Cross Training As A Runner

Avoiding the Injury Bug

Tendonitis, Hip Bursitis, IT Band Syndrome, Gluteal Tendinopathy, Hip Flexor Tendinopathy, the list just keeps on going. I’ve had it all, and chances are you may catch the injury bug too.

But wait anon, there’s good news ahead!

All of the issues I’ve listed above stem from the same root problem(s):

1. Not being strong enough.

   1. I know what a lot of you readers are thinking, “I am strong! I workout 4x a week and can squat 3XX!”

   2. While that may make you strong from a numbers perspective, running requires a different type of strength; new muscles and tendons you’ve never heard of are going to be stressed to their limits.

2. Overuse injury (without knowing it).

   1. This is a common problem for new runners, as you scale up in miles you feel amazing about the new achievements you are hitting every week and you *don’t* scale back.

   2. The adrenaline is coursing through your veins, you’re layering on the new miles every week, without pulling back and resetting. Your soft tissue is sore but you watched a David Goggin’s Instagram story so you keep on pushing.

   3. Running on soft tissue that is in the middle of rebuilding is akin to small cracks forming in a dam. You can’t feel or see the immediate affects, but they are *going* to break.

I’ve been plagued and recovered from these various tendinopathies in my leg over the years, but most importantly, I’m now able avoid them.

Let’s dive in!