Injuries in trail and ultramarathon running can put a damper on the stoke, and unfortunately are common to find. Most runners suffer some kind of injury every year. With every mile, our muscles are breaking down while hopefully on their way to getting stronger. Sometimes, they break down too much though, and lead to one of the injuries discussed below.

In this article we will cover the causes, symptoms, and common fixes to the following:

Runners Knee

Illiotibial Band Syndrome

Achille’s Tendinitis

Plantar’s Fasciitis

Shin Splints

Avulsion Fractures

Stress Fractures

Patellar Tendinitis

Sunburn

Overtraining Syndrome

Blisters

Chafing

Runner’s Knee

This injury is so common that it was named after us. In more scientific terms, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is an overuse injury that is a result of repeated impact on the knee joint that comes from hard surfaces like asphalt (especially “crowned” roads), long downhills, or having a major muscle group in your legs stronger than its opposite group, such as quadriceps vs hamstrings. A common symptom is pain on the front of the knee, especially under or behind the kneecap (whereas pain to the side of the kneecap may be ITBS, listed below).

PFPS may be a “slow burn”, meaning you have experienced pain getting worse over time. A reason for this may be the gradual breakdown of the cartilage in your joints, specifically in the knee. The pain may feel like it radiates from an epicenter, vs. having a specific sharp pain point. Often, an uphill grade tends to cause more irritation with this injury than would a downhill grade, but either may induce pain.

Cutting back on milage, or switching to a low impact activity like cycling, mountain biking, or swimming for a couple of weeks is a pretty common fix. A light dosage of anti-inflammatory medicine and gently stretching your major leg muscle groups is a good addition as well.

Illiotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)

The Illiotibial Band is a huge tendon that wraps from your outer glutes/hips to the knee. When you touch your outer thigh, you are touching the IT band. Though it is a tendon, it can still become inflamed or irritated, as can the muscle structures beneath it. This happens as a result of the band moving back and forth across muscles and the bone structures beneath. Irritation is increased if you are running on a sloped road, or a surface the repeatedly causes one footstep or hip to be higher than the other.

ITBS is typically felt on the outside lower area of the knee. It is common to care for by resting, alternating low-impact activities, icing. Also, stretching and strengthening the legs, hips, and lower back can help with prevention.



Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles Tendon in the grouping of tissues that connects your heel to your gastrocnemius - or calf - muscles. A common cause for inflammation is a rapid increase in hills, rapid increase in volume, or an increase in speed work. Switching shoes could also lead to inflammation, especially if the heel-to-toe drop of your shoes changed since the last model that you wore.

Symptoms are stiffness or a pulling feeling on the back of your ankle or in your calves.

Though this is felt primarily in the Achilles Tendon and calves, it can be a result of stiffness in many muscle groups. Rolling and stretching across all the major leg muscles groups can help to loosen your muscles all round. Otherwise, gently stretch the calves, ice the affected area, and reduce volume or rest completely.

Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia is commonly referred to as the arch - that tissue across the bottom of your foot. Flex that muscle too much (or not enough) and you can wind up with overused (or too weak) of plantar fascia. If you wake up and the first steps out of bed feel like your muscles are tearing away from themselves, but then the pain eases as you get moving, that is a pretty good indicator that you’ve got PF going on.

This can be a tricky one to get rid of, but it can be done!