Training Load Is More Than Weekly Mileage

Weekly mileage provides an incomplete picture of training load, often masking critical factors that contribute to injury. A comprehensive assessment must distinguish between external load—the actual work performed—and internal load, which reflects the athlete's physiological response. Accurate injury analysis requires examining seven key variables: frequency, density, duration, intensity, elevation, terrain, and racing history. Rather than relying on a single "guilty number," coaches and clinicians should establish a timeline starting from the initial onset of symptoms, looking back four to six weeks to identify patterns like sudden spikes or lack of recovery. Because training capacity is dynamic and influenced by life stress, sleep, and previous injuries, evaluating load requires placing training data within the broader clinical context of the individual runner’s current state and history.