I coach a high school athlete who is getting ready for the state championships. She is very talented and has had an excellent year until this spring season. She has been plagued by extremely tight and sore muscles, mostly her hamstrings and quads. They are sore to the touch. She's tried ice baths, massage, stretching, etc.
She had to take some time off after indoors in order to let her feet heal, which had also been causing her problems. She runs the 800 and can get through 600 meters looking fine, but you can see the instant she tightens up, and it's as if her body shuts down. She also complains about her arms hurting and becoming sore, and calves/other muscles as well. This was not a problem during xc/indoor, and she ran very well in both. I don't know if this is just a very long year for her and all of the hard work is catching up. I don't think this is mental, as she is ready to run each week and is not burned out, but is getting frustrated at not being able to race to her potential. Any serious thoughts?