Running....

[JamesMcBee]

hey everybody,

i have started running again...miracle...but my knees are hurting pretty good. any ideas on how to alleviate to problem. I started slow...as in not running fast, basically a quick walk, finish, stretch. a couple of weeks later and now i am to a decent jog, but now my knees are saying wtf. any advice?

thanks

[CamoNinja]

New shoes maybe

[Loot]

Shoes were my first thought as well. A good pair of shoes could be your best friend. I assume you are running outdoors. Choosing a different trail/surface may help a lot too, even if only temporarily. People underestimate the effect of the running surface.

[JamesMcBee]

lol
the reason i starting running was becuase i did buy new shoes... the new nike plus with the ipod thing-a-majig. i figured, if im going to drop a mint on shoes and a receiver set, i should damn use the shoes. so i doubt its the shoes. as for running on surfaces, i usually run on an indoor track at the gym on base.

i think it could have been a bad treadmill that i was on this past weekend. i stayed at a hotel with the wife in boston and they had a treadmill that wasn't the greatest. could that be it?

is there any other preventative measures i can do? like take multivitamins? take calcium?

thanks

james-

[Loot]

looks like you already got as far as I could help. There are more experienced runners here who might be able to give some advice. Initially, no one has any idea how much the inquirer knows, so forgive the novel suggestions.

If you just started running again after a long layoff, you might just be experiencing normal pain/fatigue. How often are you running and how far? How longwas your layoff. Sounds like you know better than to overdo it though...

[JamesMcBee]

lol

well loot, i wasn't poking fun or making light of the advice, i was laughing at myself for not saying the whole story. i am usually better at posting. anyhow, ya, im in the military and i have been lazy the past year. and im pretty damn dissapointed with my mile and half run time.

I havn't been running solid for bout a year and i just wanted too so much...just the urge to run again is like the itch in the back of my head. so, i am scheduling a routine for my body, but all of a sudden my knees started kicking my ass. anyhow, thanks for the help....


james-

[WI Crippler]

lol

well loot, i wasn't poking fun or making light of the advice, i was laughing at myself for not saying the whole story. i am usually better at posting. anyhow, ya, im in the military and i have been lazy the past year. and im pretty damn dissapointed with my mile and half run time.

You must be in the Navy then. I believe the Army runs 2 miles (for time), the Marines 3 miles, and I think the air force rides a stationary bike(??). When I was in the Marines, and training with Navy guys it always sucked because we'd have to run the course twice, while they went to Mcdonalds on base .
Anyway, I know what you are saying with your knees hurting after a long layoff. Since you have new shoes, we can eliminate that from the equation.
Is your pain in your knee more of a soreness?? and is it centered on your knee cap area, or off to the side of the knee?? If it is prevalent on the side of a knee, you may have a strained ligament (something I had in boot camp, believe me it hurts like hell to run on) If its just general soreness, I would suggest stretching your legs before and after the run. It helps. Also, have you put on alot of extra weight since you quit running?? Sometimes the body, after a long layoff won't be used to impacting with that much weight on the joints.
Or it just could be a bad treadmill and you have nothing to worry about. That happens sometimes. I have wanted to buy a treadmill for my home, because I can't really run outside in the winter, but I am not buying the cheap $300 treadmill at Walmart, because I think I would break it running on it.

[Loot]

I have wanted to buy a treadmill for my home, because I can't really run outside in the winter, but I am not buying the cheap $300 treadmill at Walmart, because I think I would break it running on it.

I had a thread here a while back where I debated buying a treadmill vs. an elliptical. I went with the elliptical and it was a great decision. Easy on the joints, numerous programs, calorie counter, heart rate monitor, etc...and it ran about $350. The girlfriend and I spend at least 20-30mins a day each on that thing and it is still going strong and working fine.

[WI Crippler]

I had a thread here a while back where I debated buying a treadmill vs. an elliptical. I went with the elliptical and it was a great decision. Easy on the joints, numerous programs, calorie counter, heart rate monitor, etc...and it ran about $350. The girlfriend and I spend at least 20-30mins a day each on that thing and it is still going strong and working fine.

For whatever reason, I have never liked elliptical machines. My wife (when she wasn't pregnant) loved them to death. Now I don't know about your situation, but I usually see in the gym, people that are in really good shape are running on treadmills, and out of shape people are usually on the bikes or ellipticals. I think they are great for people with serious weight/joint issues, but if I had a person who was in average shape I would always recommend running over an elliptical.
I don't know maybe there isn't a huge difference, but I enjoy running because it sucks the wind right out of you. Ellipticals work my legs hard, and can get a sweat, but I am hardly ever out of breath afterwards.

[Skinnyboy]

You must be in the Navy then. I believe the Army runs 2 miles (for time), the Marines 3 miles, and I think the air force rides a stationary bike(??). When I was in the Marines, and training with Navy guys it always sucked because we'd have to run the course twice, while they went to Mcdonalds on base .
Anyway, I know what you are saying with your knees hurting after a long layoff. Since you have new shoes, we can eliminate that from the equation.
Is your pain in your knee more of a soreness?? and is it centered on your knee cap area, or off to the side of the knee?? If it is prevalent on the side of a knee, you may have a strained ligament (something I had in boot camp, believe me it hurts like hell to run on) If its just general soreness, I would suggest stretching your legs before and after the run. It helps. Also, have you put on alot of extra weight since you quit running?? Sometimes the body, after a long layoff won't be used to impacting with that much weight on the joints.
Or it just could be a bad treadmill and you have nothing to worry about. That happens sometimes. I have wanted to buy a treadmill for my home, because I can't really run outside in the winter, but I am not buying the cheap $300 treadmill at Walmart, because I think I would break it running on it.

Not necessarily.

New shoes don't mean that they agree with your old feet. For example, I've read, talked with other runners, and experienced first hand that even the same model of shoe that worked last year may not work the next. May have changed slightly the next year and I've heard it depends what Asian plant they come out of (not sure about that).

Right now I'm on my second pair of Asics, same model, and it doesn't feel as good as the previous pair. Not saying for sure that's it the shoes, but since not much else has changed it's a good possibility.

Getting the right show for some people can be a real science. Inserts and orthotics can help.

If you run on an indoor track or treadmill, some good shoe places will let you try them out for a week as long as you don't wear them outdoors.