Soreknees

[adsez]

Hi all I have just completed week 4 and feel confident for tackling week 5 but I am experiencing sore knees.Q 1 if I have to stop for a week what week should I start back on.Q2 is an ice pack on the knees a good idea.Q3 at 16.5lb I'm heavy for a runner can anyone recommend a good pair of runners for a neutral gait

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Congratulations on your progress. I would say that if you have to take a week out, at your stage, it would probably be worth repeating the last run you did. If you complete it ok, then move on, otherwise step back again to the previous week.

R.I.C.E is the recipe for minor injuries when running, being REST, ICE (a bag frozen peas or ice cubes on your sore part, through a towel or similar), COMPRESSION (just gentle even pressure on the sore area) and ELEVATION (put your feet up). There is more info on this on the net if you Google it.

Recommendations from other runners about footwear are not of much value, since we are all different in our running action, weight, foot width and other bio mechanical idiosyncrasies etc. Your best bet is to get gait analysis done at a proper running shop and take their advice as to which shoes would suit your running style. A change of shoe might well do away with your painful knees. My knees stopped aching round about W5 or 6 and never cause me any problems now, despite the fact that for years I had used my dodgy knees as a reason for not running.

One unexpected consequence of taking up running is that you begin to learn a helluva lot about your body and how it works. Good luck.

[adsez Graduate]

Thanks ian,will use your advice.

[pot58 Graduate in reply to adsez]

As above.But cannot emphasise enough to listen to your body.I had sore knees a few years ago and thought that I would just finish my run....ended up on crutches.If I had stopped and took time out and RICE I would have saved myself some grief.