Running 6 miles/day and ITBS pain

prjoy98 · October 2012

I recently upped my miles and have been feeling what I believe is ITBS pain. :frown:
Any recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated as I am training for a 13.1 in April!!

donkraft · October 2012

You probably already know the answer but dont want to hear it. You have to bring your mileage down. 6 miles a day is alot and quite impressive. I would talk to a running coach about it but I would run short runs with a long run every couple days. And take more rest days and the itb stretches. Good luck on the half!

iluvprettyshoes · October 2012

I agree, lessen your mileage with one or two long runs per week.

For the pain you can get a foam roller - it helps a lot. If you google foam roller you'll find it. It looks like a swimming noodle that you can roll out your hips on.

BrianSharpe · October 2012

I feel your pain, I missed 6 weeks of running last year due to ITBS.

How many days per week are you running? How long have you been running?

You probably need to dial back the distances a bit and make sure you're running on alternate days (I have a half coming up in January and I run Tues, Thurs, Sat & LSD on Sunday)

Stretch & get a foam roller (if the pain persists think about seeing a sports massage therapist - you feel like you were hit by a truck after a session but it sure helped me)

http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099

and work on strengthening your hips

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/running/strengthening-beats-stretching-when-it-comes-to-this-common-running-injury/article4365074/

Good luck & get healthy!

sunnygirl19 · October 2012

Stretch & get a foam roller (if the pain persists think about seeing a sports massage therapist - you feel like you were hit by a truck after a session but it sure helped me)

Thats the best advice if the foam foller doesnt work. A Physiotherapist can do wonders and often pushes past the point where it hurts and you wouldn't inflict this on yourself (sounds worse than it is).

I have had issues with both ITBS Bands, for some reason they just remain tight. Good luck!!

wolfgate · October 2012

Short term. Foam roller. ITB stretches. You can find them on an internet search. An ITB strap may serve as a band-aid to get you through the training. They do help. You will need to stop when the pain starts until you get through the acute phase. Pushing through just increases the inflammation and makes the problem progressively worse (only reason I'm suggesting the strap is to hopefully allow longer running before it flares up).

Longer term - figure out root cause. It may be simply too tight an ITB, but if stretching and a bit of rest don't resolve the issue, often there are other root causes. Overpronation, poor form etc. can contribute. Just a sample of one, but my ITB acted up several years ago - invariably around the 4 mile mark. I knew it wasn't overuse as I had made no changes to training in a while. Turned out my go-to shoe had changed slightly when the latest model came out and it didn't control my pronation well enough. Fixed that and I was instantly able to do 15 mile runs with no pain.

macdiver · October 2012

How fast did you ramp up your milage? I know several people who run more that 6 miles a day 5 to 6 days a week with out a problem. They built up to these levels over years though.

Occasionally my ITB will cause knee or hip pain and I have found that taking time off and rolling helps.

mnstrpc · October 2012

I feel your pain, I missed 6 weeks of running last year due to ITBS.

How many days per week are you running? How long have you been running?

You probably need to dial back the distances a bit and make sure you're running on alternate days (I have a half coming up in January and I run Tues, Thurs, Sat & LSD on Sunday)

Stretch & get a foam roller (if the pain persists think about seeing a sports massage therapist - you feel like you were hit by a truck after a session but it sure helped me)

http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099

and work on strengthening your hips

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/running/strengthening-beats-stretching-when-it-comes-to-this-common-running-injury/article4365074/

Good luck & get healthy!

Agreed with this and also ultimately checking out your form/stride/pronation to see if there is a root cause.

I am doing my first half marathon this Saturday (wheeee!) and run 5 days per week, but only do one long run per week. The rest are generally between 3-4 miles. Of course it's up to you and there are runners who do that kind of mileage, but it isn't necessary to run 6 miles + every time you go out to train for a half.

Good luck & feel better!

stingrayinfl · October 2012

some very good advice on this thread

michelelash · October 2012

I feel your pain, I missed 6 weeks of running last year due to ITBS.

How many days per week are you running? How long have you been running?

You probably need to dial back the distances a bit and make sure you're running on alternate days (I have a half coming up in January and I run Tues, Thurs, Sat & LSD on Sunday)

Stretch & get a foam roller (if the pain persists think about seeing a sports massage therapist - you feel like you were hit by a truck after a session but it sure helped me)

http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6099

and work on strengthening your hips

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/running/strengthening-beats-stretching-when-it-comes-to-this-common-running-injury/article4365074/

Good luck & get healthy!

I triple support this. Ice it ever night to get the inflammation down. Stretch & foam rolling will help in the short-term. You need to work on leg & core strength overall. Especially glutes.

prjoy98 · October 2012

Thanks everyone for the advice!!!

I started running at the beginning of this year and built it up to 3-4 miles 5 or 6 times a week. When the weather started getting cooler I figured it was my time to up the miles so I've been alternating between the 6miles with 3-4 for the 5 or 6 days.
One of my friends just got told that she was suffering from "runner's knee" so needless to say I'm concerned over the pain. I am going to schedule an apt with an orthopedist just to make sure its nothing bad. I am also going to go to a runner's store so that they can analyze my stride and to make sure I am wearing the shoes I need to be wearing.

For now I'm sitting at home wanting to be outside!! :grumble:

ukulele2010 · October 2012

I have had similar issues in the past - my ITB is stable now - but I do take multiple preventative actions. I went to a physical therapist who crafted orthotics for me - my feet are funny... The orthotics, in my estimation, removed 80% of the pain I was experiencing. I also use a foam roller when I have some issues and I stretch my ITB most mornings. I notice that my ITB is tight when I can't touch my toes - when that happens I make sure I stretch my ITB.

Here are some stetches:
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/itband.html

juliec33 · October 2012

Stretching!!!! I also really suggest finding a good massage therapist. Foam rollers are great but sometimes your ITB is tight because other muscles are tight and your ITB is compensating. My ITB pain doesn't show up in my knees - it's in my lower back. Like another poster on here, it usuallly shows up when my hamstrings are really tight and I can't touch my toes. I make sure I stretch and get a massage as often as I can. I'm training for a half in December so while I'm upping my miles I try to go every two weeks. Gets a little expensive but if it keeps me from the Dr.s office then it's worth it :-)

Hope you find your solution soon. It sucks when you want to run but can't cause it hurts

Running 6 miles/day and ITBS pain

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