Learn how Dries, a marathon runner, overcame jumper’s knee with OnTracx. Discover how tracking muscle and bone load helped him train smarter, prevent injuries, and safely prepare for his next marathon.
Marathon training & jumper’s knee: a common challenge
Dries, a general practitioner (GP, doctor) and passionate runner, set out to conquer his first marathon. With a solid training plan, he completed the Barcelona marathon in March. Energized by the experience, he added the Amsterdam marathon to his calendar just months later. But pushing his limits led to knee pain and, eventually, a diagnosis of patellar tendinopathy — jumper’s knee.
The turning point: from injury to insight
Determined to recover and prevent future injuries, Dries took charge of his rehab. He used OnTracx, a sensor that tracks muscle and bone load during runs. By understanding how factors like speed, surface, and technique affect his load, Dries safely returned to running and aimed for a sustainable 10-15 km goal.
Smarter training with OnTracx
OnTracx provides real-time and cumulative load data, allowing Dries to:
Track progress: Monitor weekly load progression to stay in the safe zone.
Adapt smarter: See how variables like terrain and pace impact load.
Prevent injury: Gradually increase load capacity with insights tailored to his body.
After every run, he reviews the total load of his workout in the OnTracx app. Weekly load progression charts help Dries and his physiotherapist monitor his progress and ensure he’s gradually building up while staying in the safe zone.
This approach allows Dries to make informed decisions about his recovery and training, reducing the risk of re-injury.
OnTracx shows the load progression over several weeks. Each block is a single run.
Safely increase running load using the safe progression rate
Dries and his physiotherapist rely on the Load Profile in the OnTracx app to guide his recovery. Their shared goal is to gradually increase Dries’ weekly running load while keeping load progress below 120% to prevent re-injury.
After every run, Dries logs his comfort and pain levels in the app. This data, combined with his cumulative load metrics, adds valuable context that helps him and his physiotherapist understand his load capacity. They can track how much stress his body can handle and make adjustments to avoid crossing the line into injury risk.
Safe progression rates are highly individual, depending on factors like injury history, previous running impact, experience level, current pain & trend, BMI, age, and more. OnTracx helps tailor these adjustments for a personalized approach.
See your load profile in the OnTracx app
Understanding how terrain affects running load
Dries also discovered how terrain impacts his running load. On his first runs, he noticed that obstacles like bridges or viaducts significantly increased the load on his muscles and bones, reducing the distance he could run without overloading his body.
Curious to learn more, Dries began experimenting with different surfaces. He found that while soft surfaces like grass or dirt trails help some runners reduce load, others may actually experience an increase in load due to changes in running dynamics. These individual differences underscore the importance of measuring running load during every run to make personalized adjustments.
With OnTracx’s insights, Dries learned to tailor his routes and terrain choices to safely optimize his training.
Beyond the 10% rule for preventing running injuries
Traditional methods like the 10% rule don’t address the complexity of running injuries. Instead of relying solely on his training plan like he used to, Dries now combines performance-focused training with load data from OnTracx. This helps him make informed decisions about managing his load progression, and improving his fitness while actively reducing his risk of injury.
“OnTracx lets me plan beyond the 10% rule. I can push my limits while staying within safe zones, ensuring my training time is as effective as possible.”
Ambitious as Dries is, he already envisions ways to make his training more effective in the future by avoiding the risk of injury. He plans to not only consider training load like heart rate, but also incorporate the load on muscles and bones as a key metric in his training plan.
“While I already noticed that a tempo run puts significantly more load on my body than an equally long endurance run, I previously could not quantify this load. OnTracx allows me to do so. I can now plan training beyond the famous “10% method”.
Empowering runners and professionals
OnTracx isn’t just for runners like Dries:
For those recovering: Safely build resilience after an injury like jumper’s knee.
For those becoming more active: Avoid doing too much, too soon, while gaining strength.
For healthcare professionals: Guide patients with precise data to create safer activity plans and recovery strategies.
While Dries is using OnTracx to safely increase his running volume, he’d love to see his patients using OnTracx too:
“I truly believe many of my patients would benefit from using OnTracx. Inactive people can already experience discomfort when starting to walk more often. If they would use OnTracx, we could better guide them in slowly becoming more active. We could even advise them on which orthotic insole or shoe-type would be best for them, using OnTracx’s real-time load feedback.
With this example, Dries shows that OnTracx helps to stay in the safe zone by balancing between doing too much and doing too little. Both should be prevented, because doing too little over time lowers your load capacity, increasing the risk of injury. Eventually, even daily activities can lead to overload injuries. OnTracx encourages people to stay active, gradually building resilience to prevent these risks.
Dries proves that understanding your running load is key to injury-free training and how OnTracx can support a safer increase in training volume during & after injury rehabilitation. Whether you're recovering, starting out, or leveling up, OnTracx helps you stay safe & in control.
We hope Dries’ story inspired you to start managing your own running load for a future of injury-free running.
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