I apologize for not posting in a while.  To be honest, I’ve been really frustrated this past week about an injury situation that is threatening to derail my goals for 30 Minute Runner 2.0.

Trapezius Pain as a Running Injury?

If you’ve been following my prior posts, you know that I had originally scraped my plans during my original 30 Minute Runner experiment after I experienced some serious runner’s knee pain.

Well, the knee pain is much better after following the exercise prescriptions in the Runner’s Connect Strength Training Program. However, an old injury foe has decided to make its presence known in my training: trapezius pain caused (I think) my lack of scapular stability.

I have had trapezius pain off and on for about three years. It is certainly an odd injury for a runner to have…I am mean how much do runners really use their upper backs?

Nevertheless, about 20-30 minutes into my run, I get a stabbing pain in my upper trapezius that makes running super painful.

A Threat to the 30 Minute Runner 2.0 Experiment

I originally thought that I beat this injury a year ago my working on strengthening the trapezius muscle, but the pain is back.  Due to the pain, I wasn’t able to run my scheduled fartlek workout in the Run Faster program last week and had a super painful long run on Sunday.

Over the years I have invested a lot of thought into why my trapezius sometimes hurts so much during running.  I think the main culprit is my terrible posture when I’m working at my desk at work.

Whatever the cause, the injury really sucks.  One real downer is that many runners have experienced common running injuries such as runner’s knee, achilles tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis, but don’t have any problems with their upper backs.

Therefore, it is really hard to get good solid advice on the best way to treat this injury. I have an appointment scheduled with a physical therapist next week and am crossing my fingers that she will be able to help me continue with the 30 Minute Runner 2.0 experiment.

Stay tuned!

Photo courtesy of Galex

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If you haven’t been following the saga of my battle with runners knee, here is a brief recap.

Last month, I decided to see whether I could run a decent 5k on only 30 minutes of running per day.  My plan was to use high intensity interval training, including the 10-20-30 workout, to maximize my fitness gains.

However, I made a huge mistake of jumping right into full 10-20-30 workouts without getting my body used to speed workouts.  I was fine for the first few workouts sessions, but I soon developed a bad case of runners knee – in my case, pain in the inner knee next to the patella.

Like so many runners, I stupidly ignored the pain and pressed on with my training.  Of course, that only made things worse and I was forced to take some days off and look for ways to treat the injury.

My Initial Runners Knee Treatment Plan

My first idea on how to treat my runners knee pain was to do some strength training to build up my inner quad muscle – also known as the “VMO” muscle. Many running web sites refer to a weak VMO muscle as a key cause of knee pain.

After two weeks, I can report that the VMO strengthening exercises are helping to an extent, but the improvement is very gradual. I also tried to mix in some squatting exercises to strengthen the entire quad muscle, however, I’m just not seeing rapid improvement.

“Frustrated” does not even begin to describe my emotions.

I think many injured runners have given up in my current stage.  There is a common pattern: A runner gets excited adding mileage or additional speed work to his or her training program. The runner then does far too much intensity too soon and develops knee pain from overuse.

The runner may try to few things to treat the injury (i.e. ice, strength training, etc.), but when those things do not provide immediate relief, the runner gives up running for a while.  All prior fitness is lost.

Well, I’m breaking that pattern. I’m not giving up!

My New Runners Knee Treatment Plan – RunnersConnect Strength Training

I have decided to stop watching random knee exercise videos on YouTube and aimlessly searching the web for treatment advice.  Instead, I am making a commitment to use the RunnersConnect.net Strength Training Program.

I have heard a lot of great things about the RunnersConnect Program and actually competed in races against the creator of the program, Coach Jeff Gaudette, when I was a college runner (yes, he beat me every time we raced).  He is a great guy who knows his stuff.

The RunnersConnect Strength Training Program is a comprehensive program for the entire body designed to treat and prevent running injuries. It includes information on speed and form drills, plyometrics, core work, lower leg strengthening and so much more.

To attack my runners knee pain, I’m going to focus on the hip strength routine known as Bia (named after the Ancient Greek Goddess of Force). Based on information I have learned from Coach Jeff and other sources, I really think that my weak hips are the primary cause of my knee pain.

The Bia routine includes 10 different exercises all designed to improve hip mobility and strength.  The workouts only take about 5-10 minutes to complete, but they are intense.

I completed the Bia hip exercises for the first time today and my lack of hip mobility is really eye-opening.  The Bia routine comes with a video in which Jeff and another runner demonstrate the exercises, but my mobility does not come close to matching the mobility of those guys.

Obviously, I have a long way to go.

Follow me on my journey to treat and cure runners knee and get back to my 30 Minute Runner experiment. If you also are battling knee pain, get the RunnersConnect Strength Training Program and do the workouts with me. I’d love to have company and bounce ideas off others.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about whether the Program is right for you.

* Please note that I do earn a small commission if you purchase RunnersConnect Program through the link above. I really appreciate your support of The Runner’s Resource – it helps keep the site going!

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The most amazing thing about the achilles tendon is its strength. The tendon is built to withstand over seven times a person’s body weight when running.

The ability of the achilles to absorb this tremendous weight on every step allows runners to push off on their toes and propel themselves forward. The achilles tendon greatly increases the ability of humans to run at top speeds.

In his excellent book, Born to Run, Chris McDougall explains the importance of the achilles tendon not only in everyday running, but in the evolution of the human race. The fossil evidence shows that achilles tendons first began to appear in human ancestors relatively late in the evolutionary time period.

The appearance of the achilles tendon may have given our ancestors an advantage over other hominids, such as neanderthals. The fossil record suggests that neandertals had a shorter achilles tendon, which may have given their competitors, the predesessors to modern-day humans, a distinct advantage in the fight for the survival of species.

The strength of the achilles tendon lies in its elasticity. Unlike the rigidity of bones and most muscles, tendons are analogous to rubber bands in way that they store and return energy. As the tendon stretches, it stores energy that is returned when leg swings back during a running stride. The spring-like, recoil effect of the achilles tendon after it is stretched allows humans to run far while saving energy. The tendon makes humans one of the most energy-efficient running creatures on the planet.

The bottom line to all of this is that the achilles tendon is a remarkable product of evolution that allows humans to run fast and efficiently. If evolution never provided us with the achilles tendon, it is likely that we would be similar to the chimp, which has no achilles tendon and, as a result, is not able to run far distances. So the next time you are cursing your achilles for the pain you are experiencing during the latest injury, keep in mind that without that tendon, humans would not be able to run to far at all.

Photo courtesy of Paul Foot

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Health Factors

Perhaps the most obvious risk factor for running injuries is a history of past injuries. Study after study have found that runners who have suffered an injury in a specific location are at a greater risk to have a future injury in that location. This is especially true for lower extremity injuries (achilles, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, etc.).

It is difficult to know why lower leg injuries re-occur so often in runners. One reason might be because many runners do not understand the need to address muscular imbalances in the lower leg. Committing to an routine that includes such exercises as calf and toe raises, walking on your toes, and walking on your heels can help develop your stability muscles and cut down on the risk of shin, achilles, and other injuries.

One intriguing finding was that runners who had past knee injuries decreased their chances of future knee injuries by increasing their training mileage. The knee was the only part of the body that had less injuries as the weekly mileage increased. One explanation is that running more miles increases the muscles of the knee, which helps prevent knee pain.

Lifestyle Factors

In an interesting finding, the study’s authors discovered that drinking alcohol put runners at risk of incurring blisters and front thigh injuries. Additionally, runners who participated in cycling and gym aerobics had a higher rate of front thigh and hamstring. This is probably related to muscle imbalances caused by these activities, which can strengthen the hamstrings or the quadriceps, but not both muscles. Runners who participate in a lot of cycling, aerobics, or other cross training should make sure that those activities are not creating muscle imbalances.

Conclusion

The main takeaway from this two part series should be that there are definite risk factors for running injuries. Runners that have these factors should pay careful attention to injury prevention: greater age, lower leg length difference, greater height in male runners, drinking alcohol, participation in cycling and aerobics, and a history of past injuries. There was also evidence of increased injuries for: greater training distance per week in male runners (but not knee injuries), participation in races of greater distances, and running on concrete surfaces.

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A recent study analyzed a number of other studies on running injuries and divided risk factors into four categories: (1) systemic factors, (2) running-related factors, (3) health factors, and (4) lifestyle factors. In this post, I will cover the first two categories. Check back later for part 2 of this article.

Systemic Factors

Systemic factors are the toughest for runners to overcome because they can not be changed. For example, the study found that greater age was associated with front thigh injuries and that female runners were at greater risk of developing hip injuries.

Additionally, runners with leg length differences have a higher rate of lower leg problems and taller male runners had a greater risk of new injuries.

Although a runner can not do much to change his/her height or gender, it is important to understand and take preventative measures against these risk factors. For example, female runners should carefully stretch and strengthen the hip muscles. All runners with a history of injuries should determine whether they have a leg length difference and insert a heel lift if needed.

Running-Related Factors

Running more miles per week will get into better shape, but it also puts you at a greater risk of injury. Specifically, the rate of injuries increases when runners run more than 40 miles per week or more. Additionally, running longer races (i.e. half marathon or marathon) increases the risk of injuries.

The study found that female runners who train on concrete have a higher rate of injuries, but there is no increased risk of injuries from running on hilly terrain, running in the dark, or running in the morning. Also notable was that the pace of training runs was not a significant factor for running injuries. However, running too fast on daily runs can lead to over-training problems, include fatigue.

Please check back later for a discussion of the health factors and lifestyle factors that can contribute to running injuries.

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