You have been there before: You’re feeling good about your new running habit, getting excited about perfect weather days, maybe eyeing your first race , and bam! What is that pain? Although runners are known to suffer from a host of injuries, experts note that two rise to the top for beginner runners.

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Runner’s World spoke with a physical therapist, a sports physiatrist, and an exercise physiologist (who’s also a run coach) to discuss the two most common injuries in beginner runners .

They agree that bone stress injuries and patellofemoral pain ( runner’s knee ) top the list. Here’s how you can train your best and stay many steps ahead of injury.

What is a bone stress injury?

Perhaps the most common injury in beginner runners is a bone stress injury , which can range from a minor ache to a full-blown fracture, if left untreated.…