Runners are usually pretty durable athletes. When it comes to distance running, that resiliency tends to be even more crucial, especially throughout the long grind of a track or cross country season.

Most athletes are racing multiple times per week while logging additional miles training when they're not competing.

As with most anything else, it takes an appropriate balance of activity to make it through the year unscathed.

Regardless of one's skill or experience level, injuries happen, and are often unavoidable.

After turning in an impressive season last fall with the Northwestern cross country team, Carly Pierce looked primed to help the Lady Tigers dominate during the spring track and field season.

But Pierce's season never got started as the she dealt with Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) until the very end of the year.

"She only really participated in the final two meets of the season," said Northwestern track and field coach Dave Kerschner. "We used her as a decoy here and there early on when she was recovering from her injury and we had her do a few training runs during meets, but then she got sick and didn't run until the meet against Southern Lehigh and Bangor on April 24."

Pierce was as surprised as anyone when the injury flared up.

"I was fine during the preseason, but once we got to the first week (of meets) I started to have pain in my left knee," she said. "It started in about March and lasted into May."

It is one of the most common overuse injuries among runners. It occurs when the iliotibial band, the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin, is tight or inflamed. The IT band attaches to the knee and helps stabilize and move the joint.

When the IT band isn't working properly, movement of the knee (and, therefore, running) becomes painful. IT band pain can be severe enough to completely sideline a runner for weeks, or even longer.

"I had never even heard of it before," Pierce said. "But once I got a better understanding of what it was, I started to do certain stretches and other preventative things to make sure that it wouldn't happen again."

There's no denying that a healthy Pierce will go a long way toward helping the Northwestern cross country team continue its unprecedented run of success. The senior enjoyed a breakout season during the Lady Tigers' third straight 26-0 campaign in 2013, taking third in the Colonial League Championships, fourth in the Class AA District 11 meet and 20th in at the PIAA Championships in Hershey.

The success didn't go unnoticed, as Pierce was named a First Team Colonial League All Star for the second straight year.

After recovering from her injury, Pierce, who was named a captain this year, appears to once again be on top of her game, posting the fastest time among all girls in Northwestern's annual Two-Mile Time Trial just a few weeks ago.

"She's a key for us," said Northwestern cross country coach Chris Stitzel. "She had a really tough track season. But she's battled back and she has a really good head on her shoulders. I know how much she wants to come back and do well as a senior."

Individual aspirations aside, Pierce has kept her approach simple heading into this season.

"I'm just motivated to get better," she said. "And after medaling at states last year, I just want to keep pushing to get back there."

But Pierce is interested in more than just individual success this season, especially after Northwestern took fourth in the Class AA team standings in Hershey last fall.

"As long as the team does well, I'm happy," Pierce said. "We know we have a target on our back and we know what's on the line every week. But we're a close-knit group, and we don't really let that (undefeated streak) bother us. We all just want to keep this going as long as we can."