Urrgghh!!!!

[Over60sRunner]

Well, two runs back in to the restart of C25K and I woke up this morning to a horrile pain in my left knee, with the right one whinging a bit in sympathy 🙄

With hindsight (which is wonderful thing) maybe I shouldn't have decided to try road running this time round. I have been (gently) castigated so many times in the past for running exclusively on a treadmill to try and protect by dodgy, much surgically enhanced, spine so I thought why not give it a go outside this time. BAD THOUGHT as it turns out 😔

Ironically, I thought it would be my spine that would object if anything was going to, but it seems my knees have taken far more umbridge to being on hard road surfaces!

I have ibuprofen on board to help with the swelling and pain and hope a couple of days off should turn it around. I will still walk 2/3k a day with the dogs, but no running, and walking at leisurely pace instead of the usual march (as you do when you have a Mastiff on a mission on the end of a lead 😅).

We are away at a jive weekender from Friday to Monday, which is hard enough on the knees with all the bouncing, so I might hang on until next week before starting again (ON THE TREADMILL!).

Ho-hum, these things are sent to try us. Next time I have a great idea, I'll ignore it!!

[Instructor57 Graduate]

So sorry to hear you have woken up with knee pain 😟It's difficult to say what has caused it though 🤔

Sounds like you certainly need to rest them though .

Whether as a treadmill runner it's related to running outside is difficult to say .

I think transitioning from one to the other can often be tricky either way around as your body and running posture and therefore muscles will eventually adapt to the surface you are on, then a sudden change can easily throw this fine balance out .

Rest up and take care, hope your ok for your jive weekend 🤞

[Over60sRunner Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks for the input. I think this latest injury episode has conveinced me that I'm a treadmill girl, and I'm quite happy to go back to it once (I hope) this latest injury settles down.

I have early OA (wear and tear of "mature" knees!) and have physio exercise, but I admit I don't always do them. From now on, I definitely will! I'm also off the S&F forum, which I admit I don't visit often enough, to pick up some knee strengthening stuff there too.

Fingers crossed I'll be fit enough to dance over the weekend but, if not, I'll be happy to dress up, listen to some fantastic live bands, watch some fabulous dancers, and socialise with some great friends - life don't get much better than that 😀😍😀

[backintime Graduate]

no one should be castigating, even gently, you for running on a treadmill, it's a perfectly acceptable place to run. I do most of my runs there and yes, when I went outside for the first time, it was a bit harder (or maybe just different) than the treadmill but after two weeks my legs had worked out the difference and I was fine. I love my treadmill, it's very convenient when the pollen count is high or if I have a limited time to run - don't let anyone tell you different.

I previously did all of C25K, then moved up to 10k all 100% on the treadmill, one of our members did the whole C25k program around her living room. A run is a run.

Personally I find running on grass easier than road running, if you want to go outside and have a local park or common that might be worth trying.

There is also a Strength & Flex forum with knee exercises to strengthen your knees which might help. Lots of our members pop over there

healthunlocked.com/strength...

[Over60sRunner Graduate in reply to backintime]

Yes, I have been a member of S&F for ages, and I am planning to pop over there and see what I can find in terms of stabilising/strengthening exercises. I have mild OA in both knees, so I do some physio exercises from time to time, but I suspect I should be more committed....especially now 😱

I live in the wilds of rural Wales on the edge of the Beacons and there's not much grass around here apart from in fields that are full of sheep and out of bounds. I just can't manage the very steep hills round these parts either - all good reasons to use a treadmill.

After my knees have hopefully recovered from this recent insult, I am definitely going back to the treadmill and not listening to the gremlins when they whisper in my ear that I ought to run outside!

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

[Petem56 Graduate]

Hi, I've just transitioned from treadmill to outside, and on my first outside run I found my pace was quicker, and had problems at the end, so next run I managed pace better and problems vanished, do you record your runs? Was your outdoor run pace different?Good luck.

[Over60sRunner Graduate in reply to Petem56]

I am a graduate C25K "runner". My problem is I have been beset by health problems over the past year, including no less than 5 doses of Covid (it loves me!) and after many attempts at going back in at Week 6 but finding every excuse not to run, I decided to go right back to basics as my mojo has completely done one! I am hoping the easy early runs will allow me to build up some of the said mojo so by the time I get to the longer ones, I will be fired up.

Previously, every time I have felt guilty and thought I "should" be outside running (mostly because of some offhand comments on here!) I have gone back to the treadmill as the hard tarmac surfaces play hell with my spine which has undergone many rebuilds over the years following a motorbike collision in my early 20s (I;m now mid 60s). However, this time it seems to be my knees that are objecting to the less forgiving surface 🙄

I have never recorded my runs - I am a totally recreational runner and have no interest in how fast I'm travelling, just that I do 🏃‍♀️ 😀👟

Thanks for you input - it is appreciated 👍