Hello running fiends 😈
Not been getting out as much as I like this week, due to having a cold – atchoo! But another thing is troubling me. Back of right knee muscle tightness! Never had this before. I can feel it when I walk. I am stretching it out when I can, and luckily have a sports massage booked for Friday.
Just wondering if anyone else has suffered this, out of the blue?
Sadie-runs xx
Oooh poor you Sadie. 🤧 Back of knee is where hamstring and calf muscle tendons connect. Maybe roll calves and hammies? Sure SM will sort it too. Xx
Thanks Ripcurly. 😘I will give the rolling a go (I have one of those hard knobbly ones that look like a medieval instrument of torture.) I never know how long to roll for though and get awfully bored. How long would you suggest? xxx
I’m rubbish at it and prefer the torture of a sports massage. When you roll does it feel tight? If it’s painful don’t roll incase it’s inflamed and wait for SM. Icing is good to bring down the inflammation.
If no pain slowly roll until tightness subsides. Hover on particular tight knots. Don’t roll back of knees.
I’m no expert but have had my fair share of leg issues! 🤦🏻♀️ Xx
It's not really painful as such, but I am wary of running with the tightness, as I did last week and got a pain in hammy at top of thigh – got to be related! The pain subsided in a day or two, so I knew it wasn't a strain. Will have a gentle roll tonight, and let my beefcake massage therapist unknot everything on Friday! Thank you so much for responding, Alka. I hope you are well over your leg issues now. xxx
Probably just tight hamstring. I’m better now and ready for getting back to it. 💪🏼😬 xx
Good to hear! x
If you find the knobby one hurts too much to roll with, I’d suggest trying one of the smooth softer foam rollers Sadie-runs . I’ve got both, but once I started actually rolling regularly I realised the smooth one was much more comfortable to use. The other one just put me off bothering!
I hope it eases soon, whatever the cause is. xx
Thanks dear MD. Oddly, I am not finding the knobbly one painful at the moment. It is just my laziness that is stopping me using it everyday. 😂 But from now on am going to try. I just hate not knowing what is causing it! Have not increased my speed or distance in a while and before that everything was feeling strong and lovely. Running eh? Funny ole lark! xxx
I have occasionally felt a tightness at the back of my knees. I've never been able to work out why and it has always gone pretty quickly. When it's tight though it feels like something could pop at any minite and I tend to run very gingerly. I can only sympathise, not help sorry. I would be very interested to know what your beefcake guy says though. Good luck.
Yes, that's exactly how mine feels! I have a sneaky feeling it is tight hamstrings. I have always had tighter hamstrings on my right leg. I will report back on what beefcake says, Linda. He has hands the size of dinner plates and is very good. 
xxx
🐄 🍰 🖐🏿 😂 xx
😂😂😂
Generally I think my hamstrings are OK, but maybe it's just that they aren't quite as bad as other bits which fail on a regular basis 😀. Sounds like he should be able to sort it for you 🙂 how often do you see him?
Once a month – he comes into our offices at work, which is super (dinner plate) handy! He was a godsend once I started increasing my distances. Any niggles I have, it is always my right leg. Pfffft. I stretch well, but clearly need to roll more. xxx
I remember your first sesaion because I had one about thr same time. I have been trying to go once every couple of months as a preventative measure, although I usually present with some niggle or another 😀
I remember! The first few sessions were really painful, but it is not so bad now. And I feel all floaty and light-legged after. He always manages to find something to unknot somewhere…even if I feel fine. I wouldn't be without him now. 😍
I've never had tightness in that area but when I do get tight bits in calves, hamstrings or quads I'm always told to roller more! I use a hard trigger point massage stick. Basically I roll as hard as needed until I get that painful but pleasant sensation of being hard enough to reach the spot but not hard enough to really hurt. I imagine the foam rollers work the same.
Regular SM is key I think. I couldn't manage without my lovely lady, no dinner plate hands but boy is she strong and loves to get those elbows in there! 🤣🤣💪👍😁 I think my next one is next week. Can't wait 😁
Thanks JoJo! I have one of those hard sticks, but I am notoriously lazy about using it. I shall rectify that henceforth, cannot be doing with any injuries right now, running more important that ever for mental health now it is winter! Thank you so much for the tips. 😀And I am also so looking forward to my massage! xx
I use my stick every night, usually 5 to 10 mins... bit less if super tired, but its made a huge difference according to my masseuse, she has less pain to cause 🤣 and can feel less tightness. Some parts are really hard to reach but calves, quads, hamstrings and even glutes are a nightly chore! 👍😁
That has been a feature of my post run experience and can linger on into the next run. I will be boring everyone to death about the NHS Knee strengthening exercises for runners, which include squats(to which I add calf raises) and lunges and other stuff but they have definitely helped me. nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/k.... Hope you can fix it quickly🐌🐌
Thanks BC! I already do all those exercises, and my legs are nice and strong – just too tight muscle wise – well, the right leg is, the left leg is lovely. In part because I have such a sedentary job, I think. Everything just seizes up! Calf raises I love! I do those when I brush my teeth, twice a day. Exercise by stealth. xxx
Oops! 😂
PS love the doggo in your profile picture, Beachcomber. Gorgeous.
Have you tried yoga, to help counteract the stiffness and muscle-shortening that running tends to cause? I'm a recent convert and have found it great for improving my complete lack of flexibility over the past 4 months! I'm now a huge fan of Travis Eliot - he has a few yoga sessions on youtube, and I also use his "ultimate Yogi" dvd series. From being unable to bend my torso more than an inch of two when seated with my legs straight out in front of me, I can now bend so my head is only 4 or so inches away my legs. It's certainly reaching places in my body I never knew existed!! It hasn't unfortunately been a cure for a niggling achilles pain that flares up when I run though. Hope you soon find a resolution for your behind the knee pain! xx
Thanks for your lovely reply, dear AP. And oh yes, I do yoga - have been practising on and off for 20 years! I have a little 10-min yoga for runners routine that I do after every run. Though I admit, I don’t practise as much as I used to. This is what I find a bit frustrating - I swear I am doing all the right things, so don’t understand this muscle tightness in my right leg! But, there is no accounting for physiology - it is always just my right leg, maybe it is just a weakness I have. Rolled it with my massage stick last night and it is easing up, thankfully. So glad you have benefitted from the yoga - it’s fab. I have also gotten into Pilates recently, and the difference to my core strength has really upped my running game! xxx
Lol! You're way ahead of me with 20 years of yoga I used pilates a few years ago to help rebuild my body after major surgery and found it hugely helpful. Maybe some of those exercises will help your knee? Or an infrared heat lamp for a few minutes per day? Hope it's good as new in no time! xx
She is a beautiful but stubborn Old English. Goes with the breed. She walks up to people, mainly younger females, on the beach because she knows that is where she will get the most fuss. Wife claims I have trained her! Regular babe magnet! No good as a running mate though....always likely to shoot off to see people/play with dog pals, eat sea weed or roll on a dead fish! And she is too wary in the woods, which is where I do most of my running. So woodland runs and long beach walks for me; sure beats working (but then I am old!)
Well, I can see why she would attract so much attention! Woodland runs and beach walks sounds heavenly to me. 😍
Hi Sadie.
You may need to rest that hamstring a while, and only when it has eased begin gentle stretching as a start. Hopefully your magic muscle man will sort it for you 👍🏼
Thanks Millsie, I do think a good deep massage will sort it, as it is just mild tightness. But annoying all the same. Funny how as runners we become hyper vigilant about these things. Pre-running Sadie would not have cared a hoot if her muscles were a little tight!
I do spells walking backwards on my way home post run. Longish slow strides and roll the feet through the whole gait cycle, toe to heel, making dure the heel sits flat on the ground. It opens up the hips and gently stretches the Achilles too to bottom
Oh thanks misswobble, I’ll try that after my next run! 👍
I did the rolling through the gait thing as physio. You can do it either moving forward or back. You get a better stretch walking backward. Do it slowly so you get the toe through to heel. I deeper stride also opens up your hips and stretches the calf It gets the ankle too. Just mind where you’re going 😃. Don’t swing the body. Keep yourself nice and straight
All noted, thanks wobble dear. x
You’re welcome 👍😃🏃♀️
When I changed my gait and started using glutes, I suddenly realised I had hamstrings 🤣 mine feels tight in the centre above the crease of the one but not further up the leg. Stretching and rollering helps. 😁👍
The weird thing is, my hams don't feel that tight at all, just the back of knee. This is where hams and other such muscles from calfs (you can tell I know my physiology, right? lol!) converge, so kind of clutching at straws that the tightness behind knee is linked to hammies. Pffft. I am sure that my massage guy, who knows a fair bit more about my body than I do (thankfully), will know what's what! Thanks Equi. xxx
Well I'm certainly not one to have much wisdom about dealing with tightness as my track record will show, but I felt I had to reply for solidatiry reasons! I'm getting good with my stretching now, but I am a bit stumped when something I don't know how to stretch feels tight.
I feel your pain regarding the whole sedendary job thing too. I sit here day after day staring at a flippin' computer screen, feeling myself getting tight. So - I hope it settles soon and you find an answer, and then share it with us 
Thank you for your support, dearest buddy. xxx
Hi Sadie, I've had my fair share of "niggles" but I can't say I've ever had that one. I hope the sport massage today helps and that you are back out there again soon.
Thanks OG, kind words much appreciated. It has improved a lot the last few days, and I managed a niggle-free 5km this morning, which was nice. Really looking forward to my massage guy unkinking my poor hamstrings this afternoon! x
Yes me once in a while. I ignore it and it goes away by next run. I think, after living with a damaged leg and accompanying problems/pain for over 50 years, I’m a bit blasé about leg pains. Hope yours gets sorted xxx
I wish I could be more blasé – I am a catastrophist! But it seems to have abated now – no pain after this morning's run, and my dinner-plate-sized-hands massage guy has just given my legs a good old pummelling. I think I just need to roll my hamstrings more, especially after longer runs. Thanks for your reply; I feel a bit more reassured now. xxx
Good. Many of these things are transitory. I get more disasters walking than running. My worst was not being able to crawl upsstairs or hobble around for pain, from resting my harp on my inner thigh! Xxx
Hope you get over your cold quick, this cold wet weather is a breeder for colds and coughs.
I get some tightness in my right leg above the knee quite often. I am hopeless at rolling but know it sorts it out.
Problem is I only notice it when I stretch out in bed. I ignored it once and it turned into a full blown cramp in the middle of the night with me jumping up scaring the wife and the dog (the dog was next to the bed not in it). Stopped me running then for a week due to the residual effects of the cramp!
Scared stiff of it happening again! The other night I couldn't sleep and started rolling at 2am - slept ok afterwards! Let us know what the SM says 🤞 good luck 🍀
Thanks Richard. Fought the cold off valiantly! And yes, rolling regularly is the answer I think. My SM guy thinks it is due to tight hams and calf in that leg. He proper hurt me unknotting things yesterday, but I feel very loosened up now! I had tears in my eyes throughout the whole massage! 😂 Resting poor legs up today...
Ouch! Poor you with the cramp! I only get it in my toes now and then, and that’s bad enough! xxx
You paid this person to torture you!! 😉
I know 😂😂😂
Knee pain
Knee pain - massively frustrating
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Knee Care
