Dear Coach
I enjoyed reading your article on weight lifting in the Nov- Dec issue of Washington Running Report. I have a question. I just started running competitively this year and have done several small races and one half marathon. Two weeks ago I developed severe knee pain that some of my running friends tell me is Iliotibial Band Fraction Syndrome (ITBS). I am training for my first marathon and have only sixteen weeks to prepare. Can I overcome this injury and run the marathon?
Clay

Dear Clay
If you have ITBS, there are some stretches you can do to that may alleviate the pain associated with this injury. However, I can tell you from personal experience that rest is the only real way to cure ITBS. I tried too many years ago (1978) to run through it and it only got worse to the point where I was in pain all the time. Moreover, you should get medical advice rather than relying on your running friends who may have just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

I strongly urge you to see either a sports medicine podiatrist or a sports orthopedist. The podiatrist can tell you whether the injury is caused by a foot imbalance that could be corrected by inserts or custom orthotics. The sports orthopedist can fill in the gaps from the podiatrist and determine whether there are structural issues causing this injury. In either case, early prevention may allow you to run the marathon assuming you get medical clearance.

Dear Coach
I have just developed shin splints for the first time in my life. I am a long-time runner who has recently taken up cycling to complement my running. I am running in the same model of shoes that I have used for the past few years. The only difference in training is now that it is cold I am doing two cycling workouts a week in addition to running three days a week. I have to set my indoor cycle at a pretty high resistance to approximate my running effort. Do you have any ideas what is causing these shin splints?
Dave.

Dear Dave
Having reviewed your long history of running, the only thing you have done differently is the cycling at a high resistance level. You have had your shoes checked out at your local running shoe store and there are no defects. I suggest that you try to lessen the resistance on the bike as the heavy resistance may be causing the shin splints. (Coach's note--Dave told me that the shin splints disappeared within two weeks once he lowered the resistance on the bike.)

Dear Coach
I am a new runner but am afraid to run outdoors during the winter because I have been told the cold air can damage my lungs.
Amy

Dear Amy
The cold air will not hurt you or your lungs as long as you dress appropriately. The air will be warm by the time it enters your lungs. More than twenty years ago, I lived in Chicago and in order to maintain a daily running streak, I ran outside a number of times during the brutal winter of 1981-82 where some of my runs occurred during wind chills of -50 and -60.

Washington, DC winters are not nearly as challenging. Your greater danger in cold weather is frostbite and ice. I recommend that runners wear layers of high-tech clothing and make sure that their head, hands, and feet are adequately protected since those parts of the body are most vulnerable to frostbite (Men, you have a special issue that can be resolved with a jock strap or extra pair of briefs). I also recommend trying to run with a partner in the event you might fall on icy roads. Personally, I would much rather run outdoors in very cold weather than put up with the boredom and monotony associated with treadmill running.

Kirt West is a private coach for motivated adult runners. Questions may be sent to him at kirtwest@comcast.net.