Your repeat knee niggle injury is NOT a sign of your failure.

We’re coming in hot this week, running fit fam.

We’re in the middle of fall race reason and Instagram is chock FULL of medal-Monday pictures.

(which, congrats if you raced!!…yes this newsletter still applies to you).

Because running niggles happen. During a mileage build, a training cycle, the “Everything is injured” of taper time,…even post race, especially after marathons.

But I need you to remember: repeat or reoccurring running injuries are NOT signs you’ve failed or that you’re a “bad” runner.

The reason I’m bringing this up now:

Mileage is peaking right now and/or race day is right around the corner. And I wanted to shoot you a reminder that if your knee is or as been niggling,…

this is actually incredibly common. Especially for my female runners.

Patellofemoral knee pain (or vague front of knee pain) is as butt. And it has 50-80% reoccurance rate.

(dont panic: I’m one of these statistics and my R leg is still attached to my body).

I’m telling you this so that if you found during this training cycle, as you were increasing mileage, or training more hills/greater elevation…and as a result, running more downhill,

a vague knee pain was moving around the center-middle of your knee cap or all around it: you’re NOT crazy.

I know some runner’s goals can be a drama free, injury-free training cycle or race. And I want that for you.

But I dont want you to blame yourself or think that a training cycle blew up because of a repeat knee pain that you can’t quite figure out.

Because the internet will tell you:

• strengthen your VMO!
• it’s because your glutes are week!
• -better do some clamshells to strengthen your hips!

**imagine me doing a massive eye roll**

Let me help.

I did the deep dive into patellar femoral knee pain recently.

• I put together a circuit of my favorite knee strengthening exercises that I use whenever my own right knee pain tries to crash my long run at the 10 mile mark.
• I also included 2 ways to modify your treadmill incline to keep you running when your knee is spicy.

Because I understand an issue that keeps coming back, that never feels under control or fully resolved, can almost leave you wondering “should I even bother training again?”

1. you can do it.
2. you just need the right tools to help you do it.

So let’s head over together and until next time running fit fam,

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. Patellofemoral pain (front of knee pain) can be long run stopper. Until you have the right exercises. Let me show you what I use as a physical therapist who has a drama queen for a right knee.

Looking for MORE ways to work together?

• ​RUNNING RESCUE CALL: Save your run and your race. Work directly with me 1-on-1 at the first sign of an ache, niggle, or repeat running injury. We'll deep dive into the why behind your injury and create a personalized exercise program that gets you out of pain, keeps you running, and helps prepare you for race day!
• Grab my NEWEST FREE Strength resources for runners: The Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit, made for marathoners sidelined by stiff, painful achilles and tight, injury-prone calves who want to protect their training cycle and show up to the starting line strong, pain-free, and ready to race.
• ​STRONGER FEET WORKSHOP: Losing the battle to plantar fasciitis, posterior tib pain, or reoccurring Achilles tendonitis? Not with this workshop ;)

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© 2020- 2025 All Rights Reserved. You are receiving this message because you purchased a product from @dr.whitt.fit and/or signed up to receive content. This message is for informational purposes only and does not create a health care provider-patient relationship between you and Marie Whitt, and nothing you receive or view from Marie Whitt or @dr.whitt.fit, should be construed as medical advice.