Knees!

[kitlad2000]

Just at the end of week one of Couch to 5k. Unfortunately, I have dodgy knees and can't actually run! (Had trouble with my cartilage as a kid.) I was advised by a knee specialist a few years ago not to run, but I need the exercise and am quite jealous of various mates showing off their park runs, etc, so thought I would try Couch to 5k. To be on the safe side I tried it on the treadmill in the gym, but that immediately proved to be a no-go, so I moved onto the cross trainer, which has minimal impact on the knees. However, due to the different motion of the legs I'm finding it difficult to judge speed and whether what I'm thinking of as a run is more of a brisk walk. The crosstrainer machine measures speed in strides per minute unlike the treadmill which measures actual speed in kmh. Any advice gratefully received.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

If the motion is different it won’t develop the muscles that you need for parkrun. It will of course add fitness.

I was advised not to go road running for a long while. Grass, dirt paths and sand are gentler surfaces to run on. Good shoes will be a must too. Knee strengthening exercises and runner stability yoga will help a lot. See a physio and they will give you specific exercises based on your history, and maybe a knee support or two at the beginning.