My 13 year old girl runs 7 - 8 miles a day. Is there a danger of growth plate damage? She is a distance runner in school. She is not complaining of any discomfort. Is there always pain associated with this sort of injury?

Mick Grant & John Molvar

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There is pain and discomfort with most injuries, but specific medical questions should be answered by a doctor. As far as risk factors, 50-60 miles a week for a 13 year old is very high. Clearly, you want to keep a close eye on her. Hopefully, she has built up gradually to this level of training. A body can takea certain amount of stress, so you want to manage how much stress she is taking. For example, 50 miles of jogging would typically be less stressful than 50 miles which included 2 track workouts and 2 races.
Another thing I'd suggest is monitoring her monthly cycle.This is important for long term health. Keep long term development in mind when planning her training.
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