Feel really disappointed had to stop in middle of my w8 r3.
Been struggling with knee pain for last week. Had two recovery days hoping it would hold up and no such luck. Now I've made it more painful to walk on and I'm hobbling home.
Any suggestions on what to do next? Should I rest for a while longer? If so do I then carry on from where I left off or go back a few runs?
Feeling rather disheartened as I was really enjoying doing this and the end was near in sight
In your position I would go and see a physio. Especially if it doesn't get better quickly or keeps coming back. They will be able to tell you what's causing the pain and give you exercises to solve it. I made a knee problem much worse by taking pain killers so I could walk on it a few years ago. Physio sorted it.
We ignore the knees at our peril... (As the runs get longer, sometimes our aches and pains increase...)
Do not run...!
Lots of information out there,this is an NHS one...sound advice and some exercises on the link too
nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/...
If you are seeing no improvement, then seek medical advice
You have no need to go back....but when your knee is better, make sure when you head out, you take it very slowly and steadily.
It seems you and I are in the same boat. After my third run of week 8 I was reduced to limping for the remainder of the day. It is entirely my fault, in my case. I had hurt my knee in a fall weeks ago (before I started c25k) and although it still twinge it didn't seem to be affected by my running. That is until I started the longer runs. Each time the recovery has been harder, until after completing W8R1 I decided to call a halt to running.
At the moment it is still painful, but a week on it is showing signs of improving. I am hoping another week and I may be able to run again. It is horribly frustrating as I should by now be displaying a graduate badge - but I will get there in the end I am sure.
Good luck to you. Look after yourself first and foremost 🏃🏃🏃
The end of the programme is just the beginning of your running journey, we all have times when we can't run because of injuries, rest your knee and get medical advice if it doesn't seem to be improving. You've got years of running to come if that's what you want, don't mess it up now....
Hope you fell better soon xx
Ouch, this sounds painful Charlotte, and it doesn't seem to be resolving with rest. So a trip to the doc/physio is advisable. Knee strengthening exercises or a knee strap could be recommended, it shouldn't mean the end of running.
Just to check, did you get running shoes that suit your running gait? You have maybe seen this mentioned on here, its to do with your pronation, how your foot hits the ground. Good running shops will analyse your gait by recording you for a couple of mins on their running machine, and are able to tell you if you have the correct support in your running shoe. You may know all this already.
Hope you get this resolved. Good luck.x
I didn't realise that about shoes I just went for the comfiest pair of running trainers. I might see about this though.
Thanks for the advise I am going to rest for a week and then see how it goes next week, if no better I will go see doc
Try and get a physio appointment, we have a self referral system for physio where I live. I've battled with knee pain, and I just rest, try not to run, but also have started with knee strength exercises...and a bit of yoga!
All the above is great advice.
I had knee pain for ages, but never got it when I ran, only when walking. Turns out my over-pronation was corrected by my properly fitted running shoes, but not in everyday shoes.
Orthontics for everyday wear have solved it - after just a couple of days in my ballet shoes which they don't fit in, I've noticed it niggling again.
Maybe a podiatrist as well as a physio?
Elevate, ice and diclofenac gel for day one. Continue gel and GRADUALLY increase exercise. Start slow run when you can walk without pain. When running "listen" to your knee and stop if it becomes painful (the sort of pain that doesn't feel right not just aching like not run for a while). If swells or becomes red (or other joints "join in") see your doctor. PS the gel is not just a painkiller, it reduces inflammation and reducing the inflammation reduces the damage being done by it.
Lots of good advice above - as someone who suffers from injury a lot, I'd like to add a couple of points. When you start again, try your first few runs on a treadmill if you can. It's so much kinder to the joints AND you can stop at any time without having to hobble a mile home! The other thing to be aware of - I have fallen foul of this several times - is to think about where you run. Bad pavements and poor cambers on roads can also place your knees and legs under unnecessary pressure. Rest, ice, elevate and get a gait analysis and you'll get back to it.
Week 9 Run 3 - Warm up run
5K Build-up run - another cock-up! 
C25K completed, first run alone a disaster..
Given up the fight.
a Relaxed 5K Headspace run 
