Today as I was going about my daily habit of reading various fitness blogs, I stumbled upon the following blog, Quadrathon. The blog is written by an endurance athlete who talks about their training. What caught my attention was a recent post about an injury that the author has sustained:
I had a long consult with my Physical Therapist on Monday; essentially I have; through running with insufficient cross training, unbalanced my quadriceps with my hamstrings. My IT Band is so tight it is pulling my kneecap off alignment by about 40 degrees. The good new is that all is not lost. Initial treatment consists of ultra-sounding the afflicted areas and a series of stretches that I have to run through three times a day, this I have been told will be followed by strength training.
As an avid runner, I can tell you that finding out that you won’t be allowed to run for a very long time is devastating news. Though that sucks for the author, it reinforces what I have mentioned in previous posts. Stretching and resistance training are crucial components for any athletes (including endurance athletes). The body takes a beating when it’s being pushed past its comfort zone, so it’s necessary to properly take care of it. Resistance training is vital to keep it strong and stretching keeps it flexible (lack of flexibility leads to overtightness and injury).
Unfortunately, there is a misconception about strength training. There is the belief that it is only useful for bulking up. That is not the case. Resistance training and stretching are both necessary to achieve a proper level of fitness which would allow the body to perform better with little risk of injury. It is dissappointing to hear about people such as Quadrathon sustaining injuries which they could have prevented. However, it serves as a warning to others.
