't have. I ran on the days my parents passed away and I've run when every one of my four kids was born. I still look forward to running every day, although the trees go by more slowly now."

I'm by no means advocating that you become a streaker of either sort. While I agree that moderate physical activity every day is good for your body and your mind, doing the same type of activity, whether it be running, biking, swimming, or whatever, isn't a good idea for your muscles or joints. Constantly using the same parts of your body in the same way could be your first class ticket to a repetitive stress injury. Not only will that end your streak, but it could put exercise on hold completely. If working out every single day feels good to you, go for it. Just be sure to incorporate different types of exercise that work all the parts of your body. You'll not only prevent injury, but you'll also become stronger overall.

If you run or hike, chances are high that you're familiar with shin splints. These micro tears in the lower leg muscle that attaches to the tibia (shin bone) most often occur from overuse — when you push yourself too hard, too soon. A calf muscle that's stronger than the muscles on the front of your shin makes you prone to this injury too.

We recently wrote that Jennifer Aniston pumps up the incline to maximize her treadmill time. The post prompted a reader to ask: "At what point or incline does this cause shin splints?"

Learn the answer when you read more

I've officially said goodbye to my treadmill for the season and have been loving bringing my runs outside. My shins, on the other hand, have not been too psyched. I've been experiencing this shooting pain in my right shin when I run on the roads in my neighborhood. I assumed it was shin splints, since I've experienced them before in the Spring, but since I was only feeling it on one leg, a marathoner friend of mine suggested I see a doctor to rule out a stress fracture.

I freaked out a little, worried that I'd have to sideline my runs for a while, so I saw my doctor and learned the difference between the two running injuries. To find out if the pain you're experiencing is shin splints or a more severe injury, a stress fracture, read more

If you're a runner, even just casually, this story may be familiar. After a few weeks of running, usually outdoors, maybe with a few hills, you start to feel a sharp pain on the outside of your knee. The weirdest part: it happens when you're running downhill, and walking down stairs. You may also experience pain radiating the length of your IT band all the way up to your hip. After a visit to my doctor he quickly diagnosed me with Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITB for short), a common but painful running injury. It happens often to new runners or those who, like me, increase mileage too quickly.

After many visits to a physical therapist, I found the following tips to be especially helpful in treating and preventing ITB Syndrome:

• Stretch. The first thing he asked me was how much I was warming up before running. Thinking back on my early morning runs where I'd hustle to fit in my five miles before work, the answer is: not nearly enough. He advised me to thoroughly stretch my calf muscles and hips before starting a long run to improve my stride.
• Replace worn-out running shoes. You should replace shoes every 350 to 500 miles. If you're running 20 miles a week, that's every four to five months. Running in worn-out sneaks can cause poor form, leading to problems with your IT band.

Even how you sit at your desk can affect your IT band, to learn why read more