Women's Running Magazine

Dr. John Gross offers straightforward advice to help treat and prevent the most common women’s running injuries.

Based on your experience, what are the most common running-related injuries women face? Are there injuries women are more prone to than men?

The most common running injuries in women aren’t so different than those found in men. The only difference is the incidences of them are somewhat higher in women. The top three running injuries in women are knee tendonitis, otherwise known as runner’s knee, iliotibial band (IT band) syndrome and shin splints, which, if untreated, will progress to stress fractures.

How three ordinary women became runner s and lost nearly 300 pounds.

Jen Arruda sat beside her newborn son watching him struggle to breathe. She visited him in the neonatal intensive care unit every day, all day. Born six weeks premature, Zakary had taken only a handful of normal breaths before his underdeveloped lungs had  collapsed. He had stopped breathing once earlier that day, twice the night before. Arruda obsessed over one thought—I did this to him.

Whether you seek strength training or rejuvenation, escape from the daily grind with these five women-only retreats.

Halfway through a group run on a winding Rocky Mountain National Park trail, I wondered, when was the last time I had an entire week all to myself? One week to get away from the daily grind, where I could really focus on me. One week to meet other likeminded women—to sweat, laugh and even cry together. It seemed like such a luxury, and yet there I was, a participant at Active at Altitude’s Women’s Running and Conditioning camp—my first week “just for me” in nearly 20 years. No matter what your running goals, there’s a retreat out there for you. It all begins with your intention. Take that first step, and you may find yourself running at one of these five fabulous retreats.