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The most common running injuries and how to avoid them How many times have you suffered or heard about them? Every athlete gets injured in one way or another, but.... what do they do when it happens? The most im- portant thing to keep in mind when faced with an unexpected injury is: deal with it, stay motivated, and don’t lose patience. Remember that perseverance will be your strength. These are the most common running injuries, how to avoid them and tips for an effective recovery. Runner’s knee Also known as ‘Tensor fascia lata syndrome’ or ‘iliotibial band’. Sud- den pain in the external face of the knee when we take a few minutes of race, sometimes like a whiplash if it is very irritated, and it leads us to think that it is of the own knee. However, everything comes from a small muscle of the hip that finishes in the tibia in form of tendon. ■ How to avoid it: Strengthen the quadriceps, adductors and abductors. When the quadriceps are exhausted, they are helped by other accessorymuscles that tigh- ten the weak parts: the insertions. ■ Rehabilitation: It tends to re- cur quite often because we think we are well before our time. Al- though it is not recommended to stop training, you should stop running until the inflammation process goes down (bike or elliptical are good substitutes). Go to the physiotherapist once a week, ice for 10 minutes twice a day, and do strength excer- cises, especially quadriceps. Always follow the advice of qua- lified trainers. “Goosefoot” tendinitis Pain that appears in the posterior and internal part of the knee, from the hamstring forward. This injury is due to the insertion of three mus- cles: semitendinosus, sartorius and gracilis. It is similar to the problem of the knee of the runner, since it is caused by having weak muscles in the legs and doing many kilometers. It does not prevent running, but it is quite annoying. It can also be due to a bad step with the inside of the foot (in valgus), or inefficient running technique. ■ How to avoid it: Strengthening the legs and especially the back of the thigh, along with running exercises, to balance our mus- culature and be more effective running. It is also important to do guided or assisted stretching after each workout. ■ Rehabilitation: Ice, physiothe- rapy, hamstring strengthening with isometric and eccentric exer- cises (consult a professional), and improved running technique. Patellar tendinitis The patellar tendon/ligament is one of the most important in the lower limb, being the insertion of the qua- driceps muscle (tendon) and acting as an anterior support for the knee (ligament). When we have an impor- tant running activity and the quadri- ceps is not strong enough, it usua- lly becomes inflamed and hurts like W E L L N E S S 40 W E L L N E S S