Does anyone have any advice on how long to rest knee niggles for? Or how you know when they are ready for running again?
I started C25K three weeks ago and have so far done Week 1 x 4 runs and Week 2 x 4 runs. Been trying to take it really carefully, light jogging, short strides, sprung knees and no heel strikes. Already have reasonable muscle tone in my legs and knees as a cyclist of 24 years. Only using normal trainers at the moment but they are fairly new Skechers memory foam with the cushioning still quite good. I have a gait analysis booked in 10 days time and hoped to get some proper running shoes to prevent injury.
On my last run four days ago, both knees really ached during the run (unusual), don't know why. My right knee settled the same day but my left knee still aches. It did have some distinct sore spots slightly away from the knee cap at 3 o'clock and 8 o'clock but they seem to have gone now. The ache is not really noticeable when sitting and pottering about the house although standing long enough to cook dinner makes it ache. Going up and down steps also bad. Tried doing a very brief jog on the spot but two reps was enough to tell me I couldn't do 30 minutes on it. However, had to do an easy 10 mile errand on the bike two days ago and didn't feel a thing.
I'm really frustrated! I'm enjoying C25K much more than I expected and really look forward to the next run. I'm desperate to get back into it before I lose what progress I've made and also wondering if I will still feel like this in 10 days when I have the gait analysis. Really want to get the shoes now to protect from more injury. Ibuprofen seems really effective but don't want to just mask the pain.
Would love to hear your experiences, thanks.
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nyssa
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My daughter had knee niggles too . In week 7 . I advised … stop running for a while and do something else . Then knock back a couple of weeks and start again After a break from running doing other activities she picked from week 5 and she’s happily back on track .
Good luck Nyssa sometimes rest works as your body builds the muscles it needs to sustain pace .
she got a niggle around week 7 and took a break from running for about 3weeks when she restarted she dropped back to week 5 and 6 and repeated all the runs and now she’s back and ready to start week 7 again … Fingers crossed that I goes well for her !
It sounds like you are aware of most of the issues in respect of impact, so keep up the prerun dynamic stretching and post run static stretching as linked to in the guide to the plan. healthunlocked.com/couchto5....
Cycling will help tone but you are now having to develop resistance to impact, not just rotational.
Good hydration and rest days are crucial but I suspect that your shoes may make the greatest difference, to what is a very common issue for new runners. Fashion trainers are not running shoes. This FAQ Post about buying running shoes may help healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Thanks, I had already read many of your pages and tried to take on board the advice. It's a great resource and thanks for the time it must have taken. Completely get the advice about shoes but didn't want to spend the money until I was sure I'd stick at it (only 10 days or so before the decision was made but had to book two weeks in advance for the gait analysis so still waiting!). I had hoped that taking it steady might offset the absence of ideal shoes to some degree.
Knee niggles are very common when starting to run .
I would certainly suggest proper running shoes following your gait analysis and also the knee strengthening excercises linked to from the program guide .
Just dont run if you are in pain.
I also used to get knee issues when i started , but over time they thankfully seem to have gone.
Yes, a running friend advised me to get proper shoes so I made the decision as soon as I was confident I would get the use out of them.
Although I wanted to get back to the plan as soon as possible, I'm wondering now whether to take it easy until the gait analysis appointment so I'm fit to run properly for that. It's only 10 days to wait I suppose!
I believe the running shoes may be key. Just because you think that shoes have ‘life’ left in them doesn’t mean that’s true. The gait test and getting the right runners sounds the right way to go. One thing I found was doing leg strength and core exercises were invaluable. The core is key to so much and it’s only when we come back to exercise we understand it’s importance. Building the muscle around the knee will help
Yes, I'm hoping that better shoes will make the difference. It wasn't so much a case of thinking that the trainers would be any good for the job, just that I needed to run in something because I wasn't entirely sure at the beginning if I could even do it. Didn't want to spend the money on good running shoes that would spend the rest of their lives in the wardrobe! Do you have links to any recommended leg and core exercises on the internet?
I'm a tad curious that you mention w1 x 4 and w2 x 4... as certainly when I completed it there were only 3 runs per week. Are you repeating or doing extra?
On the link to the guide to the programme there is a link to the nhs knee strengthening exercises. Cycling and running are very different beasts so I would be careful to do your post run stretching and a few knee exercises too.
I'm doing extra runs but not four per week. In a normal week, I can only fit in two runs per week although the August bank holiday and a bit of annual leave has condensed that slightly.
I've been wanting to run for years but the fear of having a knee injury stop me from cycling has been the main deterrent. So, I thought an extra-slow start to the programme with plenty of rest days would do the trick.
Seems like that didn't work out!
Already do plenty of extra pre-run warm-ups and post-run stretching but recommendations for knee exercises (when I can finally do them) would be welcome.
I had minor knee pain in the first few weeks of C25K, so I changed two things. 1. I switched to running on soft surfaces like grassy areas of parks and dirt/shingle tracks. 2. I put at least 2 days between runs, rather than just 1 rest day. This strategy worked for me and I was able to complete the programme without further problems. Good luck!
Actually, that's a thought ... I began with only two evenly spaced runs per week because that's all I could fit in, and everything was going fine, but with the August bank holiday plus a few days of leave I had the opportunity to fit three in so maybe that's what did it.
I'm lucky to live quite near to a park so I might try running on the grass rather than the tracks where I can.
I had similar knee niggles first time around - rest until it’s not there. I was similarly frustrated as I felt like I was really hitting my stride! Tried to run through it once which was a big mistake and injured myself further. Took nearly two weeks off to recover, repeated the last run I’d done and as I managed it ok, continued with the course. It takes much longer to lose fitness than gain it, so you should be ok for two weeks between runs without a difference in fitness.
The shoes will also make a difference. Similarly I didn’t want to spend money on shoes before I knew I liked it, I bought some cheap running shoes on sale that were highly rated for comfort, I thought that was my best bet for a starter running shoe. Still wearing them, still comfy! Just on my second go of couch to 5k post second child so once I complete it this time I might do a hair analysis and treat myself to some proper trainers!
Thanks for sharing your experience, we live and learn I suppose and it's interesting to hear how long your recovery took.
I'm now on day 10 since injury and this is the first day where I can't feel any pain or discomfort, following 5 days of worsening pain and then 5 days of progressive improvement.
Only 4 more days until the gait analysis so I'm going to keep on taking things carefully until then, no running, and hope that it doesn't flare up on the treadmill.
Interestingly, after fearing that it might also scupper my bike riding too, in actual fact the pain noticeably eased on the bike so long as I didn't push too hard.
Hi nyssa 😊. I remember getting knee niggles fairly early on in C25K, although as my legs got ever more gradually used to the impact, it really did settle down. I had assumed that because I had spent years in the gym and have very strong legs, it wouldn’t affect me, but it did! I would sometimes take a 3 day break in between runs which helped, and I never ran if something actually hurt. I think getting a proper pair of running shoes is a very sensible thing to do - your upcoming gait analysis will recommend! It’s obligatory to post a photo of any and all new running shoes btw 😁.
So here they are! I think he sold me the ugliest shoes in the shop and I really need to get some coordinating socks now 😆
Really glad I want for the gait analysis, because I think I could have made a very expensive mistake otherwise. Couldn't believe it would be possible to create, move or remove knee pain almost instantly just with a change of shoes. And these were shoes that felt comfortable to walk in but only revealed their flaws on the treadmill. My credit card is still in shock though 😱
Unfortunately the knee has flared up again (possibly caused by the various unsuitable shoes that I tried) so my first outing has been a 30 minute brisk walk although I couldn't resist a 60s run just to test them. They felt good enough that I might be tempted to risk a watered down Week 1 with four runs instead of the eight in that session, then see how it goes.
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