Cross country runners are always fighting two battles.

The first is with their minds that tell them they are too tired to run faster. The second is with their bodies that constantly threaten to act up and even break down under the constant strain running creates.

While the mental battle lasts only as long as the athlete is running, the physical one starts well before the workout and continues long after the workout is over.

The women’s cross country team understands the challenges its sport provides. From cold baths to oversized rubber bands to yoga, the Wildcats take several measures to stay healthy.

Yet they all have the same goal: stemming the damaging effects distance running can have on the body.

“I see a lot of overuse injuries from the repetitive pounding caused by running,” said Courtney Jones, a certified athletic trainer working with the team.

According to Jones and coach Amy Tush, some common injuries are shin splints, sore hamstrings, sprained ankles, stress fractures and inflamed IT bands, a muscle on the outer thigh.

Shin splits are the most prevalent and can have the most serious consequences. They occur when overuse causes irritation in tendons attached to the shin bone and brings on a faint, dull ache in the affected area, according to about.com.

Junior Casey Shea knows all about this injury. Shea, who has had shin splints on and off since April, is redshirting this season so she can fully recover.

“(The shin splints) flared up again this fall, so we thought it was better to let them heal – It was the best decision for the team and for me,” Shea said.

Even getting into bed and walking up and down stairs can cause shin splints to flare up and the pain to return, Shea said. But with all the injuries she’s experienced recently, the pain is nothing new for Shea.

In the last year and a half, she has dealt with a stress fracture, a common problem caused by shin splints, and a mild case of plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of tissue supporting the arch of the foot. Both are typical ailments that result from overuse.

In order to prevent her runners from falling victim to these types of injuries, Tush makes sure everyone stretches thoroughly. NU often performs a series of drills using a rope or an oversized rubber band to make sure muscles are loose and ready.

Tush even employs yoga sometimes to assist this process. She believes the activity’s dynamic nature helps get runners warmed up.

But no matter how carefully the team’s stretching and workouts are structured, Tush believes it really comes down to the individual to prevent injuries.

“You have to know when to say when,” Tush said. “Sometimes you have to back off. You have to know your body and know when to stop.”

Once a problem arises, it can be difficult to recover completely. Shea is going through extensive rehabilitation to try and get ready for next season.

She currently runs in a pool and lifts weights while taking it easy on her shins. Eventually, Shea will move on to cross training before she returns to distance workouts.

With the advancements made in training techniques, injuries are more easily prevented and treated.

“Training improves every year as people gain more knowledge,” Jones said. “We then use that knowledge to help (the runners) be more successful.”

And the runners are always looking for success, in running both faster and pain-free.

“It’s all about pushing yourself to the limit without getting hurt,” Shea said. “That’s how distance running is.”

Reach Andrew Simon at [email protected].